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Cracking the Code of Life
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Classroom Activities
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Objective
To help students understand the ethical, legal, and social issues
behind the Human Genome Project.
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copy of "Case Studies" student handout (PDF
or
HTML)
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Organize students into groups and distribute the "Case Studies"
student handout to each group.
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Assign Case Studies to various groups and have students work in
their groups to answer the questions associated with each case
study.
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Once students are done have them report their work to the class
and have a class discussion about each of the issues.
Ethical issues deal with what is moral or right. Legal issues
address laws or regulations that may be set up to protect society
members. And social issues look at how society and its individuals
will be affected by certain decisions.
There are no right or wrong answers when societal issues are
debated, but rather many different opinions about what is best
ethically, legally, and socially. Talking about genetics can be
emotional for students. Be sensitive to students' answers. Be sure
to consider all points of view.
Books
Baker, Catherine.
Your Genes, Your Choices: Exploring the Issues Raised by Genetic
Research.
Washington, D.C.: AAAS, 1999.
Describes the Human Genome Project, the science behind it, and the
ethical, legal, and social issues raised by the project.
Marshall, Elizabeth L.
The Human Genome Project : Cracking the Code Within Us.
Minneapolis, MN: Econo-Clad Books, 1999.
Explores the process and technology used in sequencing a portion of
the human genome. A chance to see the process of science through the
eyes of the scientist. The author connects the discoveries in the
human genome with the ethical implications they pose for society.
Reilly, Philip R.
Abraham Lincoln's DNA and Other Adventures in Genetics. Cold
Spring Harbor, NY: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, August
2000.
Offers wide-ranging tales of crime, history, illness, and ethics to
illustrate principles and issues of human genetics.
Sayre, Anne. Rosalind Franklin and DNA. New York, NY: W. W.
Norton & Company, Inc., July 2000.
Offers a true life account of Franklin's work in elucidating the
structure of DNA and explores the difficulties often faced by women
in science. Franklin's research was central to the Nobel
Prize-winning discovery of DNA, and Watson and Crick's discovery
relied heavily on her pivotal X-ray crystallography data.
Watson, James D.
The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the
Structure of DNA.
New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1998.
Chronicles the original story behind the race to discover the
structure of DNA as seen through the eyes of James Watson.
Articles
Crick, Francis, and James Watson. "A Structure of Deoxyribonucleic
Acid." Nature. Volume 171. 1953, Pages 737-738.
The seminal paper on the discovery of the structure of DNA.
"Outlook 2000: Inventing the Future."
U.S. News & World Report, January 3, 2000.
Special double issue includes different articles about the Human
Genome Project, which explain how the secrets of DNA may help cure
illnesses and arrest aging, as well as outline the benefits and
perils of genetic testing.
Web Sites
NOVA Online—Cracking the Code of Life
http://www.pbs.org/nova/genome/
Provides program-related articles, interviews, interactive
activities, resources, and more.
Genes and Disease
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/disease/
Shows what diseases have been mapped on which chromosomes. The Map
Viewer presents a graphical view of the available human genome
sequence data as well as cytogenetics, genetic, physical, and
radiation hybrid maps.
The Human Genome Project
http://www.genome.gov/10001772
Provides background information on the Human Genome Project from the
National Human Genome Research Institute. Several links provide more
detailed resources describing the history and goals of the Human
Genome Project.
Genetics Resources
http://www.library.vcu.edu/tml/bibs/genetics.html
Offers list of links with descriptions to more specific subject
areas in the topic of genetics and medicine.
The "See Your DNA" and "Mystery Message" activities and the "Case
Studies" activities align with the following National Science
Education Standards:
Science Activities: Grades 5-8
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Science Standard C:
Life Science
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Reproduction and Heredity
Molecular Basis of Heredity
Case Studies: Grades 5-8
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Science Standard F:
Science in Personal and Social
Perspectives
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Science and Technology in Society
Case Studies: Grades 9-12
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Science Standard F:
Science in Personal and Social
Perspectives
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Science and Technology in Society
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