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Below
is a week by week schedule
Module
1: DEFINITIONS
Week
1 Who
are we and where are we?
Tuesday: Survey (attitudes about research, politics, and values)
Thursday: Open-ended discussion about where we are now
Human Genetic Engineering (HGE) (Ch. 1&2);
Citizen Cyborg (CC) (Ch. 1, 2); handout 1; handout 2
Assignment 1. Do you think we should alter the human germline?
Answer from a personal perspective (would you) and a societal perspective
(should any body be allowed)
Week
2 Value Systems
Tuesday: Dr. Linda Morgan-Clement
What does it mean to be human?
Thursday: Exploration of different value systems
Bioethics (Ch. 2); Citizen Cyborg (Ch. 7); A Question of Values (skim through
Part 2, read carefully Part 3)
Assignment 2. How would you describe your value system? How does it help you
in establishing your personal position concerning human genetic engineering?
Week
3 Politics
Tuesday: Political Philosophy; Constitution
Thursday: Political philosophy Tom Tierney
A Very Short Introduction to Political Philosophy (Ch 1-4); The
Constitution; Citizen Cyborg (Ch. 6)
Assignment 3. What is the political philosophy
of American society? (use constitution, readings, and discussion
as well as your personal knowledge). How does this influence your
position as to whether others can practice human genetic engineering?
FORUM
EVENT - Required to attend
Module
2: INTRODUCTION TO BIOLOGY
Week
4 What is a gene? How do they work?
Tuesday: What is a gene? How do they work?
Thursday: Biotechnology; Q&A
Darwin’s Black Box (Appendix); Bioethics pp. 179-191
Week 5 What is a person? What is a mind?
Tuesday: Development: Where do babies come from?
Becoming human: What is a mind? What is a person?
Bioethics (Chapter 1)
FORUM
EVENT - Required to attend
Thursday:
What is evolution? Simulation
Evolution text (TBD); readings for context
Assignment 4. Quiz on Biology content
Module 3 THE ISSUES
Week
6 Issue 1 – Science
vs religion in the classroom
Tuesday: Defining Irreducible complexity; What is ID?
Darwin’s Black Box (Chapters1-2 + 3-7 selective)
Assignment 5: 1-2 page summary of 1 Behe Chapter
Thursday: Library instruction Evolution and ID in
the Ohio State curriculum. Is ID religious or scientific? What
are the rules in Ohio and Wayne County for setting statewide educational
standards? What do you think is the correct policy for education
in Ohio?
Week
7 Issue 1 - continued
Tuesday:
Is Intelligent Design a scientific or religious concept?
Darwin’s Black Box (Ch 9-11; 8 is optional);
rebuttals
Introduction to Campaign Project
Thursday: The BIG project – Changing a local law to allow
HGE at the Wooster Hospital; campaign posters and essays
Guest speakers - two city council members will have a discussion
about how local politics are conducted.
Citizen Cyborg (Ch. 11 & 12); HGE (Ch 9, 10, 12) (review
- might be used for your campaign)
Week
8 Issue 2 – Cloning and Assisted Reproductive
Technologies
Tuesday: What are they?
Bioethics (Ch 3 & 7) HGE (Ch. 3)
Thursday: Ethics involved
Bioethics (Ch. 4 & 8) HGE (Ch. 3)
Assignment 6. Campaign (draft of campaign plan; individual pieces)
Week
9 Tuesday: Fall Break
Thursday: Catch up
Week
10 Issue 4 - Issue 3 Stem cells
Tuesday: What are they? Differences with Adult stem cells
Bioethics (Ch. 9); handouts
Thursday: Discussion of stem cells and their role in medicine
Bioethics (Ch. 10); HGE (Ch. 4
Week 11 Issue 5: Manipulating our genes and who we are
Tuesday: What is involved? Technical aspects
Movie will be viewed before class in the evening
Bioethics (Ch 11); handout 3
Thursday: Discussion (Movie:
GATTACA will help prime this)
Citizen Cyborg (Ch 3-5) (; HGE (Ch. 6 & 8);
handouts
Modules
4: MAKING CHOICES
Week
12 Making Choices: What does it mean to be human?
Tuesday: What is normal? Genetic essentialism
HGE (Ch. 11); Bioethics (Unit 7); handouts (Kass)
Thursday: Using Biotechnology to cure diseases.
Assignment
7. Making choices presentations
4 students will be assigned to lead these discussions and provide a pro and a
con perspective (1 group will have 3 students)
Week 13 Making Choices
Tuesday:
Biotechnology and manipulating the mind
Thursday: Thanksgiving
Week
14 Making Choices
Tuesday:
Extending the normal lifespan of humans
Thursday: Going beyond normal
Week
15 Conclusion
Tuesday:
Campaign: Set-up
Thursday: Campaign: Conclusion
Citizen Cyborg (Ch. 11 & 12); HGE (Ch 9, 10,
12)
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