Genetic engineering

Preparation and Planning

There is sufficient material in this resource to support the delivery of two lessons. You may wish to 'mix and match' Episodes with your existing material to suit students' ability, prior knowledge and time available. Alternatively use all lesson content within the context of one intensive revision lesson.

Multiple interactive and multimedia elements make this lesson ideal for delivery within an ICT suite. However all aspects have equivalent paper-based versions, with students being invited to undertake online elements outside of the lesson.

Two distinct lesson elements foster both understanding and opinion. The need for an understanding of the processes involved in genetic engineering in order to weigh up the arguments for and against should be emphasised. Student debate may need to be facilitated and individuals encouraged to achieve a balanced viewpoint. The ethical arguments against genetic engineering can prompt impassioned viewpoints and debate should retain a scientific, rather than personal, stance.

MOD examples provide additional colour and tangible examples. The debate may widen at the end of the lesson to include moral debate concerning use of genetic engineering for defence purposes.

About the MOD Topic

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) is an agency of the Ministry of Defence and exists to supply the very best, impartial, scientific and technical research and advice to the MOD and other government departments.

With the brief to ensure that the UK Armed Forces and Government are supported by world class scientific advice, DSTL delivers defence research, specialist technical services and the ability to track global technological developments. In cases where its work has potential for beneficial civilian applications, DSTL's intellectual property is handled by an external technology transfer company.

Further Opportunities for Learning

Students might write a newspaper article based on their work in Episode 4. To be printed within a scientific journal, the article should be no more than 200 words long and should present an impartial view.

Invite students to survey their friends and families with the questionnaire featured in Student Worksheet 1.
Students should draw up their findings, summarising key influences, attitudes and knowledge gaps.

Set students the task of surveying various categories of food in their local supermarket or the food served in the school canteen to identify any that are labelled GM. They should consider a range of issues, including arguments for and against these foods (e.g. labelling, testing, price, flavour).

Invite one group of students to research alternatives to GM foods, the campaigns which Friends of the Earth have run to encourage the Government to support local farmers, the use of fewer chemicals in farming and better protection of wildlife. A second group of students to look at research carried out by the MOD for defence purposes, for example enabling the development of a spray that identifies chemical agents.

Student worksheet answers

Download the teachers notes PDF to access the answers for this lesson.