Name: Grade: Teacher:
RD
Introduction
There are thousands of genetic disorders that affect humans, some of which can have profound effects on a person's quality of life. Genetic disorders are passed from parents to offspring in the genetic code, and in some cases, a person may be a carrier for a disease and pass it to their children without knowing. Because genetic diseases are usually caused by errors or mutations in the genetic code, it is extremely difficult to cure the condition, and in most cases, doctors can only treat the symptoms. In this webquest, you will explore a genetic disease and create a poster or PowerPoint presentation to the class about the disease you and your partner researched.
Task
Step 1: Form your group, groups can have one to two members.
Step 2: Choose which disease you will research. There are many genetic diseases to choose from, and a list of links that you can use to explore the known human genetic diseases. A word of caution though, some of the sites include diseases that are questionable whether there's a genetic component. Feel free to choose something not on the list; however, if you choose something not on the list below, have your choice approved before proceeding.
Some examples of genetic diseases are:
Sickle-Cell Disease
Hemophilia albinism
Phenylketonuria
Cystic Fibrosis
Tay Sachs Disease colorblindness
Adrenoleukodystrophy (Lorenzo's Oil)
Herditary Deafness
Coffin-Lowry Syndrome
Achondroplasia (dwarfism)
Fragile X Syndrome
Huntington's Disease
Marfan Syndrome (Alton Giant)
Trisomy 13 (Edward's Syndrome)
Phenylketonuria (PKU)
Rett Syndrome
Klinefelter Syndrome
Turner Syndrome
Rett Syndrome
Genetic and Rare Conditions Site http://www.kumc.edu/gec/support/
Genetic Information and Patient Services http://www.icomm.ca/geneinfo/
Ask NOAH about Genetic Disorders http://www.noahhealth.org/english/illness/genetic_diseases/geneticdis.html
Univ. of Utah: http://gslc.genetics.utah.edu/units/disorders/
Dolan Learning Center: http://www.ygyh.org/

Name: Grade: Teacher:
Progeria (premature aging)
Xeroderma pigmentosum
Gaucher Disease
Prader-Willi Syndrome
Duchenne/Becker Muscular Dystrophy
Neurofibromatiosis (NF)
Beta-Thalassemia
Polycystic Kidney Disease
Hemachromatosis
Robertsonian Translocation
Philadelphia chromosome: reciprocal translocation
Down’s syndrome
Autoimmune diseases
Each group must choose a different disorder - with the number to choose from, it is unlikely that two groups will choose the same, but just in case, once you've chosen the disorder, you'll sign a class page with your groups name and the disorder you are researching. If someone else is already doing that disease, you'll have to go with your second choice.
Step 3: Research your disorder
Your presentation to the class will need to provide an overview of the disease, addressing what causes it, what the effects and symptoms are, and how likely it is to pass the disease on to the next generation (use a punnett square to show inheritance if possible). Use the following questions to guide you in your research:
Medical
1.
How does a person inherit it? Is it dominant or recessive?
2.
What are the possible genotypes of the parents? If the disease is a chromosomal abnormality, describe the abnormality.
3.
How prevalent is the disease in the population (include statistics)?
4.
What are the chances of a person with this disease passing the disease to their offspring (include possible scenarios)?
5.
How is the disease diagnosed?
6.
What are the physical symptoms of the disease?
7.
What is the life expectancy of someone with the disease?
8.
How can the disease be treated?
9.
What are some new treatments or research that is going on for the disease?

Name: Grade: Teacher:
Personal
1. What is everyday life like? What is the quality of life?
2. What limitations does the person have?
3. What are some organizations that can help a family cope with a child's disorder (web links)
4. How possible is it that a cure will be found?
You can use a search engine to find information about your disease (google, lycos, yahoo) or explore the links in the genetic disorders pages.
Step 4: Presentation
You will compile your information and present it as a Word, POWERPOINT or Poster presentation. Powerpoint can be accessed from the school's webserver. Your teacher will explain the basics of PowerPoint if you need help.
It is recommended that you organize your presentation into sections (or slides). The purpose of the presentation is to inform the class about the disease. Part of the grade is based on the overall look of the presentation…so be creative and neat!
Step 5: Presentation
At this point, you will present your findings to the class in the form of a class museum. You will be responsible for taking notes and understanding the diseases for the final!
Mechanics
Organization
Technical
Information
Overall Look
Information 2
UnSatisfactory (1 pts) Satisfactory (3 pts) Good (4 pts) Excellent (5 pts)
Presentation had 4 or more spelling or grammar errors
Audience cannot understand the presentation because there is no sequence of information
Presentation had 3 spelling or grammar errors audience has difficulty following, topics jump around
Transitions are not used, slides have major technical mistakes
Presentation had no more than 2 spelling or grammar errors logical sequence, audience can follow
Presentation had no spelling or grammar errors logical, interesting sequence which audience can follow.
Bullets and transitions are used ineffectively, or are distracting
Bullets and transitions used, but there are some problems with flow
Bullets and transitions used effectively, presentation flows smoothly
Presentation has major gaps in knowledge, audience is not likely to leave with useful information
Information is way too technical for an average person to understand, information is cut/paste from sources
Presentaion looks poorly put together; done at the last minute
Presentation has some major gaps in knowledge, or is presented in such a way that the audience has trouble understanding
A majority of the information seems copied from sources, group attempts to make it understandable (i.e., uses own words or defines medical terms)
Not all of the members participated equally; presentation looks decent
Presentation provides information on the topic, some elements are missing (see questions)
Some information seems cut and paste from sources, too technical for a layperson to understand completely
All members participated equally, participation looks like time was spent on its appearance
Presentation provides a wealth of information on the topic, all questions are answered in a way the audience can understand
Group presents information in their own words, with consideration to the audience
Mr. Free wants to laminate and hang up on the wall!
Wow is what comes to mind!

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