2006 Ethics Action Plans Developed by Workshop Teachers

Ethics in the Science Classroom
Developed by the 2006 participants of NWABR's annual Ethics in Science summer workshop, these Action Plans provide outlines of approaches to integrating ethics into specific classroom contexts.

These plans are works-in-progress shared by teachers. Many of them reference the NWABR Ethics Primer for strategies. If you do utilize these lessons, please credit the appropriate source.

Action Plan Steps for Making Science and Society Teacher’s Binder - also includes Rubrics 1 and 2
Given a fairly rigid 10 th grade biology curriculum- I am creating a “Science and Society” binder. This binder would organize content specific bioethical cases studies according to our existing units of study. Students will be presented with a framework in Unit 1, What is Biology, on how to approach these “Science and Society” cases. During this introduction students will be taught some basic ethical principles and encouraged to engage in constructive dialogues. For the remainder of the year, students will return to this process, addressing at least one “Science and Society” case for each biology unit.

Part 1: Brave New World and Bioethics
Part 2: Bioethics across the BSCS Biology Curriculum
My two-fold project includes refining a unit that I have done before. I am working on a “ Brave New World and Bioethics” collaborative unit with the 10 th grade language arts teacher. When I taught it last year with a different teacher, we touched on some of the ethical issues, but I was not prepared to teach ethics and it ended up being a shallow “Socratic Seminar” after the students did a few readings. In an effort to make this process more meaningful for the students and to reinforce ethical thinking with them, I will be teaching bioethics throughout the year, but focusing on it specifically in the BNW and Bioethics unit. Therefore, the other portion of my project is to “inject” ethics into the year-long biology curriculum to pique student interest, as well as to enhance student motivation. For each unit we do, we will have at least one ethics lesson or ethical issue. By the time we get to the BNW and Bioethics unit, students will be well-versed in ethical thinking and will hopefully produce well-developed responses that arise to the ethical questions they read about.

Do you have ethics?
An introduction to ethics will be taught the first week of school for my biology and general science classes with intent to use this as a strand throughout the year long science units. The units will include but not limited to cellular biology, genetics, evolution, infectious diseases and recreational uses in the environment. An ethics perspective component will be added to the students required biology research project class presentation for discussion purposes. A motivational tactic for class participation is a skit on first day and case study “Pennington’s Sweetie Pie” (see Ethics Primer). Using the ‘setting norms’ on day 1 to set the tone of the classroom and foster productive ethics conversations throughout the year. Students will be asked to define values, morals, belief and ethics. They will identify their own values and ethics to case studies and activities. Students will participate in discussions regarding ethical issues (pages in Primer identified). Students will derive, construct and discuss the main ethical perspectives based on current case study examples and practice identifying these perspectives by analyzing skits, case scenarios and movies. Students will work independently and in cooperative group activities using an ethics strand throughout different biology units in the 2006-2007 school year.

The Elephant Project
The Elephant Project was developed by the Science Education Partnership (SEP) and Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center. It is basically a biotechnology experiment that comes to teachers as a kit. This experiment is designed to answer the question: “How can biotechnology help to conserve a species?” The basic premise behind the Elephant Project begins with a scenario explaining that your grandparents have been on a trip to Europe, Africa, and Asia. Upon arrival back to Sea-Tac Airport a Customs agent approaches them because your grandfather purchased elephant ivory, and the issue begins. Is it legal to bring this ivory into the country? Well first the elephant ivory must be analyzed to see where the ivory originated and the biotechnology begins. The student kit includes all of the material for the students to analyze the different DNA banding patters on an electrophoresis gel to determine the African country where the ivory originated from. This information leads the students to the WEB to determine the current laws in that country and if the trading of ivory is illegal or legal. After this process the students examine different ethical issues concerning elephant ivory and this is where my project begins…

The Ethics of Using Humans as Experimental Subjects (Or, is it OK to do experiments on people?)
This unit allows an introductory chemistry class to explore a Science-Technology-Society issue involving ethical decision-making. A Socratic seminar addresses the question, ‘Is it ever acceptable to use humans as experimental subjects and if so, when and with what restrictions?’ Prior to the seminar, student groups brainstorm examples of testing done on humans and the benefits that have emerged. The class then watches excerpts of a documentary describing research done in the U.S. between the 1950’s and 70’s involving human exposure to radiation, sometimes within a medical context, but sponsored for reasons other than the treatment of the subjects.

Flushing Away Your Future?
A local application of resource use and ethical decision-making
This lesson plan is designed to take the sometimes-abstract process of ethical decision-making and apply it to a local environmental issue that students can directly affect. Students will use an ethical decision-making framework to respond to a teacher generated ethical question. Given a basic scenario, students will generate research questions, collect the necessary information, and determine the best course of action. Since it is connected to a local issue, when they are divided into stakeholder groups, actual members of each group will be incorporated into establishing the stakeholders' perspectives. The summative evaluation of this project will be a presentation made to the local school board.

Genetically Modified Foods
How are genetically modifying plants and animals different from artificial selection? How is genetically modifying food affecting agriculture, consumers and the environment? What is driving the need for genetically modified foods? In this unit students will be critically analyzing the arguments of both the proponents and opponents of genetically modified food from a biological and ethical perspective. The unit begins with an introduction to GMOs and a stakeholder analysis (using the Identifying Stakeholders and Values Framework found in the NWABR primer). In teams of four students will research a particular case study of a genetically modified food using the Critical Reasoning Analysis Using the Elements of Thought framework (found in the NWABR primer). Students will develop a consumer education pamphlet or commercial for their genetically modified food synthesizing the knowledge that they have gained about the nature of the genetic modification, its history, and the scientific/ethical arguments of a variety of stakeholders. The unit will conclude with a discussion of whether genetically modified foods should be labeled using the Structured Academic Controversy Framework (found in the NWABR primer).

Global Warming: What can I do about Global Warming?
Students will watch the movie “An Inconvenient Truth”. Students will also have a structured debate using the “Ethical Decision-Making Framework”. Students will take different stakeholders’ positions and attempt to come up with a solution. Furthermore, students will research different automobiles’ affects on Global Warming. In groups, students will research different methods that they could exercise in order to reduce Global Warming. Students will then create a Powerpoint presentation to present to the class. Finally, students will take home a questionnaire that will provide a structured discussion on what their households can do to reduce Global Warming.

Global Warming: Does Global Warming Exist?
Should the federal government determine energy policy based on information provided by the National Consumer Coalition? Although many have stated that global warming is definitely occurring, and that the only questions are how much will it effect us and how much is due to man’s activities, and therefore might possibly be reduced by changing man’s activities, the current administration is relying more heavily on the information provided by a subgroup of the National Consumer Coalition called the Cooler Heads Coalition. It is my goal to have students see that this group has a values which result in very biased reporting of information, and to have the students follow through with action on this problem by writing a letter to the President giving their viewpoints, and possibly making constructive changes in their own activities.

Global Warming
This unit explores the science of global warming as well as its ethical implications. Questions addressed in this unit include: Is the local and global climate getting warmer? What is the evidence for global warming? How much is it heating up? What are the current and predicted impacts for humans and the environment? What are the causes of global warming? If humans are the cause of global warming, what is our responsibility to reducing it and what actions, if any, should individuals and the government take to reduce it? Ethical issues will be addressed through Documentary Film Analysis, a modified Congressional Hearing Model, Structured Academic Controversy (maybe?), Socratic Seminar and the use of a Decision Making Framework. Students will also implement an action project as part of the unit.

I’m Just a Bill : National Mandatory Genetic Screening of Newborns
Should a bill mandating nationwide genetic screening of newborns be passed? If so, what criteria should be used to choose the disorders? Who pays for screening and subsequent treatment of disorders? These are just a few of the many questions that this unit can be used to address with students. These lessons, which use a congressional hearing model and culminate in voting on a bill, will help students analyze the complex issues that arise surrounding genetic screening of newborns for disorders. Students will play the role of a particular stakeholder in a congressional hearing about the general issue of newborn screening. On a following day, students take on the role of Senators and debate a bill mandating national screening of newborns in the United States. The lesson concludes with a vote on the bill as amended during debate. Assessment of student understanding is based on a position paper they write that reflects their justification for how they voted and may include a proposal for an improved bill.

Should Chemical Castration be a Punishment for Repeated Sex Offenders?
This lesson is one example of a mini case study that could be done to discuss how humans can influence our own evolutional natural selection process. Students will discuss the ethical question about whether or not chemical castration should be a punishment for repeated sex offenders. They will utilize previous knowledge about natural selection and how humans are capable of altering this artificially through ways such as “designer babies,” surrogacy, fertility drugs, in-vitro fertilization, and chemical castration.

A Socratic Seminar. How should we use the information gathered by the Human Genome Project?
Students will prepare for this seminar by completing the student handout Open-Ended Questions for a Socratic Seminar found in the Ethics Primer. Because this is their first seminar I will ask for 12 volunteers to participate in a “fishbowl” with the remainder of the class observing and taking notes. The question to be discussed is “How should we use the information gathered by the Human Genome Project”?

Stem Cells: The Science & Ethics of Stem Cell Research
This lesson is two-fold. First, this lesson is to provide students the opportunity to reinforce their understanding of cell division and development. Secondly, to provide students with an introductory understanding of the science and ethics of stem cell research.

Stem Cells: Modeling Stem Cell Development and the Ethical issues involved
While doing the Cell Structure and Function I will introduce the stem cell Playdough model. This will begin from early development (conception) to the adult stem cell. (See NWABR Stem Cell Unit, to be posted in late 2006) The students will review a case study. They will discuss the most current news articles on the growing controversy concerning stem cell research. Time constraints will determine what else will be pursued in this unit. They will build a model of the stem cell. This will be followed by a quiz that will demonstrate their understanding of the various stages of the stem cells. Student will present their ethical position either orally or in written form.

Stem Cells: Bioethics and Stem Cells
‘Bioethics and Stem Cells’ uses stem cells as a model for learning about bioethics and making ethical decisions. In this unit, students will learn what a stem cell is, the aspirations of stem cell research, and more specifically, the issues surrounding the controversy of using leftover embryos from in vitro fertilization clinics for research. Each student will then choose a different topic centered on an ethical question and create a presentation in which the student explains the science of the topic, discusses each of the stakeholders and their perspectives, and gives a possible, well-reasoned solution. This unit incorporates several activities found online created by Genetic Science Learning Center (University of Utah) in addition to some activities presented in the July 2006 “Ethics in the Science Classroom” workshop (Northwest Association of Biomedical Research).

Transgenic Salmon
In this lesson students will research Genetically Modified Organisms and Transgenic Salmon specifically. Students will then be placed in stakeholder groups and use the ethical decision making framework to identify the facts, values/concerns and possible solutions. Students will then participate in a debate of these possible solutions. Finally, a position paper will be written by each student voicing THEIR viewpoint on the issue of transgenic salmon.

Ways of Knowing: Ethics and the Nature of Science
In this unit, students are introduced to the nature of science by looking critically at the thinkers and ideas that form the basis of Western science and ethics. The class will use Socratic seminars to read excerpts from the writings of Plato, Aristotle, and Hippocrates, and will identify the guidelines these ancient philosophers set up for ethics and for scientific inquiry. Students will get to apply Aristotle’s virtue ethics to an assigned case study and to a current event of their choosing. They will also get to follow in the paths of these early thinkers, becoming ‘natural philosophers’ and building their observation skills in the natural world. The unit will culminate in a group project where students use the ideas of early philosophers to design their own scientific method.

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