Published on AASL Learning4Life Lesson Plan Database (http://aasl.jesandco.org)

Cloning: Should We Be Doing It?

Created by: 
Violet Harada
Title/Role: 
Professor
Organization/School Name: 
University of Hawaii
Location: 
Hawaii
Grade Level: 
12
Type of Lesson: 
Lesson in a unit
Type of Schedule: 
Flexible
Collaboration Continuum: 
Intensive
Content Area: 
Language Arts
Science
Social studies
Content Topic: 
Bioethics, genetics

Standards for the 21st-Century Learner

Skills Indicator(s): 
1.1.6 Read, view, and listen for information presented in any format (e.g., textual, visual, media, digital) in order to make inferences and gather meaning.
2.1.3 Use strategies to draw conclusions from information and apply knowledge to curricular areas, real-world situations, and further investigations.
3.1.5 Connect learning to community issues.
Dispositions Indicator(s): 
1.2.4 Maintain a critical stance by questioning the validity and accuracy of all information.
Responsibilities Indicator(s): 
1.3.2 Seek divergent perspectives during information gathering and assessment.
Self-Assessment Strategies Indicator(s): 
2.4.2 Reflect on systematic process, and assess for completeness of investigation.
Scenario: 
Constant medical and technical advances in genetics have resulted in the need for global regulations to govern its research, patent, and practice. The high school faculty believe that the ethics of cloning would be a timely and relevant issue to tackle for project-based learning. The social studies, science, and language arts departments collaborate on this project; the LMS is an integral member of the instructional team. She helps students to access, evaluate, and use current and accurate information. Students are excited when they realize that there will be a statewide Bioethical Genetic Summit for high schools. This event will provide students with an opportunity to present summaries of various genetic discoveries and their positive and negative impacts on society before an audience of teachers, students, and community members.
Overview: 
In this project students gather and analyze information on research relating to cloning, identify the positive and negative impacts of cloning, and take an individual stand on how they feel about cloning. Students address the following essential questions: What is happening in genetics research on cloning? Why should we care about this research? How does it affect our lives? How do different stakeholder groups view this research? How do I personally feel about cloning? Why?
Final Product: 
Students will present their findings in the form of multimedia presentations at the Bioethical Genetic Summit.
Library Lesson: 
This lesson focuses on the evaluation of online resources as a critical part of the data-gathering process. NOTE: This specific lesson has not been taught; however, a variation of this lesson has been implemented at Kapolei High School in Hawaii.
Estimated Lesson Time: 
90 minutes

Assessment

Product: 
Students use an extended checklist (a checklist that requires supporting evidence) to assess online resources. Copies of the same checklist can also be used by the teacher and/or LMS to enter their "yes" or "no" checks based on student's supporting evidence for each of the criteria. The important point is that both students and instructors are using the same criteria to do the assessment.
Process: 
Students identify how well they performed in the self-rating section that also requires comments to support their ratings. This section also provides for teacher/LMS to contribute ratings and comments.
Student self-questioning: 
Did I conduct an adequate evaluation of the online resource I selected? Was I able to substantiate my evaluation with evidence from the source itself?

Instructional Plan

Resources students will use: 
Dataset (ie. lists, tables, databases)
Event (ie. exhibition, webcast, conference, workshop, performance)
Still image (i.e.paintings, drawings, plans, and maps)
Moving Image (i.e. animations, movies, tv program, video)
Software
Sound (i.e. music playback file, audio compact disc, recorded speech or sounds)
Text (books, letters, poems, newspapers, etc.)
Resources instructor will use: 
Projector
Laptop
Smart board

Instruction/Activities

Direct instruction: 
The LMS instructs students on how to evaluate the online sources they will be examining.
Modeling and guided practice: 
The LMS selects a particular online source and demonstrates how to evaluate it using the extended checklist. She models the importance of carefully examining the contents of the source in relation to the questions being researched. She points out how a useful resource links to other relevant sources. In addition, she stresses the need to check on the authority of the author or creator of the resource. Finally, she demonstrates how to test for the navigability of the site and the readability of the material.
Independent practice: 
Students work individually at the computer terminals to locate online resources. If there are students having difficulty with some of the content, the teacher and LMS encourage students to assist one another in reading and interpreting the text. As they work, the students use the extended checklist to assess the sources. The LMS and teacher circulate to provide suggestions and feedback.
Have you taught this lesson before: 
No
Strategies for differentiation: 
Prior to this lesson, the LMS and language arts teachers worked with the students on strategies to handle complex informational text. They introduced and modeled techniques to deal with the vocabulary and organization of texts in different disciplines. As students select online sources to evaluate and use, they apply these strategies. The teachers and LMS also encourage “buddy reading” where a more able reader pairs with a peer who is struggling with the text.

AASL/Common Core State Standards Crosswalk

English Language Arts: 

CC.11-12.W.7 » English Language Arts » Research to Build and Present Knowledge » 7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation. (11,12)

CC11-12RS/TS8 » Reading Standards for Literacy in Sci Tech » 8. Evaluate the hypotheses, data, analysis, and conclusions in a science or technical text, verifying the data when possible and corroborating or challenging conclusions with other sources of information. (11,12)

CC.11-12.W.9 » English Language Arts » Research to Build and Present Knowledge » 9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. (11,12)

CC.11-12.R.I.7 » English Language Arts » Integration of Knowledge and Ideas » 7. Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem. (11,12)

CC.11-12.SL.2 » English Language Arts » Comprehension and Collaboration » 2. Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data. (11,12)

CC.11-12.W.8 » English Language Arts » Research to Build and Present Knowledge » 8. Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation. (11,12)

CC11-12RS/TS9 » Reading Standards for Literacy in Sci Tech » 9. Synthesize information from a range of sources (e.g., texts, experiments, simulations) into a coherent understanding of a process, phenomenon, or concept, resolving conflicting information when possible. (11,12)

CC.11-12.SL.1.d » English Language Arts » Comprehension and Collaboration » d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible; and determine what additional information or research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task. (11,12)

CC11-12RS/TS2 » Reading Standards for Literacy in Sci Tech » 2. Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; summarize complex concepts, processes, or information presented in a text by paraphrasing them in simpler but still accurate terms. (11,12)

CC.11-12.L.6 » English Language Arts » Vocabulary Acquisition and Use » 6. Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. (11,12)

CC.11-12.L.1.b » English Language Arts » Conventions of Standard English » b. Resolve issues of complex or contested usage, consulting references (e.g., Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage, Garner's Modern American Usage) as needed. (11,12)

CC.11-12.L.3 » English Language Arts » Knowledge of Language » 3. Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening. (11,12)

CC.11-12.R.I.4 » English Language Arts » Craft and Structure » 4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term or terms over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10). (11,12)

CC11-12WH/SS/S/TS1e » Writing Standards » e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from or supports the argument presented. (11,12)

CC.11-12.W.2.e » English Language Arts » Text Types and Purposes » e. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing. (11,12)

CC.11-12.W.2.f » English Language Arts » Text Types and Purposes » f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic). (11,12)

CC11-12WH/SS/S/TS1b » Writing Standards » b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant data and evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both claim(s) and counterclaims in a discipline-appropriate form that anticipates the audience's knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases. (11,12)

CC.11-12.W.2.b » English Language Arts » Text Types and Purposes » b. Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and relevant facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience's knowledge of the topic. (11,12)

CC11-12WH/SS/S/TS2e » Writing Standards » e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation provided (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic). (11,12)

CC11-12RH/SS1 » Reading Standards for History » 1. Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole. (11,12)

CC11-12RH/SS2 » Reading Standards for History » 2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas. (11,12)

CC11-12RH/SS3 » Reading Standards for History » 3. Evaluate various explanations for actions or events and determine which explanation best accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the text leaves matters uncertain. (11,12)

CC.11-12.W.1.e » English Language Arts » Text Types and Purposes » e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented. (11,12)

CC.11-12.W.1 » English Language Arts » Text Types and Purposes » 1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. (11,12)

CC.11-12.W.2 » English Language Arts » Text Types and Purposes » 2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content. (11,12)

CC.11-12.R.L.1 » English Language Arts » Key Ideas and Details » 1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain. (11,12)

CC.11-12.R.I.2 » English Language Arts » Key Ideas and Details » 2. Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text. (11,12)

CC.11-12.R.I.5 » English Language Arts » Craft and Structure » 5. Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging. (11,12)

CC.11-12.R.I.8 » English Language Arts » Integration of Knowledge and Ideas » 8. Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal U.S. texts, including the application of constitutional principles and use of legal reasoning (e.g., in U.S. Supreme Court majority opinions and dissents) and the premises, purposes, and arguments in works of public advocacy (e.g., The Federalist, presidential addresses). (11,12)

CC.11-12.R.L.2 » English Language Arts » Key Ideas and Details » 2. Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text. (11,12)

CC.11-12.W.1.a » English Language Arts » Text Types and Purposes » a. Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the significance of the claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that logically sequences claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. (11,12)

CC.11-12.W.9.b » English Language Arts » Research to Build and Present Knowledge » b. Apply grades 11-12 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., "Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal U.S. texts, including the application of constitutional principles and use of legal reasoning [e.g., in U.S. Supreme Court Case majority opinions and dissents] and the premises, purposes, and arguments in works of public advocacy [e.g., The Federalist, presidential addresses]"). (11,12)

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