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Digital Unit Plan Template

Unit Title: Genetic Engineering

Name: Candice Aguirre

Content Area: Science

Grade Level: 9th / 10th

CA Content Standard(s)/Common Core Standard(s):

Subject:Biology
Grade:9th/10th
CaliforniaContentStandards:
NexGenScienceStandardsadoptedbyCA:

HSLS3Heredity:InheritanceandVariationofTraits
HSLS31.AskquestionstoclarifyrelationshipsabouttheroleofDNAandchromosomesincodingthe
instructionsforcharacteristictraitspassedfromparentstooffspring.
ScienceandEngineeringPractices

EngaginginArgumentfromEvidence
Engaginginargumentfromevidencein912buildsonK8experiencesandprogressestousingappropriateand
sufficientevidenceandscientificreasoningtodefendandcritiqueclaimsandexplanationsaboutthenaturaland
designedworld(s).Argumentsmayalsocomefromcurrentscientificorhistoricalepisodesinscience.
CrossCuttingConcepts:

ScienceisaHumanEndeavor
Technologicaladvanceshaveinfluencedtheprogressofscienceandsciencehasinfluencedadvancesintechnology.(HS

LS33)
Scienceandengineeringareinfluencedbysocietyandsocietyisinfluencedbyscienceandengineering.(HSLS33)

Big Ideas:

BigIdeas&EssentialQuestions:
StudentsapplywhattheyhavelearnedaboutDNA,geneexpressionandproteinsynthesistoarealworld
problem.
Whatarethepossiblepositiveandnegativeconsequencesofmanipulatingthegeneticsoforganisms?
Shouldhumanneeds(e.g.money,food)bemoreimportantthanenvironmentalimpacts?
DoyouthinkthattheUSgovernmentshouldrequirelabelsongeneticallymodifiedfood?
Unit Goals and Objectives:
StudentLearningObjectives:
Studentswillbeabletoexplainhowscientistscangeneticallyengineerorganismsusingcontentspecificterms,suchasDNA,plasmid,
restrictionenzymeandgeneticallymodifiedorganism.
Studentswillbeabletoexplainwhyscientistsgeneticallymodifyorganismsandhowitisalreadybeingdoneformedicalandagricultural
purposes.
Studentswillbeabletogatherevidenceforallsidesofanargument.
Studentswillbeabletousetechnologytopresentanargumentwithtext,relevantgraphicsanddatainaneasytoreadformat(e.g.table,chart,
graph).
Unit Summary:

ThisunitplanencompassestheapplicationofknowledgeaboutDNAreplication,proteinsynthesis(includingtranscriptionand
translation),bacteria,virusesandvectors.Wewillexplorehowgeneticengineeringisdone,thebenefitsandrisksandtheethicsof
alteringtheDNAoforganisms.Iwillpresentyouwithabackgroundofwhatthestudiesareusedtoinvestigate.Wewillexplorerich
resourcestoprovideuswithastrongfoundationfromwhichtoforanopinionaboutgeneticengineering.Wewilluseourknowledge,

skills,andhigherlevelcognitivefunctionslikelogic,reasonandargumentationtoexplorethefacetsofgeneticengineering.
Assessment Plan:
Entry-Level:
Think-Pair-Share Activity
Discussion

Formative:
Video Answer Sheet: The Eyes of Nye
Webquest Activity
Genetic Engineering Quiz
Mid-Research Report to Teacher
Research Proposal

Summative:
Presentation of opinion of type of crops town
should plant
Final Whole Class Discussion

Lesson 1
Student Learning
Acceptable Evidence:
Objective:
In notes summary,
1. Students will be able to students answer teacher
explain how scientists created questions about
can genetically engineer how genetic engineering
organisms using
is done and must use the
content-specific terms, related vocabulary to
such as DNA, plasmid, describe the process.
restriction enzyme and Students explain, in
genetically modified
paragraph on video
organism.
worksheet and in notes
2. Students will be able
summary, how genetic
to explain why
engineering is applied in
scientists genetically
the medical field and in
modify organisms and agriculture.
how it is already being
done for medical and
agricultural purposes.
3. Students will be able
to gather evidence for
all sides of an
argument
Lesson 2
Student Learning
Objective:
1.Students will be able to
explain how scientists

Acceptable Evidence:
Students complete
worksheet with correct
answers based on the

Instructional
Strategies:
Communication
Collection
Collaboration
Presentation
Organization
Interaction

Lesson Activities:

Instructional
Strategies:
Communication
Collection

Lesson Activities:

Students will fill-in notes on a lecture about genetic


engineering.
Students will watch a video about GMOS (The Eyes of Nye:
Genetically Modified Foods). While watching the video
students will fill in a handout using information from the
video.
At the end of the video students will answer a final
question about whether they agree or disagree with Bill
Nyes closing statement regarding GMOs. Students must
provide at least 3-4 sentences explaining their position.
The teacher will collect and grade the video worksheet to
assess students ability to use the information learned to
create a coherent, cohesive paragraph that supports their
opinion.
The teacher will also read each students summary and
provide feedback on student answers to aid students in
their understanding of how genetic engineering works.

Students will work in pairs to work on the Web Quest


activity. Students will visit websites listed on the worksheet
using Chromebooks in the classroom. The teacher will

can genetically
information collected
engineer organisms
from the websites in the
using content-specific
web quest.
terms, such as DNA,
plasmid, restriction
enzyme and genetically
modified organism.
2. Students will be able
to explain why scientists
genetically modify
organisms and how it is
already being done for
medical and agricultural
purposes.
Lesson 3
Student Learning
Objective:
1. Students will be able to
explain how scientists
can genetically engineer
organisms using contentspecific terms, such as
DNA, plasmid, restriction
enzyme and genetically
modified organism.
2. Students will be able to
explain why scientists
genetically modify
organisms and how it is
already being done for
medical and agricultural
purposes.

Acceptable Evidence:
Student responses
should be thoughtful.
Students will know my
expectations from the
rubric provided as they
complete the activity.

Collaboration
Presentation
Organization
Interaction

Instructional
Strategies:
Communication
Collection
Collaboration
Presentation
Organization
Interaction

monitor and assess progress toward understanding as


students work in pairs to complete the activity.

Lesson Activities:

I will introduce the K-W-L chart by reading the instructions


and modeling how to create and complete a K-W-L chart.
Students will create and complete the K-W-L chart (What I
Know, What I Want to Know, and What I Learned) based on
my instructions.
Students will read, mark the text and annotate the article.
This will help students to interact with the article.

Unit Resources: (note- the Unit Resources are hyperlinked to the corresponding websites)

Live Binder: Genetic Engineering Unit


Intel: Designer Genes, One Size Fits All? Unit Overview
The Eyes of Nye: Genetically Modified Foods

PBSVideo:GeneticengineeringandDNA
WebQuestSites:
1. PBSHarvestSite(1stWebQuestSite)
2. LearnGeneticsSite(2ndWebQuestSite)
3. WhoWantstoBeaGeneticEngineer(3rdWebQuestSite)
Useful Websites:

Article Sites:
1. Smithsonian Magazine Article: Sorry Hipsters, Organic Kale is Genetically Modified
2. NewsELA: GMO search articles
Other Sites:
1. Discovery: Genetic Engineering Lesson Plan Resources
2. ABPI: Genetic Engineering Lesson Plan Resources

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