eugenics/human genome activity

[kev]

Just looking for any thoughts, critiques, suggestions in regard to an activity I am considering for a senior level (17-18 yrs old) anatomy class. We are finishing a unit on protein synthesis/genetic code and the book has a small blurb about the Human Genome Project. As this is a rather interesting topic, and 6 paragraphs does not really do it justice, I wanted to spend a little more time on it.

The project I am considering is a cross-curricular presentation. I will be working with the US History (juniors, 16-17yrs old) teacher. He is always looking for material that will challenge his students to think in new ways. He teaches a short unit about the eugenics movement and its ramifications throughout history. My kids would have 6-7 weeks to put together their presentation - using their own time and some class time on and off. He teaches this unit mid December.

What we are thinking is this: My anatomy students will "teach/present" information about genetics/human genome to his class. The overall thought is that his presentation on eugenics in history, coupled with my students presentation about the possible implications (good and bad) of the human genome project can challenge the students to make links between past events and future issues.

I was kind of thinking of the following topics/outline for the presentation by my students:

*Intro - attempts at species improvement, genetic and behavioral(agricultural, pets, humans etc.)
*genes/traits
*Natural selection
*Artificial selection
*Eugenics - past
*Scientific flaws in the Eugenics movement
*Human Genome project
*Implications ( good and bad)
*Where does the line get drawn? Who draws it?
*If there are desirable traits, there must be undesirable ones - who decides?
*Are you more than your genes?

Obviously, this is a large undertaking. One concern is I don't want them to bite off more than they can chew. We want the kids to make links between past events and future possibilities. So, we want the fine line of helping the students challenge themselves, but we also want them to be able to do this project justice. Any thoughts or criticisms would be welcome - we are just in the planning stages and still brainstorming items to include or exclude.

Thanks
kevin

[genesplicer]

One thing you might want to look at is a current fear that many people have: What if they start looking at your genome to decide whether or not to insure you.

"Well, Mr. Smith, we checked out your DNA and found three markers for Oncogenes, meaning you may get cancer in the future, as well as a gene that may lead to Diabetes. As a result, you are uninsurable. Sorry."

Should our Genomes be private information?

[Madalch]

"Well, Mr. Smith, we checked out your DNA and found three markers for Oncogenes, meaning you may get cancer in the future, as well as a gene that may lead to Diabetes. As a result, you are uninsurable. Sorry."
I'm sure that should such genetic tests come to past, Mr. Smith will get life insurance that simply doesn't cover cancer, diabetes, and related conditions.

[genesplicer]

Yes, but what about health insurance???

[Jeff Corkern]

One thing I was mildly surprised to see you didn't list.

Eugenics' connection to Nazi race theory and the Holocaust.

You might include one asking if eugenics is really something we need to worry about anymore. Eugenics was an attempt by man to direct his evolution. In biological terms, it was attempt to control the structure of our genes by encouraging certain people to reproduce or discouraging others to reproduce.

Which was clumsy and slow, to say the least. But then, for most of eugenics history no one even knew about DNA.

But now we know, and can alter and are altering our genes as we see fit. Soon, in historical terms, if we want our kids to be born with pink bunny rabbit fur, no problem.

Or, if you have a cancer gene, you simply turn that gene OFF or change it to a non-cancerous gene.

Which tosses eugenics onto the ash heap of history. Dead and gone and good riddance.

One thing I suggest you delete.

The one about "Are we more than our genes."

You are likely to start a raging religious debate with that one, and it might be more than you want.

[aries]

I'll cover my take on the nazi movement and eugenics later; for now I will just say that the nazi movement and their use of eugenics are a topic itself - and could be done later on, I think.

Let me throw a curve ball at you: In most Western Countries, abortion is legal. What if, evertwomen were offered a test to see if there's something wrong with the baby, and there existed, in the society, a mild pressure to get an abortion, if there were some thing wrong with this baby? And by wrong, I mean everything from say color blindness to nearsightedness to Down's Syndrom.

It seems that when individual people, at least in Denmark, are given the chance they seem to want to have perfect babies. Maybe your students could discuss this? If it's in the US, then try to discuss the abortion question much, but ty to ask them why people want perfect babies.

I certainly understand the question about the genome being private information, but let's try to widen this. Many indegenous people genomes are being scanned by medical companies? Do they own their own genetic code or do the medical companies?

I have done class projects, too, since I'm a teacher, too :) My advice would be that you're very clear about the objectives and goals about what the students are expected to learn from this project. In short: Why should the class learn about this? Why is it important? You should also demand some sort of presentation thing done, whether it is a written presentation, a powerpoint presentation, a video presentation, or something else.
The demands for these presentations should also be made clear to the students.

It is my experience that when students know this, they are willing to work - often at great length.

Maybe you could involve the English teacher, too? Having your students read scientific
papers about eugenics and making comments on them would be a great way to learn students how to hone their writing skills.

[shadron]

One thing you might want to look at is a current fear that many people have: What if they start looking at your genome to decide whether or not to insure you.

"Well, Mr. Smith, we checked out your DNA and found three markers for Oncogenes, meaning you may get cancer in the future, as well as a gene that may lead to Diabetes. As a result, you are uninsurable. Sorry."

Should our Genomes be private information?

There is a flip side to that coin: insurance companies have a valid concern that such a person in possession of such private information will insure himself for cancer and diabetes in particular. The statistical nature of insurance is what powers the industry; any unbalancing of the statistics is problematical. This is what genesplicer is hinting at above.