Bioethics in the Science Classroom Real world lessons in honoring the dignity of human life By Karen Cruse Suder As students navigate the science curriculum in the Upper School, it is natural for bioethical questions to arise. The term “bioethics” encompasses the social, ethical and legal issues of research stemming from biology, medicine, environmental science, nursing, psychology, public health, political science, theology and philosophy. Examining bioethics helps students engage with scientific content while also gaining valuable critical thinking skills.
in record keeping are mastered while examining how advancements in biotechnology can impact life. Students utilize cases from the Ohio Innocence Project to ascertain whether exoneration is necessary following proper handling of evidence and biological advancements. Students gather the facts and stakeholders’ views to apply biological knowledge to the cases to construct well-reasoned and clearly articulated conclusions. Lessons from CRISPR
When faced with ethical questions, communication, collaboration, integrity and persistence are essential skills in the research process. As students connect biological concepts to bioethical questions, I aspire for them to recognize real-world problems that need to be addressed.
Students are fascinated by the study of genetics and genes. Today, they need to be able to recognize real science, ask questions and propose solutions scientifically and creatively.
A Closer Look at DNA The concept of DNA is both a familiar story and a mysterious fairy tale. Daily, students are inundated by the media with commentary on gene therapy, GMOs, organ transplants, vaccine development and genetic engineering. However, students struggle with the common denominators of these scientific advancements – gene structure/function, protein synthesis and variation – as they relate to DNA. Nearly all students can identify the helical structure of DNA upon arrival in the Upper School, but most cannot explain how or why DNA’s structure correlates to its function and variation among individuals. In other words, “How can DNA be utilized to identify an individual?” Biology students focus on this variation by examining Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and agarose gel electrophoresis. Valuable laboratory skills and integrity
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Spring Magazine 2022
Lilly Sievering ’25 examines a sample under a microscope.
