July 29-31, 2014; 9:00-3:30
Boston, MA
Earn 18 PDPs for the three-day session
Cost: $50 (scholarships available)
Personal Genetics in the High School Classroom: Ethical, Legal and Social Issues
This three-day training for teachers will be an introduction to personal genetics and its impact on society. A wave of personal genetic information is coming – how can we prepare students to make informed choices for themselves and for society as a whole? This training will have two tracks; though both will explore ethical and social issues, one track will delve more deeply into the scientific concepts and be most appropriate for science teachers, while the other will focus on historical events and social issues, and be more appropriate for social studies and English teachers. Several sessions will be in the larger group.
Current high school students are among the first generation that will have unprecedented access to information about their DNA, as genome sequencing and genetic testing become cheaper and more available. We create interactive lessons that engage students in discussions about the potential risks and benefits of knowing more about your DNA, as well as ways in which they could be impacted. Our goal is to combine accurate scientific content with the real-world impact on people and the choices they may face.
Through workshop-style sessions, we will look at the hopes, realities and controversies in personal genetics. Lessons we will explore include: An Introduction to Personal Genetics, Genetics, Jobs & Your Rights, Genetics and Reproduction, DNA, Crime and Law Enforcement, as well as several others. The training will also include a session by a professor of social work who will address strategies for discussing personal and sometimes upsetting topics with students who may be personally affected by these issues.
Topics to be covered: Advances in personal genetics, the intersection of athletics and genetics, genetics and aggression/complex human behavior, reproductive genetics, low cost genetic testing, the history of eugenics and future of genetics, crime and DNA, and critical thinking as it applies to assessing genetic risk factors.
Content Area: Biology, Social Studies, Health, Genetics, Law and Bioethics; grades 8 – 12
To register, click here. For more information, email Lauren Tomaselli at ltomaselli@pged.med.harvard.edu or call (617) 432-1797.