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FOR TEACHERS Overview New discoveries in biology and the technological application of these discoveries may lead to many ethical problems. Students can learn to analyze case studies and/or medical issues, identify the ethical issues they present, and clarify what aspects each case/issue are medical, legal, personal, and cultural. They will gain an appreciation for the complexity of medical ethics issues by engaging in this decision making process. Bioethics dilemmas, once rare, are now commonplace. New medical technologies have outpaced our ability to understand their implications. Every individual encounters bioethical dilemmas sooner or later. Students typically discuss bioethics issues with preconceived opinions about what should or should not happen. Teachers need to emphasize the necessity for students to keep discussions civil, listen respectively to the opinions of others, weigh competing factors, and entertain diverse and divergent perspectives. Some teachers have found that the richest discussions arise when they teach collaboratively with colleagues from other departments. Such interdisciplinary discussions show students that while the school day may be compartmentalized, problems in life are not. Bioethics questions may be raised in various disciplines, thus providing varying springboards for discussion. If students are to be prepared for a life in which they will face these bioethics dilemmas, they must be given the opportunity to think about the implications inherent in the novel situations that arise. In fact, many ethical and moral problems appear almost daily in the current news. An attempt will be made in the following lessons to present students with typical situations that require them to learn some basic information in order to understand the problem and to delve into their own personal ethics to arrive at a resolution to the medical dilemmas they encounter. Various techniques will be provided to assist students in developing a mature social ethic. It is important for students to learn how to evaluate the content and structure of their ideas, how to work together toward solving problems, and how to think both broadly and deeply. Hopefully, they will follow the path that leads them to becoming thoughtful individuals, responsible citizens, and caring members of society.
Intended Audience High school students in science and social studies classes and the general public. Objectives: Develop science and social studies lessons that give students experience in thinking about complex bioethics questions and developing strategies for coping with them both intellectually and emotionally. Lesson Plans (click on each lesson title and get all of the information for the lesson) Underlining indicates can click on each topic. Social Studies:
Science:
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