Bioéthique: les bébés-médicaments (French Only)

Description

FRENCH ONLY

Description

This activity involves a class debate on two hot topics in biotechnology: the selection of human embryos and the use of a baby’s tissues or organs to cure another person. Students then draft a bill on these topics.

Pedagogical objectives

• Reflect on ethical and legal issues raised by scientific advances
• Learn about parliamentary debate
• Take a position and make oral arguments
• Learn about drafting a bill

Subjects and subject-specific competencies

Culture and Citizenship in Québec - Secondary IV

Cultural realities and compulsory main concepts: Technology and future challenges - Technological innovation.

Compulsory specific concepts, and related topics and examples: Biotechnology, Treatment of diseases, Technologically assisted reproduction, Genetic selection and eugenics.

• Competency 2: Reflects on ethical questions:
  • Discerns the ethical dimensions of a situation:
    • Describes a situation.
    • Calls on relevant information and concepts.
    • Identifies existing tensions.
  • Examines a variety of points of view:
    • Considers points of view and experiences.

Français, langue seconde

• Compétence 1: Lire des textes variés en français
• Compétence 2: Interragie en français
• Compétence 3: Produire des textes variés en français

Duration

Two to three classes

Connections with other subjects

• Science and Technology, Competency 1
  • Secondary 2: Life-sustaining processes (cells), survival of species (fertilization, stages of human development); OR
  • Secondary 3: Technological world, biotechnologies (Cloning, assisted reproduction, cell cultures)

Broad areas of learning

• Heath and Well-being: Awareness of the consequences of collective choices on individual well-being

Cross-curricular competencies

• Exercises critical judgment: Forms an opinion
• Communicates appropriately

External pedagogical tools

The National Assembly provides a teaching guide on how to draft a bill (PDF) on its youth website Par ici la démocratie! (French only).

Additional ressources

• Report on assisted reproduction (PDF) by the Commission de l’éthique de la science et de la technologie (ethics commission for science and technology)
• Website of the Commission de l’éthique en science et en technologie
• Héma-Québec’s website: information on stem cells

Fiction:

• Aldous Huxley, Brave New World, 1931 (futuristic novel)
• My Sister’s Keeper (2009 American film directed by Nick Cassavetes, starring Cameron Diaz and Abigail Breslin)
• Gattaca (1997 futuristic film directed by Andrew Niccol, starring Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman)