Social Scientific Issue Modern Genetics

Grade level
/subject

9th Grade Biology

Context
description

Students should have the knowledge of basic genetics learned from the
previous lesson. Students use their prior knowledge to have a productive
seminar discussion. This lesson includes watching a movie where students
have to answer open ended questions based on what they think and what
they know about modern genetics. Students need to start thinking more in the
higher levels of blooms and this lesson gears them towards this. My students
enjoy talking to each other about their thoughts. This is an opportunity to
discuss ideas about a topic that is controversial to society and form their own
opinion on what they believe. This allows for students to build their
communication and listening skills which are an important part of
collaborative learning.

Standards met

Concept
addressed

Objectives

Ohio Content Statement OH.BIO.1.6 build basic knowledge of modern

genetics

The big idea for this lesson is biotechnologies impact on the society and
environment. This lesson provides students with the opportunity to build
understanding of modern genetics because it allows for students to share and
formulate ideas about how biotechnology can affect them in the future. In this
lesson students will participate in a seminar where they will discuss some of
their ideas with their classmates. In todays society there has been much
controversy over the idea of parents choosing trait of their childrens.
Students will watch the movie GATTACA where this controversy is shown and
will be the basis of the seminar discussion. Students need to understand
biotechnology because it is becoming a major role in todays society with not
only choosing traits but with gene therapy and finding cures for diseases.

The students will be able to:

1. Explain the scientific implications of biotechnology
2. Identify biotechnology and bioinformatics using real world scenarios
3. Analyze how biotechnology is good or bad based on their opinion and
facts from the movie GATTACA
4. Discuss their ideas about choosing traits for children with their

Social Scientific Issue Modern Genetics

classmates in the form of a seminar.

Academic
language

Vocabulary: Biotechnology, Electrophoresis, Gene Therapy, Genetic

Engineering, Restriction Enzymes, Polygenic Inheritance, Epistasis

Learning
strategies

Visual and Auditory: Students will be working through a worksheet while

watching the movie GATTACA
Seminar Students will participate in a seminar discussion with their
classmates to discuss their thoughts on selecting traits for an offspring

Materials
needed

DVD: GATTACA
GATTACA Worksheets
Writing utensils
Seminar Worksheet
Journal

Instructional
outline

Instructional sequence:
Day 1:
Segment 1: Bell Opener: What does the term BIOTECHNOLOGY
mean to you? (4 min attendance)
Transition 1: Have 1 student volunteer to collect folders and pass out
GATTACA worksheet (1 min)
Segment 2: Briefly talk to students about modern technology. Ask if
they have any questions or idea about what they think it is. Tell
students instructions on watching the movie: No talking, actively
taking notes on the worksheet. (3 min)
Transition 2: Turn down lights. Start movie.
Segment 3: Students will watch the movie for the rest of the bell (50
min)
Transition 3: Exit: Put worksheet into table folder.
Day 2:

Segment 1: Bell opener: Finish this statement: After all there is no

gene for ______ (4 min attendance)

Social Scientific Issue Modern Genetics

Transition 1: Have 1 student volunteer to collect folders and another to
pass out GATTACA worksheet (1 min)
Segment 2: Finish Movie ( ~40 min)
Transition 2: Get students focused back to class (1 min)
Segment 3: Go over GATTACA worksheet (10 min)
Transition 3: Collect GATTACA worksheet to keep for the next day.
Hand out half sheets of paper for exit ticket (2 min)

Day 3:

Closure: Exit Ticket Have students write any unanswered questions

they have or questions they think would be good for discussion. (Uses
these to guide seminar questions) (5 min)
Segment 1: Bell opener: From the movie, what have you learned
about how biotechnology affects our world (4 min attendance)
Transition 1: Have 1 student volunteer to collect folders and another to
pass out seminar worksheet. Go over instructions and start seminar (5
min)
Segment 2: Start seminar discussion. (40 min)
Key points to discuss are:
- If you decided to have a child one day and are given the
opportunity to select for special traits, would you do so?
Explain why or why not.
- What are positive aspects of the world shown in the movie?
- What are negative aspects of the world shown in the
movie?
- Do you think it is right to destroy the embryos after parent
choses the embryo? Is it like abortion?
Closure: Wrap up any final thoughts or concerns (5 min)

Modifications

Students will be provided with the appropriate accommodations and

modification as stated on their IEP and discussed with their intervention
specialist

Social Scientific Issue Modern Genetics

Formative assessments:
Objective 1, 3, and 4: Student will participate in seminar discussion with their
classmates. Each of these objectives will be talked about sometime during
this discussion. I am looking for students ability to discuss their opinions
about biotechnology and how it relates to real world experiences like
choosing genes for an offspring (good and bad)

Assessments
of learning

Summative assessments:
Objective 2: Students will be assessed during the bell openers for day 1 and
3. Both openers ask students to what they think about biotechnology. This will
show student learning from the beginning of the lesson to the end.
These objectives will also be assessed by the GATTACA Worksheet. While I
am not grading this worksheet for accuracy this will still be an assessment to
determine if students have shown understanding of the ideas shown in the
movie.
Students will also have Vocabulary cards to compete for this lesson. Students
will have a biotechnology test at the end of the unit