Activity
Engage
As students enter room overhead 1 is already up, displaying headlines relating
to GMF. The sensationalist approach to headlines avails itself to prompting
student questions. Media created terms such as ‘Frankenfoods’ have
a negative connotation, but also offer a great starting point for asking students
what they think ‘Frankenfoods’/ GMF’s are. Elicit from your
students what they think GMFs. Ask how many of them are eating ‘Frankenfoods.’
Explore
Ask the class ‘What did they eat for dinner last night?’ As students
recall their dinners write 4 or 5 down as examples on the board. Using overhead
2 ( main crops used in US proportions of each that are GM) ask students to
identify which students’ dinners may have included GMFs. Be sure to pick
out dinners that have a highly likeliness of containing GMF. For example foods
that include corn, XXXXXX, XXXX, XXX. Then ask students why the agriculture
community might what to use genetically modified plants. All answers are reasonable
at this point. Let the students know that over this quarter they will be finding
out more about what GMF’s are used for.
Explain
How do they feel now about GMF’s? Tell students to be prepared to defend
their view using evidence from their piece. Students write this information down
on easel paper shared between their group to then share with the class.
Expand
Should they be worried? Tally class opinion on GMFs
Think-Pair- Share
Divide the class into 8 groups. Give each group 4 copies
of different opinion pieces. Students should read the
piece to themselves. After reading it students
return to their group and share one statement that stood out to them and
tells the reader a pro or a con to GMF’s. Each person must identify a different
statement. Students as a group decide whether this particular piece is pro
or con overall.
Evaluate
After hearing all this information what
do students now feel?
Closure
Overhead 3 with the Zimbabwe
headline/Green Revolution is on projected. Just what
is genetically modified food? We’re going to
be looking at the biology behind genetically modified
food
and what is the impetus behind development of GMF? |
