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

4. Emphasize that when bioethicists try to resolve an ethicalquestion, they often tackle the problem by asking themselvesthese four key questions. As students confront new ethical problems,they will always be able to return to these four questions.15. Tell students that they will now examine the Pistorius case byasking and answering these four key questions.6. Distribute Master 1.7, pointing out that the same four questionsare included in this master in Part 1. (Explain that Part 2 of themaster is for describing a recommendation and providing reasonsfor it.)27. Ask students to record the specific ethical question in theappropriate area of Master 1.7 (that is, Should Oscar Pistorius beallowed to compete in the Olympics?).See Teacher Support MaterialsAn answer key for Master 1.7 when used with the Pistoriuscase is available online at http://science.education.nih.gov/supplements/bioethics/teacher.8. Ask students, “What relevant facts would you want to know tocarefully assess what the IAAF should do?”39. Ask students to spend five minutes individually recording therelevant facts (from Master 1.6) in the appropriate area ofMaster 1.7.10. Have students share their relevant facts with the whole group,and record them for all to see. Ask students to add any relevantfacts that they had not previously recorded on their copies ofMaster 1.7.Students may come up with the following answers:• Oscar Pistorius was born missing both fibulas.• His parents chose to have both his legs amputated below the kneeswhen he was less than one year old so that he could learn to walkwith prosthetic legs and feet.• Pistorius would have been wheelchair bound without theamputation and prosthetics.• Pistorius is an excellent track athlete and trains to maintain andimprove his running ability.• He wears artificial limbs made of carbon fiber.• The Paralympics is an alternative athletic competition for peoplewith differently abled bodies.45Module 1 1-216