Work for vacation

Your homework for break is to read chapter 20 and take notes on it; when you return you will have an open notes reading quiz.

Tips for reading and staying focused:

Before reading you should look over the major headings in the chapter and look at the pictures. Read the captions! It costs more money to have a color picture than black text, if publishers are spending money on it, it is there to help you.

Before reading the chapter you should read the section summaries at the end of the chapter to help you keep the big picture in mind.

While reading you should read through an entire paragraph and try not to get hung up on specific details. After reading the paragraph, if you are still confused look to the pictures for clarification.

After reading a section (20.1) close your eyes and try to state 3-4 key points in the section.

While I'm on JUA...

Please sign in with Gina G. (downstairs in Mrs. Berry's office). You should read chapter 20 and take notes. You will have a quiz (and may use any notes you take) when you return from break in January. I suggest you do this before you leave for break so you don't forget.

D block you will have class on Wednesday.

ELSI paper feedback

Lessons Learned:

"I didn't realize that the paper could ONLY be three pages. I had delete the hard work that I did."
"Never trust technology, words are easier to read than squares."
"Footnotes are fun."
"Hard to miss a lot of class and still write a paper."
"Make sure that my own words and my sources are divided."
"Double check your sources...Just because the title says what you need, doesn't mean the paper contains helpful information."

What did we learn through our research?

Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act is in the process of being passed...Eugenetics is the science of improving a the human genetic population...GM foods have a positive and negative side, for example: GM foods can create new unknown allergens...No laws have been passed about genetic information...Exploring the link between DNA and behavior...

Where are we going from here?

When we return from break we will jumping into chapter 20 (DNA Technology & Genomics) and chapter 21 (the genetic basis of development). We are going to try a new class structure where the first class period will be a lecture, the second period we will go to the ARC and do research and the third period you will present what you learned to your peers.

Working on papers this week

Change of plans, because of tournaments, testing and a variety of other reason, your paper is now due on either Friday or Saturday, depending on when you have class. In the meantime, you will be meeting in the ARC each class period from now until then to work on your papers.

Check out the video below (thanks Mike H.) for more information.

ESLI Research Paper

What is ELSI?

ELSI stands for Ethical, Legal and Social Implications.

What is a research paper?

Look it up. Just kidding. A research paper means you are going to need to gather information from as many sources as possible and then sift through it to find what is helpful to you.

Where can you find information?

There is a link list on the right side bar for some places you can start looking. Many of these pages will have additional links at the bottom of the page which can lead you to more information. You can also check the library catalog.

When is this due?

This is due for all classes on Thursday December 12th.

Write a three page, 1.5 spaced paper (no more, no less) and (quit complaining, this is practically nothing!) addressing one of the following issues:

A. Fairness in the use of genetic information by insurers, employers, courts, schools, adoption agencies, and the military, among others.

A driving question is: Who should have access to personal genetic information, and how will it be used?

B. Privacy and confidentiality of genetic information.

A driving question is: Who owns and controls genetic information?

Use the check list below to make sure your paper meets all the requirements

¨ Three different sources are directly quoted in the paper and cited. For example:

Blah blah blah, “DNA samples can be held indefinitely, there is the added threat that samples will be used for purposes other than those for which they were gathered.”[1]

¨ All of sources are properly cited in the MLA format.

¨ There is an introduction paragraph which gives background of the human genome project (HGP).

¨ The HGP background includes how and why the project was started and when it was completed as well as three major findings that resulted from the project.

¨ If possible find a specific case study that supports your topic and summarize what happened.

¨ Consequences of misuse of genetic information.

¨ The overall paper addresses the Ethical, Legal and Social Implications of the chosen topic.

¨ Paper is proof read, no seriously, please read the paper before you turn it in, and contains no grammatical or spelling errors.

¨ Paper is TYPED.

¨ Paper uses 1.5 spacing, size 12 Times New Roman Font and has 1” margins (yes you will be graded on this.

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[1] Genetics Legislation. Human Genome Project. Last modified Friday May 25^th, 2007. Accessed 12.6.2007 http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/legislat.shtml

Article Discussions

The first half of this week will be spent reading articles from The New Yorker magazine's Annal of Medicine & Annals of Science sections.

Why read articles from The New Yorker?

The New Yorker articles are available to the majority of the public, are well written, well researched narrative essays which have a solid science background. The articles fuse the scientific and emotional sides of debates or issues and therefore provide a unique perspective.

What are we reading?

An Error in the Code: What can a rare human disorder tell us about human behavior.
Individuals with Lesch-Nyhan acutely feel pain but can't stop self mutilating, it is as if their hands and mouths don't belong to them.

Darwin's Surprise: Why are evolutionary biologists bringing back extinct deadly viruses?

"John Coffin 'understand[s] that the idea of bringing something dead back to life is fundamentally frightening,' he went on. 'It’s a power that science has come to possess and it makes us queasy, and it should. But there are many viruses that are more dangerous than these—more infectious, far riskier to work with, and less potentially useful.' Thanks to steady advances in computing power and DNA technology, a talented undergraduate with a decent laptop and access to any university biology lab can assemble a virus with ease." Continue reading...

Homework: Study for a quiz on Thursday on Chapters 13 & 14