AS Science in Society 1.5

AS Science in Society 1.5

Ethical issues in medicine

This topic covers some of the important issues in medicine that have a strong ethical component. It includes new science, including stem cells and cloning.

Two important new sets of how science works ideas are also introduced. It covers the use of ethical principles in making decisions about the use of animals or embryos from ‘making decisions’ and the way in which new scientific findings are published and then checked by others from ‘the scientific community’.

The topic provides opportunity to develop argument skills and other discussion skills.

The references below to How Science Works (HSW) and to Science Explanations (SE) use the code letters found in sections 3.6 and 3.7 of the specification. Learning skills for Science (LSS) activities are integrated into all the AS topics.These represent an alternative or additional approach to some topics, emphasising the development of skills. They can be used flexibly for class or homework activities depending on time available.

Focus of session / Suggested activities / LSS
1 / Introduction to the use of animals, numbers and purposes.
LSS skill area 2 / Introduction to the use of animals in research, selection from activities 1 – 5 from the Nuffield Council for Bioethics. / Skill area 2 LSS: Identifying argument, opinions and points of view – thinking about the arguments different people might make about animal testing
Skill area 2 LSS: Watching a film – focussing on specific areas of learning about animal experiments.
2 / Introduction to ethical principles
Argument skills
(HSW Hi, Hj, Hk, Hl) / Reading and discussion from textbook on ethical principles p. 65-67
Arguments about using animals
Discussing animal ethics activity
3 / Evaluating web sites
Ethical principles
(HSW Hi, Hj, Hk, Hl) / Activity 6 from the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, evaluating information on animal research from websites of different organisations.
4 / Responsibility towards trial subjects and patients
(HSW Hc, Hj, Hk, Hl) / MRC Research updates activity on Phase III clinical trials, includes ethical issues

Reading from text book on ethics committees p.68-69

or
Homework: prep for Wellcome role play activity
5 / Decision making in the pharmaceutical industry – the factors involved in deciding which drugs to develop and a review of the stages in drug development
(HSW Eh, Hf) / A role play activity from Wellcome Big Picture series on Drug Development on which drug to develop beyond stage II,
6 / Global responsibilities of the pharmaceutical industry
(HSW Hc, Hj, Hk. Hl ) / Activity Clinical trials in developing countries
7 / Stem cells – embryonic and tissue stem cells
biology, potential uses
(SE Ba, Bb, Bc, Cg)
LSS Skill area 5 /

Introduction to stem cells using a recent media story

Reading and discussion - textbook p.70-74

True False statements /

Skill area 5 LSS: Writing a scientific review article – students are given brief to write for a magazine with an editorial board which reviews the articles.

Skill area 5 LSS: Writing an abstract
Skill area 5 LSS: Compiling a bibliography
Skill area 5 LSS: Evaluating a scientific article – students evaluate each others’ articles.
8 / Ethical issues involved in the creation and use of embryonic stem cells and human animal hybrid embryos (SE Bc)
Decision-making and the role of regulation
(HSW Hc, Hf)
LSS Skill area 1 / Reading and discussion from textbook p. 73-78 / Skill area 1 LSS: Resources and audiences – looking at communication in different types of publication.
9 / Personal ethical position on stem cells and cloning
(HSW Hi, Hj, Hk) / Preparation for role play on therapeutic cloning from the Scottish Institute for Biotechnology Education
10 / Argument skills
Ethical principles / The role play and review of the activity
11 / The scientific community - how new scientific findings are checked before they become reliable knowledge
(HSW Eb, Ec, Ed)
LSS Skill area 5 / Peer review including scientific fraud - activity from Sense about Science /

Skill area 5 LSS: Copycat– students learn about plagiarism in an activity with passages about DNA testing.

12 / Review /

Exam style question on stem cells

July 2011