3c[iv]: 20th Century: Human Genome
Lesson Plan
Aim of the lesson
It is hoped that by the end of the lesson(s) the students will:
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Be able to articulate some of the ethical, emotional and spiritual costs and benefits
of possessing knowledge about the human genome.
Be able to reflect on the implications for future society of the human genome
project
Be able to reflect on “the good enough person” and who decides what this is.
Practice listening to each other and valuing different opinions
Differentiation / Extension
Extension: more able students could do extended research into the Human Genome
Project and could write this up in the form of an essay, e.g. ‘The Human Genome Project’
should be a cause of alarm for Christians.’
Assessment
Teacher/Peer : Outcomes of role plays/discussions etc.
Duration 1 or 2 hours depending on activities chosen.
Timings
Introduction
Main Activity
Plenary
10 minutes – finding out previous knowledge. Verbal summary of the
project.
20 minutes - Role Play
20 minutes – Human Genome decisions discussions.
20 minutes – Card Sort; A genetically good enough person?
10 minutes at end of each activity to draw out the key issues.
Intended Age 16 –18 (Could be used for 14 –16)
Previous Knowledge needed by teacher
The teacher needs to have read the background paper Student Resource Sheet 1:
Teacher’s Support Materials
Previous Knowledge needed by students
It would be an advantage if they already had some knowledge of the Human Genome
Project. But this is not essential.
Science and Religion in Schools Project
Unit 3c[iv] 20th century The Human Genome
Background Reading
Student Resource Sheet 1: Teacher’s Support Materials
Books
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Bryant John and Searle John Life in our Hands Leicester IVP 2004
Jones Gareth Clones:The Clowns of Technology? Carlisle Paternoster 2001
Articles
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Bryant John Mapping the Human Genome. Science and Christian Belief 4 (1992)
105-125
Collins Francis The Human Genome Project. Science and Christian Belief 11
(1999) 99-111
Websites
Lots of interesting web sites. Students could type in the names of particular genetic
conditions or human genome project and will generate a lot of relevant material.
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http://www.scienceandchristianbelief.org
http://gene.ucl.ac.uk
Further information is available from The Wellcome Trust: Lab Notes from July 2000
“Beyond the Genome” is a 12 page booklet on this topic including a personal comment by
a schizophrenic on how wary she feels about the Human Project in the context of a society
the stigmatises schizophrenia.
BBC 1 Eastenders has done a storyline where a young man dies of Huntingdon’s Chorea
and traced the impact of this on the wife’s relationship with Ian Beale. This could provoke
discussion about how the storyline might have been different if the couple had known
earlier that he would have the disease.
Resources
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Student
Student
Student
Student
Resource
Resource
Resource
Resource
Sheet
Sheet
Sheet
Sheet
1:
2:
3:
4:
Background: Teacher Support Material.
‘A Genetically good enough person?’
‘The Human Genome Project’ Role Play.
‘The Human Genome Project’ Decisions.
Science and Religion in Schools Project
Unit 3c[iv] 20th century The Human Genome
Introduction / Starter activity
Ask your group what they already know about the Human Genome Project. If you have
some keen scientists they might be able to give a good explanation. Give a verbal
summary of the information about the Human Genome project from the teacher’s notes.
Explain that we are going to imagine ourselves into the future and look at different
scenarios that might be the outcome of the human genome project. First we are going to
take a typical young and in love couple and look at the implications for them. Then we are
going to take two contrasting governments and look at the implications of the decisions
they made for society. Finally we are going to look at what constitutes a genetically “good
enough” person.
Main Activities
1. Role Play (20 minutes; Student Resource Sheet 3: Human Genome project Role Play this will appeal to your kinaesthetic learners and extraverts. This can be
expanded and students could be given preparation time to research the relevant
genetic diseases and get more deeply into character. Having a whole class plenary
can also expand this. Put the students into pairs whose role is to be couples who
are in love (this should cause some fun!). Each pair also needs to be allocated a
third student who can be the life insurance / mortgage provider (you can allocate
spare students in order to have two of these). Introduce the scenario on the sheet
and allow them to generate their own responses to it. Circulate and at the end of
the role-play draw out any interesting issues.
2. Human Genome decisions discussion (20 minutes; Student Resource Sheet 4:
Human Genome Project; Decisions).
This can be expanded and students given
the opportunity for independent research if you wish. This would increase the
appeal for your quieter, more reflective students.
3. A genetically “good enough person” Card Sort. (Student Resource Sheet 2a and
2b: A Genetically good enough person?) The length of time for discussion can
be expanded, as this should provoke a good debate. This will appeal to the
students who like to be active and debate.
Plenary
Draw out from the students the key issues that arose from each activity.
Science and Religion in Schools Project
Unit 3c[iv] 20th century The Human Genome