Exploring Bioethics - NIH Office of Science Education - National ...

ReflectionDisplay the posters from Day 1 listing the pros and cons of opening the envelopecontaining information about the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Students can viewthe posters to revisit prior beliefs. Now that students have had two additionaldays of this module, they should have a more developed sense of the issues associatedwith genetic testing. Ask students to reread the posters and considerwhat additional pros and cons they would now add about opening the envelope.Record students’ additions on the posters.ClosureReinforce to students that the goal of this module (and the other modulesin this supplement) is not consensus. Instead, the goal is well-supported decisionmaking using scientific facts and concepts as well as ethical considerations.With this in mind, students’ stances will be very dependent on the specific disease,the nature of the specific genetic test, and their own well-considered judgments.See theFinal AssessmentIntroductionGive each student a copy of Master 4.10: Camilla’s Case—Colon Cancer Consider referring to Table 1,Assessing Student Justifications,and Genetic Testing, which explains the final assessment. Emphasize toon pages 10–11 of the Introducstudentsthat this assessment is a “transfer” activity, meaning that theytion. This table will help youhave never before studied this particular disease or genetic test. To be suc- evaluate how comprehensively andcessful on the final assessment, students must transfer their learning from rigorously students handled thethe Alzheimer’s and MEN II genetic tests to this new situation.Final Assessment assignment.See Teacher Support MaterialsDepending on your group of students, you may wish to sharethe Supplementary Information on HNPCC, availableonline at http://science.education.nih.gov/supplements/bioethics/teacher. Also at this site are a chart that might help bring concepts and content together for your students (Comparison of Alzheimer’s, MEN II, and HNPCC) and a sampling for teachers of student answers from the field test of this module (Evaluative Criteria for the Final Assessment).1234Extensions (Optional)1. Ask students to discuss the pros and cons of opening an envelope that containstest results for the MEN II−causing mutation. In what ways are their pro-con lists(one pro-con list for Alzheimer’s, another for MEN II) similar? In what ways aretheir lists different?52. Have students consider the role of genetic testing in the workplace. Give eachstudent a copy of Master 4.11: About Retinitis Pigmentosa, and ask studentsto examine whether a hypothetical airline company should be able to require itsprospective employees to get a genetic test for retinitis pigmentosa, a vision disorder.See Teacher Support MaterialsInstructions for this extension activity are available online athttp://science.education.nih.gov/supplements/bioethics/teacher.Module 4 4-296