Gene Corn Project

By Michael Rust • Bethany Vice

Grade Level	11th
Subject Area	Environmental Science
Duration	5 class periods
Setting	Standard Classroom
Background Knowledge	The students had been studying the factors that are leading to food shortages around the world, including population growth. The week before this lesson, the teacher continued this discussion to show possible methods of producing foods that are bigger or more resistant to pests or climate changes, such as cross-breeding different strains of rice. Thus the students began this lesson with an understanding of food shortage and possible methods of solving the problem.
Author	Michael Rust & Bethany Vice

Summary
Students learn about the use of genetic engineering in food production by designing a genetically engineered food product. The students are grouped in pairs; with each group its own genetic engineering company. Using information on the benefits and detractions of the modified genes, the students design their product and develop a marketing campaign to sell their product to the rest of the class. The teaching philosophy for this lesson is team-based engineering design. Students learn by taking ownership of the information so they can design an effective product and also so they can critically evaluate the designs of other students.

Objectives
Students will be able to: 1. Identify genetic foods that are in current use. 2. Describe the benefits and detractions involved with genetically modified foods. 3. Implement engineering design principles in the development of a genetically engineered food product. 4. Communicate product design to critical audience. 5. Critically evaluate a biotechnology product Implementation of Engineering design principles: Identify product need Gene info worksheet Research available options Gene info worksheet Identify pros and cons of design options Design worksheet Choose best design Design worksheet Communicate design choice to broader audience Marketing campaign Critically evaluate other engineering designs to identify the appropriate solution

Materials Required
Attached worksheets (design worksheet, gene info worksheet, evaluation of marketing campaigns worksheet). The worksheets are combined into a packet so that each student has one of every worksheet.

Ohio Standards

Life Science

Benchmark F, Indicator #11 – Investigate issues of environmental quality at local, regional, national and global levels such as population growth, resource use, population distribution, over-consumption, the capacity of technology to solve problems, poverty, the role of economics, politics and different ways humans view the earth.

Benchmark G, Indicator #12 – Describe advances in life sciences that have important, long-lasting effects on science and society (e.g. biotechnology)

Technology

Benchmark A, #2 – implementation of technologies involve the weighing of trade-offs between predicted positive and negative effects on the environment.

Documents

Lesson Plan