WEB QUEST-HUMAN CLONING
Ernestine Diaz
Stevenson High School
INTRODUCTION
We are in the twenty-first century. Your best friend is in the hospital. He needs a liver
transplant. The liver he is getting does not come from another human being. It is coming
from his clone. Several years ago he was cloned. Cloning is the making of an exact copy
of an organism. Thus the genes and all the parts of the clone are identical to those of the
original organism. Is this situation possible?
Thousands of people desperately need to replace a failing organ with a healthy one. These healthy organs come from people that agreed to donate them upon their death. Some, like bone marrow and kidneys, may come from living donors. Unfortunately, we have a very short supply of organs for transplants. What can be done about it?
THE TASK
1. You will be working in a team that will consist of five members. Your group is in charge of researching the topic Human Cloning, is it possible? Each member will research different question pertaining this topic.
2. The questions to be researched are:
a. What is cloning and how is it done?
b. What different types of animals have successfully been cloned?
c. What are the benefits of human cloning for mankind?
d. What are some arguments against cloning?
e. What national public policies regulate human cloning?
Each member of the team should choose a different question and research it using he resources suggested in the RESOURCES section of this quest. You may use other resources as well.
3. After the research is finish, the members of the team will share the information gathered with one another.
4. Your team will work together to prepare a written report about Human Cloning based on all the data collected during the research. All resources and images retrieved from The Internet must be accompanied by a reference telling where it was obtained.
THE PROCESS
3. Use the public policy analyst’s worksheets to organize your research on the current U. S. policies controlling human cloning.
4. Prepare a written report about human cloning using all the data collected from the team.
5. Each student should also prepare a short paper including all the data gathered during his/her individual research. It should also include the student own opinion about human cloning. (Are you for it or against it? Why? )
INTERNET RESOURCES
Please make sure that you copy the web site correctly.
Human Cloning
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/fertility
Cloning—Are Humans Next
http://www.worldbook.com/fun/bth/cloning/html
To clone or not to clone- The ethical question
http://famsworthfamily.tripod/Humancloning/cloning.html
For Survey
Public Policy Analyst’s worksheets
http://www.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/tips/select.htm
www.globalchange.com/clonech.html-47k
www.ncgr.org/gpi/odyssey/dolly-cloning/cloning-human.html
You can always search for more resources yourself. The Keyword you should use is human cloning.
WEB SITES IN SPANISH
www.perucho.slctnet.com/Spanish/DESCRIPTION2.htm
www.cmt-wcl.org/femtaa/LOS%20OGM,%20LA%20GENETICA.htm
EVALUATION
The purpose of this Web Quest is for you to learn how to research information
in the Internet as well as to get knowledge in the topic of human cloning. In addition you started learning how to analyze public policies that may concern you.
The main product of your research and teamwork is the written report you have to hand in at the end of this web quest (May 4). This report should reflect all the information gathered by the team in a clear, well organized, and comprehensible format. It should include the worksheets used to organize your research, and the team opinion about the topic.
The team will receive a group grade based on how well the questions were answered, how much data was gathered and included in the report, and how well was the information organized.
You will also obtain a personal grade based on a short paper that will include the question chosen by you and a summary of the data you gathered. It should also include your personal feelings about Human Cloning.
CONCLUSION
This Web Quest has required from you to improve or develop a variety of skills needed to do better in your classes. These skills include, but are not limited to, working as part of a team, making decisions, conducting research in the Internet, expressing your opinion, and organizing data. In addition, these skills will help you with the new Performance Standards set by the Board of Education.
It has also given you the opportunity to learn about a controversial topic such as Human Cloning, as well as learning how to research other topics of interest.