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Future of Genetics Julian Savulescu Doha Debate 8: Future of Genetics Lesson Plan 4a - Julian Savulescu FLEXIBLE INSTRUCTION This lesson and related activities are designed to support in-class learning, elearning, and distance learning (students working online at home while the instructor checks in digitally.) STAGE 1: DESIRED GOALS ESTABLISHED GOAL Demonstrate an understanding of how genetic human enhancement is a moral obligation going into the future. MEANING UNDERSTANDINGS ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS Students will understand that... What is the importance of human wellbeing? Gene editing can give the next generation a In what ways does nature not allocate genes equally better life. in humans? We already use biological interventions. How is wellbeing appealed to in daily life? People can already avoid certain genetic Which biological interventions are already being disorders with gene editing. used? There will need to be strong ethical How are people able to avoid genetic disorders with principles around gene editing. current technology? The promotion of wellbeing should be the Why might we not need as much genetic diversity as central idea behind gene editing. we once did? What role does ethics play in human enhancement? How might our species change with gene editing? ACQUISITION Students will know... Students will be able to... Key issues surrounding the future of Explain how gene editing is a moral obligation. human enhancement through gene Describe ways gene editing has the potential to editing. create a new species of humans. Differing ways gene enhancement may benefit people. ProjectExplorer x Doha Debates, 2020 ENGAGEMENT Students will.. Learn about what choices you might make if you had the opportunity to choose what you look like. STAGE 2: EVIDENCE & ASSESSMENT ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE / Discuss the speaker’s general position on human PERFORMANCE TASK(S) enhancement based on the video and background content and develop possible solutions to issues the students may have with the speaker. Group presentation of data found to answer each of the essential questions presented by the speaker. STAGE 3: LEARNING PLAN IN-CLASS, ELEARNING, DISTANCE LEARNING note: pacing outlined below is for in-class learning and may need to be adjusted for elearning or distance learning 10-15 minutes Watch the speaker’s Doha Debates presentation taking note of the key points. 20-40 minutes Read the background content to develop a deeper understanding of speaker. 5-10 Minutes In small groups discuss what each person drew from the videos and background information as key areas. 10-20 Minutes Discuss each group’s findings as a class/learning group. 15-30 Minutes Discuss the results for one or both of the outside learning task that the students completed. ProjectExplorer x Doha Debates, 2020 OUTSIDE LEARNING 30-60 minutes Gene enhancement may allow humans to choose what the future generations will look like. We're not there yet but technology does allow for us to play around with who we might want to be in the digital world. Digital avatars have existed in various forms for many years. What would you want to look like if you could control “your genes”? Try Facemaker. Play with all the options and even make more than one avatar. Think about why you are making the choices you are regarding how you look. Encourage your family and friends to try the game as well. Students will form small groups. Each student in the 1 - 2 days+ group will ask 5 people (nonstudents outside of the school setting) the essential questions from this lesson. This may be done either in person or over Zoom, Skype, or other ways to connect digitally. Try to make connections with other people outside of your own town, State, or even country. The data will be gathered, analyzed, and then synthesized into a comprehensive summary of the data results. The results will be presented to the class. BACKGROUND INFO FOLLOWS ON NEXT PAGE ProjectExplorer x Doha Debates, 2020 BACKGROUND INFO: JULIAN SAVULESCU ABOUT Professor Julian Savulescu has held the Uehiro Chair in JULIAN SAVULESCU Practical Ethics at the University of Oxford since 2002. He has degrees in medicine, neuroscience and bioethics. He directs the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics within the Faculty of Philosophy, and leads a Wellcome Trust Senior Investigator award on Responsibility and Health Care. He directs the Oxford Martin Programme for Collective Responsibility for Infectious Disease at the Oxford Martin School at the University of Oxford. He co- directs the interdisciplinary Wellcome Centre for Ethics and Humanities in collaboration with Public Health, Psychiatry and History. In 2017, he joined the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, spending four monthsper year as Visiting Professorial Fellow in Biomedical Ethics where he is working to establish a programme in biomedical ethics, and Melbourne University as Distinguished International Visiting Professor in Law. JULIAN'S KEY POINTS Genes affect our health and wellbeing FROM DOHA DEBATES Nature does not allocate genes equally PRESENTATION Some are born with terrible genetic disorders - people can now avoid genetic disorders through gene editing Rational evolution is the use of science to shape our genes to achieve our values We can use gene editing to give future generations a better life We use biological interventions like adding iodine to salt There is no difference between environmental interventions and biological interventions Parents should be allowed to access this technology Not all [genetic] diversity is good Science can help protect against certain viruses Science can tell us how but ethics can tell us if we should The promotion of wellbeing is the central principal ProjectExplorer x Doha Debates, 2020 PODCASTS Genetic Selection and Enhancement listen Cost-equivalence: rethinking treatment allocation listen No pain, no praise: motivational enhancement and the meaning of life listen Choosing the sex of your child listen The proper place of conscience and values listen VIDEOS Pills that improve morality: Julian Savulescu at TEDxBarcelona watch on YouTube The Science and Ethics of Human Enhancement watch on YouTube The Perfect Human Being Series watch on YouTube Human Enhancement & Ethics watch on YouTube Unfit for the Future: The Urgent Need for Moral Bioenhancement watch on YouTube ARTICLES Why Lock Down of the Elderly is Not Ageist and Why Levelling Down Equality is Wrong read Extreme Altruism in a Pandemic read Hunt for coronavirus vaccine raises ethical dilemmas for researchers and drug companies read Contact-tracing apps and the future COVID-19 vaccination should be compulsory. Social, technological, and pharmacological immunisation read Drugs may be able to fix our romantic lives when things go wrong read ProjectExplorer x Doha Debates, 2020 OTHER Twitter.
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