A WebQuest for Living Environment Students

Ms. Ligonde

Christopher Columbus High School

Introduction | Task | Process | Resources | Evaluation | Conclusion

Introduction

You have just learned that the cereal you eat everyday for breakfast is made from genetically engineered products. You are very concerned about this because you have no idea what genetic engineering is. You ask your teacher about it, but she does not answer your question. Instead, she proposes that you research genetic engineering and decide for yourself whether or not it is a safe practice.

You are a concerned consumer researching the use of genetically engineered, or modified, foods. You are to use your research to determine whether or not the use of genetically engineered foods is safe for Americans.

You must choose a position regarding the consumption of genetically engineered foods. You must use the resources to find information to support your position

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Task

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You will prepare a 2 page persuasive essay convincing your readers why your position is correct. In order to research your problem thoroughly, you should first identify the reasons for the use of genetic engineering, explain the policies that exist to regulate genetic engineering, and think of new solutions to deal with any of the problems that arise from genetic engineering.

Please refer to the Evaluation section below to view the rubric I will use to grade your persuasive essay.

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Process

In order to complete the task, you must use the resources below to gather information. You must also use the Public Policy Analyst handouts to organize your findings.

First, gather evidence to support the existence of the problem.

Second, determine the causes of the problem.

Third, evaluate the existing policies.

Please submit the completed PPA handouts with your persuasive essay.

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Resources

Whose genes?

GEENOR = Genetic Engineering Organization

Mothers for Natural Law

Access Excellence

Bioethics

Biosafety

Sierra Club

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Evaluation

Criteria	Excellent 3	Good 2	Poor 1	Pts
Gathering Information: PPA	Problem is identified and researched thoroughly. Appropriate steps of the PPA are addressed and the handouts are complete.	Problem is identified and researched. Appropriate steps of the PPA are addressed. Most worksheets are completed correctly.	Problem is identified and partially researched. Some of the worksheets are incomplete.
Presentation: Information	All of the required topics are addressed thoroughly in the paper. Content is accurate and ideas are supported well by research.	All of the required topics are addressed in the paper however; some topics could have been researched more thoroughly. Content is accurate.	All of the topics are not addressed in the paper. More than two topics are not covered in enough detail. Content is inaccurate.
Persuasive Argument	Argument is well thought through and information included supports the author’s position.	Position is stated clearly and partially supported by information from the research. More supportive evidence is necessary to prove the point.	Position is not clearly stated and is not supported by information obtained from research.
Persuasive Argument: Grammar	Paper is grammatically correct. There are no spelling or punctuation mistakes.	There are a few minor grammatical errors.	There are major grammatical errors.

Total Possible Points: 12 Points Earned: ______

New York State Standards

Math, Science and Technology Standard 2: Students will access, generate, process and transfer information using appropriate technologies.

MST Standard 4: Students will understand and apply scientific concepts, principles and theories pertaining to the physical setting and living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science.

Science Standard 4, 2: Organisms inherit genetic information in a variety of ways that result in the continuity of structure and function between parents and offspring.

English Language Arts Standard 1: As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas, discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations;

and use knowledge generated from oral, written, and electronically produced texts.

Standards obtained from New York State Education Department

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Conclusions

After completing this WebQuest, you should be familiar with the controversy that surrounds the use of genetically engineered products. You have gathered information to determine whether or not these products are safe for human consumption. You have sharpened your critical thinking skills and applied those skills to your writing.

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