Bioethics: Debates in Human Genetics

Adolescents have the opportunity to consider how they feel about the possibilities presented by the current availability of genetic sequencing. After some instruction, they participate in a four-corners activity in which you read a...

How might genetic testing impact and transform the nature of athletic sports? After reading a New York Times article on genetic testing for children to determine athletic ability, class members are broken into groups and take on the...

The highlight of this lesson plan is a 53-minute investigative video, Can Science Stop Crime?" The question asked is whether or not aggressive behavior is caused by genetic factors. The answer has to do with genetic complexity, the...

If you knew that you were likely to develop Alzheimer's disease in your future, how would it affect your life in the meantime? This and other similar thought-provoking questions are discussed in a lesson plan about the availability of...

Simplify the teaching of basic genetics with this engaging cross-curricular science experiment. Using different kinds candy to represent the genes for determining eye shape in humans, young geneticists test the accuracy of Punnett...

Should genetic scientists be permitted to alter mtDNA to eliminate birth defects? That is the question examined in Rob Stein's article for NPR that explores the ethical issues raised by this research.

Disease prevention or designer babies? Use a set of slides to introduce the growing practice of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, or PGD. Teens read related articles and then break into groups to address different scenarios. Afterward,...

Will survival of the fittest be replaced by designer babies and eugenics in the near future? The technology exists now, but scientists still debate how to best use it. The future of the human race depends on the decisions made, but no...

Genetic variation makes for stronger species, but for a mammalian species, humans are disturbingly closely related. Help your class explore human ancestry and genealogy using the 15th video in a 16-part series. It describes how we became...

You've probably spent plenty of time discussing animal adaptations with your young biologists, but what about human adaptations? Explore the evolving traits of humankind through an interactive that combines text and video clips. Scholars...