Ethical Classification Lesson
"Education is not an autonomous discipline;
it is entwined within a larger cultural and philosophical context."
David Dill, from What Teachers Need to Know.
Introduction
There are a number of great ethical issues and questions that arise out of the Human Genome Project, genetic disease, and its classification. In middle school and early high school, without the proper context to discuss these issues, much of the discussion we have with students does not lend itself to formulations of strong and supportive opinions. The purpose of this ethical lesson is for students to gain an awareness of the perceptions they have when classifying humans and other organisms. To appreciate how genetic science is reshaping the world, students should understand how organisms are far more similar than they are different. That the systems we have used to classify species in the past lead us to see the differences in appearance that are ever present in our culture, rather than the scientific genome itself. They should also be made more aware of reasons to base decisions on scientific reason rather than cultural perceptions.
Objectives
To gain a deeper understanding of the relationships involved with classification and its effects on the Human Genome Project and genetic disease.
To have students use basic science inquiry skills to classify their peers on student based classification system that draw on direct relations to other humans.
To be able to create a diagram that illustrates the diverse relationships within a species.
To have students consider their own perceptions about classification.
To promote an appreciation for the uniqueness of the human race and the value of science in our world.
1. Inform students that they will be conducting a survey based on Three Sample Photos provided in the resource section. This survey will have students question one another about what picture they are most closely related to.
2. Students will record which photo they relate closest to and the reason for their decision. It is encouraged to use the Student Data Chart with names and reasons for their selection.
3. Students will then gather in small groups of four to five to compare their results. They will diagram their results on large butcher paper. They should branch the similar qualities together with student names proceeding off of the branch. Refer to the Sample Diagram, or others in teacher resources.
4. Inform students how this study is relative to the study of classification systems and how they relate to evolution. Explain related concepts (classifications, natural selection), terms (taxonomy, systemics, phylogeny), and famous scientists (Linnaeus, Darwin).
5. Students will then analyze their diagrams to answer the Sample Questions. They will share their responses with the other small groups.
6. Students will then be asked to write an essay on what they learned from the activity based on their perceptions in the activity and how they differ from true classification systems.
Using this framework, the students should be able to:
___ Conduct a survey and record data in an organized manner.
___ Create a diagram that shows relations to the subjects in the photos.
___ Be able to analyze information cooperatively toward the discussion questions.
___ Write a reflective essay on the ethical concerns in classification with scientific decision making compared to human perception.
Dill, David D., (1990), What Teachers Need to Know, Jossey-Bass : San Francisco.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, (2001), The Genes We Share with Yeast, Flies, Worms, and Mice., Maryland.
Wiske, Martha, (1998), Teaching for Understanding., Jossey-Bass : San Francisco.
Institute
of Human Origins
http://www.becominghuman.org
The Tree of Life Project
http://www.tolweb.org
Biological classifications are based on how organisms are related.
The instructions for specifying the characteristics of the organism are carried in DNA, and have been studied in the Human Genome Project.
Having students reflect on the concepts that guide the inquiry.
Formulate and revise scientific explanations and models using logic and evidence.
Students should present their results to students, teachers, and others in a variety of ways.
Results of scientific inquiry--new knowledge and methods--emerge from different types of investigations and public communication among scientists.
Creativity, imagination, and a good knowledge base are all required in the work of science and engineering.
Science is not separate from society but rather science is a part of society.
Science distinguishes itself from other ways of knowing and from other bodies of knowledge.
