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

Teaching SequenceDay 1: Research with Humans—Why Does It Matter? What Should the Guidelines Be?PurposeDay 1 sets the discussion of research using human subjects in the contexts of the nature of science andthe principles of scientific inquiry. The activities underscore the importance of conducting researchwith human beings and reveal that it raises difficult ethical challenges that researchers and society mustaddress. Another key purpose of the day is to introduce the idea that ethically appropriate studies mustmeet specific criteria. Day 1 focuses students’ attention on two of this supplement’s four key questions:What is the ethical question? and What are the relevant facts?Activity 1:Recruiting ParticipantsEstimated Time: 10 minutesProcedureNoteThis curriculum supplementencourages students to always askthemselves four key questions andto take at least three core ethicalconsiderations into accountwhenever they analyze an ethicalissue. The questions andconsiderations are showngraphically on the poster thatcomes with this supplement.Displaying the poster prominentlyin your classroom helps keepstudents focused on theseimportant concepts.1. Display the transparency of Master 5.1: Asthma StudyRecruitment Flyer.2. Set a bottle full of “pills” (candies in a pill container) on your desk,and tell students to imagine that researchers believe that thismedicine will help with asthma. Explain that these are not real pills.3. Ask students to imagine that they all suffer from asthma and toconsider whether to become involved in this study. 4. Give students five minutes to think about the following questions:• Do you want to participate? Why or why not?• What are the pros and cons of being involved in this research study?5. Ask students to write their initial thoughts on a piece of paper.6. Ask students who would want to participate to raise their handsand then share their reasons.5-6 Exploring Bioethics