rdering information available on FBR Order Form (154K PDF).
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Are your students tired of counting fruit flies? Do they question the significance of slime mold in their daily lives? Do you wish that you had an easy, exciting, and relevant way to demonstrate human genetics? |
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An interactive module designed for teaching human |
Then consider
Chances' Choices is a curriculum unit designed to demonstrate the practical applications of human genetics. Using a series of connected scenes, this unit follows various members of the Chance family as they discover and deal with a variety of risks to their genetic health.
Structured in a case-study format, Chances' Choices presents not only clinical information about a variety of common genetic disorders and the technology used to test for them, but also the social, legal, economic, and ethical issues which families in these situations typically face.
These issues are woven into a dramatic story that begins with Paul and Stacy Chance, whose newborn daughter is diagnosed with phenylketonuria - PKU. Later on their son displays the symptoms of hemophilia, a sister becomes pregnant at age 40, another family member is considering marrying her cousin - who carries a gene for thalassemia... and the drama continues. The genetic counseling that is provided to members of the Chance family serves as a vehicle by which a myriad of issues are raised, alternative solutions offered, and conflicts resolved.
The "soap opera" quality of the story captures and holds the students' interest and the dilemmas faced by the Chance family serve as the basis for pointed discussion among students and teacher.
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Over 280 educators are using Chances' Choices with an estimated 15,000 students yearly. |
Chances' Choices is designed for use as a wrap-up for genetics courses targeted to 10th through 12th grade biology classes, to explain how basic genetic principles are applied.
Chances' Choices has been updated, and now includes over 200 pages encompassing 12 "scenes". Each scene includes a Scenario, a Fact Sheet for each condition or procedure covered, Questions for Discussion and Critical Thinking, Suggested Activities for Assessment and Enrichment, Overhead Masters, and Teacher's Guide. Also featured are a useful Glossary and list of Genetics Web Sites.
The story was created by Edward M. Kloza, MS, a genetic counselor certified by the American Board of Medical Genetics and the American Board of Genetic Counseling. The unit was designed by Paula K. Haddow, MAT. Richard Lord, MEd, a nationally recognized biology teacher from Presque Isle (ME), provided the educational perspective, and Robert Weir, PhD, Director of the Program in Biomedical Ethics at the University of Iowa, served as the bioethics consultant. A. Merrill Henderson, MS, provided additional genetic counseling expertise. It was field tested by biology teachers throughout the United States and their comments were utilized in the development of the final format.
To order your copy of Chances' Choices, please complete and return the order form (154K PDF).
For further information, contact us by email or at the address below.
Chances' Choices is supported by a grant #1R25H60 from the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Human Genome Research, Ethical, Legal and Social Implications Branch, awarded to the Foundation for Blood Research. - Paula K. Haddow, Principal Investigator
