Biology Writing Project
Research/Position Paper
Molecular biology has undergone a revolution in the last few years. Gene therapy and research, the Human Genome Project, and prenatal testing techniques have led many members of society to question the ethics surrounding the research and techniques. Now, more than any other time in history, major ethical and societal issues are being discussed and debated with great interest. Theologians, scientists, patients, lawyers and other interested people are often at odds as to the ethical, legal and social implications of this research. This activity is designed to help you become aware of the many questions being debated and to enhance your understanding of the science behind the research.
TOPICS:
1. Fetal tissue transplants
2. Growth Hormone Therapy
3. Designer Genes
SCENARIO: After reading your scenario, you are ready to begin your research.
POSITION/Argumentative PAPER : Your paper must contain the following SEVEN Paragraphs.
1. TITLE PAGE
2. P1 INTRODUCTION/THESIS PARAGRAPH The introduction should grab the reader's attention, set up the issue, and include your thesis statement. Your thesis is your main point, summed up in a concise sentence that lets the reader know where you're going, and why. Your intro is merely a buildup of the issue, a stage of bringing your reader into the essay's argument.
3. P2 HISTORY/TOPIC BACKGROUND (scientists, dates, procedures, patients, locations, etc.)
4. P3 SCIENTIFIC TECHNIQUES/METHODS/TESTS (equipment, procedures, alternative scientific methods?, DRAWINGS or VISUALS showing the technique(s) involved)
5. P4 AND P5 DILEMMA BOTH SIDES OF THE DILEMMA MUST BE PRESENTED . Pros and cons of the argument need to be discussed and explained.
6. P6 PERSONAL VIEW How do you feel about the dilemma? TAKE A POSITION! You have researched the information, and it's time to make your position known. Explain in detail why you feel the way you do. This is a very important part of your paper. References to your bibliography should be found throughout this section.
7. P7 CONCLUSION Summarize thesis. Gracefully exit your essay by making a quick wrap-up sentence, and then end on some memorable thought, perhaps a quotation, or an interesting twist of logic, or some call to action. Is there something you want the reader to walk away and do? Let him or her know exactly what.
8. WORKS CITED A minimum of 5 references are required. Use MLA style.
PREWRITE DUE DATE: ________________________
Rough Draft DUE DATE: ________________________
FINAL COPY DUE DATE: ______________________
Links for Writing Help and MLA style http://www1.aucegypt.edu/academic/writers/ - 10 easy steps to writing an essay http://easybib.com/ - Free Bibliography Maker- MLA Style
Modified from APEX BIOLOGY Judy Ruppert Research/Position Paper Walter Johnson High School

SCENARIO 1: Fetal Tissue Transplantation
Popeye and Olive Sailorman are a happily married couple with two children.
Both enjoy a comfortable life style and a stable home life. Olive's elderly father is diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. His symptoms are mild, but his family is told by his physician that he will become more and more disabled with time.
Close to the time that she learns about her father, Olive reads an article in the local newspaper about a research project being run at a local university. A team of researchers, led by Dr. Brutus, have applied to the federal and state governments for permission to do a study with Parkinson's victims. She visits with Dr. Brutus to learn more about the disease. During the course of their discussions, she finds out that
Parkinson's can be reversed by implanting fetal brain cells in the brain of the patient.
Olive is very interested in the procedure, and can't wait to tell her father. She wants her father to live his last few years without this debilitating disease, and does not know what else to do to help her father. However, she knows he has deep feelings about the use the fetal tissue for any reason.
Links For Research
1.
http://www.brookscole.com/chemistry_d/templates/student_resources/0030244269_campbell/HotTopi cs/fetal_tissue.html
- Fetal Tissue Facts
2. http://www.theinterim.com/issues/fetal-rights/fetal-tissue-transplants/ - Fetal Tissue Research
3. http://www.scienceblog.com/community/older/2001/D/200114134.html
- Science Blog on Fetal
Tissue Transplantation
4. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fetal+tissue+transplant – Fetal Tissue Transplantation definition
5. http://www.woodrow.org/teachers/bi/1992/fetaltissue_transplants.html
- Background Info on Fetal
Tissue Transplantation. You will find the important information in the middle of a project for biology students.
6. http://www.ascb.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=359&Itemid=31 – Fetal
Tissue Transplantation Facts
7. http://www.woodrow.org/teachers/bi/1992/fetaltissue_legal.html
- The legal aspects of Fetal Tissue
Transplantation. You will find the information in the middle of a project for biology students.
8.
http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=oLl_UtXftvUC&oi=fnd&pg=PA103&dq=fetal+tissue
+transplantation&ots=XKw8d10FOZ&sig=1YAOVY22qU8kJENzRIKHIof8hrw#v=onepage&q=fetal
%20tissue%20transplantation&f=false – Scholarly Article on Fetal Tissue Transplantation

SCENARIO 2: Growth Hormone Therapy
Bobby K is a healthy 10-year old boy. He is very agile and quick and loves sports. The coach of his city league basketball team has told Bobby's parents that their son's skills on the court are astounding for a child of his age.
Bobby's father, Mr. K., is a health man who is 5'3" tall. Bobby's mother is also short, only 5'0". Bobby's pediatrician has predicted that Bobby will attain an adult height of about 5' 3" but has emphasized to his parents that he is a normal, healthy boy.
Mr. K. remembers being teased constantly about his size and recalls that his lack of height kept him off all the varsity sports teams at his high school. He has often wondered if his shortness is a disadvantage to him in business dealings too. Mr. and Mrs. K. both anticipate that their son will be the recipient of more and more pointed teasing as he reaches his teenage years. They also fear that he will not be selected for the basketball team when he reaches junior high or high school.
Bobby's coach has heard of a program at the local university in which gene therapy is being conducted on children who have a disease that results in the inadequate production of growth hormone. The children are being given working copies of the gene for human growth hormone, and the levels of growth hormone in their bodies have increased. These children's growth rates have also increased.
Bobby's coach tells the K. family about what he has heard. Bobby is thrilled, because he might be able to keep playing basketball, maybe even on a professional level.
Bobby's parents are more cautious but would like their son to be spared the pain of being much smaller than his classmates.
The K.'s go to Bobby's pediatrician and request that Bobby be given the growth hormone gene therapy.
Links for Research
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Growth_hormone_treatment - Growth Hormone Treatment Wiki
2. http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/endocrine/hypopit/gh.html
- Growth Hormone Facts,
Diseases and Treatments
3. http://children.webmd.com/news/20081106/growth-hormone-therapy-ups-kids-height - Growth
Hormone Ups Kids Weight
4. http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/growth-hormone-deficiency/overview.html
- Growth
Hormone Deficiency Overview
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Growth_hormone_deficiency - Growth Hormone Deficiency
6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Growth_hormone - Growth Hormone
7. http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/156/3/230 - Scholarly Article on Growth Hormone
Therapy

SCENARIO 3: Designer Genes
Wilson and Kate have decided to have a baby. They are discussing the questionnaire that Kate received from the reproductive technology firm, "Select a Kid."
“Here's the chance I've been waiting for. I can have a son!" said Kate. "But I always wanted to have a daughter," exclaimed Wilson.
"I want him to be muscular," she said. "That's not important," he said. "I want my child to be gifted artistically."
Kate said, "Let's stop arguing and look at all of the other options available.
There's height, hair color, eye color, body shape, IQ, physical abilities, talents. What kind of baby should we have?"
Links for Research
1. http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/genetic-inequality-human-genetic-engineering-768 -
Designer Genes Facts and Info
2. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/designer+gene – Designer Gene Definition
3. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Genetic _ engineering – Genetic Engineering Definition and Info
4. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/pros-and-cons-of-designer-babies.html
- Pros and Cons of Designer
Babies
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Designer_baby - Designer Baby Wiki
6. http://www.brighthub.com/science/genetics/articles/22210.aspx
- Pros and Cons of Genetic
Engineering in Humans
7. http://www.actionbioscience.org/biotech/agar.html
- Designer Babies Actionbioscience
8. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090126100642.htm
- Designer Genes Scholarly
Article

BIOETHICAL DILEMMA Name:
Research/Argumentative Essay
Quality
P1 INTRODUCTION
P2 HISTORY/TOPIC
BACKGROUND
Strongest:
 Grabs reader’s attention
 Clear definition of problem in thesis statement
STRONG
Adequate:
 States the thesis, but problem not completely clear
ADEQUATE
Weakest:
 Thesis and/or problem is unclear or not related to topic.
WEAK
P3 SCIENTIFIC
TECHNIQUES
P4 PRO ARGUMENT
STRONG
STRONG
ADEQUATE
ADEQUATE
WEAK
WEAK
P5 CON ARGUMENT
P6 PERSONAL VIEW
P7 CONCLUSION
STRONG
STRONG
ADEQUATE
ADEQUATE
WEAK
WEAK
 Conclusion is missing or not adequate.
POINTS
______/10
______/5
______/5
______/5
______/5
______/5
______/10
WORKS CITED
FOCUS
DEVELOPMENT/
INFORMATION
ORGANIZATION
CONTENT
UNDERSTANDING/DEPTH
CONVENTIONS
Grammar/Spelling/Usage
 Conclusion summarizes main topics without repeating sentences.
 Includes a memorable thought, suggestion for change, call to action, or interesting quote.
 Citations included
 5 sources listed on
Works Cited page in
MLA format
 Addresses all aspects of prompt.
 Makes a convincing point
 Includes rich supporting details
 Addresses the best arguments of the opposition
 Includes good quotes from sources and writer’s research
 Logical progression of ideas
 Clear, easy, smooth flow throughout essay.
 The reader does not get confused
 Shows relevant and accurate understanding of information
 Demonstrates significant reflection & awareness.
 Summarizes main topics, but is repetitive
 No concluding memorable thought included.


Some Sources Cited, but not in MLA format
Less than 5 sources
 Paper is mostly focused on prompt
 Attempts to make a point
 Some supporting details
 Addresses some of the best arguments of the opposition
 Includes some good quotes from sources and writer’s research


Progression of idea is sometimes awkward, but moves reader through text.
Lacks smooth transitions
 Surface understanding, minor errors in explanation
 Some reflection & awareness
 0-1 errors per page
 Varies sentence form
 2 errors per page
 Repeats sentence form
 No Sources Cited
 Paper is not focused
 Point uncertain
 Few or irrelevant supporting details
 Addresses few or none of the best arguments of the opposition
 Includes no quotes from sources and writer’s research
 Arrangement of essay is unclear and illogical, lacking a sense of direction.
 The reader is generally confused
 Understanding of content is weak
 Content is irrelevant, inappropriate or inaccurate.
 Minimal or no reflection or insight
 3+ errors per page
 Boring sentence form
______/5
______/10
______/10
______/10
______/10
______/5
PRESENTATION
Comments:
 Neatly typed
 Professional format
 Readable  Unattractive
 Unreadable
______/5
TOTAL POINTS
____/100