L04 — Designer Babies & Beyond
Module: M06 — Rewriting Life
Periods: 1
NGSS: HS-LS1-1, HS-LS3-1
Lesson Type: Elaborate / Evaluate
Learning Objective
- By the end of this lesson, students will be able to distinguish between therapeutic gene editing and enhancement applications by analyzing real-world case studies and evaluating the scientific and ethical boundaries of each.
Phenomenon / Hook
Show a short summary of the He Jiankui case. Video: He Jiankui and the World’s First Gene-edited Babies (World Science Festival, 2019 — show 0:00–3:00, the intro + He’s announcement) “In 2018, a Chinese scientist secretly edited the DNA of twin girls before they were born — the first known germline-edited humans. The scientific community was outraged. He went to prison. Were his actions criminal, revolutionary, or both?”
Materials
- Case study cards (4 scenarios, one per group)
- Handout: [[resources/handouts/application-spectrum]]
- Projector / YouTube: He Jiankui and the World’s First Gene-edited Babies (World Science Festival, 2019)
- Sticky notes for spectrum activity
Agenda
Opening (7 min)
- He Jiankui mini-case (2 min video or read-aloud)
- Think-Pair-Share: “Was this wrong? Why or why not?” (3 min)
- Quick poll: Raise your hand if you think it was wrong. Raise your hand if you think it was okay. (2 min)
- Teacher note: Don’t resolve this yet — the rest of the lesson will dig in.
Explore (15 min)
- Case Study Jigsaw (Groups of 4)
- Each group gets ONE case study card:
- Victoria Gray — CRISPR to cure sickle cell (somatic, therapeutic)
- Golden Rice — Genetically modified rice with vitamin A (agricultural, nutrition)
- He Jiankui — Germline editing of human embryos for HIV resistance (germline, controversial)
- Gene Drive Mosquitoes — CRISPR to eliminate malaria-carrying mosquitoes (ecological, population-level)
- For each case, groups answer:
- What gene is being edited and why?
- Is this somatic or germline?
- Is this therapeutic, enhancement, or something else?
- Who benefits? Who might be harmed?
- Should this be allowed? Why or why not?
- Each group gets ONE case study card:
Explain (10 min)
- Jigsaw share-out: Each group presents their case in 2 minutes
- Teacher synthesizes on board — build a class Application Spectrum:
| Therapeutic (fix disease) | Gray area | Enhancement (improve trait) |
|---|---|---|
| Sickle cell cure | Disease resistance | Height, intelligence |
| Cancer treatment | Drought-resistant crops | Athletic performance |
- Key distinctions:
- Somatic vs. Germline: Changes to you vs. changes to your children
- Therapeutic vs. Enhancement: Fixing a problem vs. adding a trait
- Individual vs. Population: Affects one person vs. affects an ecosystem
Elaborate (8 min)
- Sticky Note Spectrum: Students place their 4 case studies on a spectrum from “definitely should allow” to “definitely should not allow”
- Class discussion: Where did everyone put He Jiankui? Why the disagreement?
- Bridge to L05: “Tomorrow we formalize these arguments into a structured debate.”
Closing (5 min)
- Exit Ticket: [[exit-tickets/L04-exit-ticket]]
- What is the difference between somatic and germline gene editing? Why does this distinction matter?
- Name one application of gene editing you think should be allowed and one you think should not. Explain your reasoning.
Differentiation
| Support | Extension |
|---|---|
| Provide a vocabulary reference sheet (somatic, germline, therapeutic, enhancement) | Ask: Should parents be allowed to edit their children’s genes for non-medical traits? What if everyone else is doing it? |
| Assign the Victoria Gray case (most straightforward) to struggling groups | Have students research a 5th case not listed and add it to the spectrum |
Assessment
- Formative: Group case study discussions — listen for correct use of somatic/germline terminology
- Exit Ticket: Distinction reasoning and personal position
Teacher Notes
- The He Jiankui case can generate strong opinions. Establish norms: “Disagree with ideas, not people.”
- The Application Spectrum is intentionally messy — there’s no “right” answer for many cases. That’s the point.
- If a student asks “isn’t all medicine a form of enhancement?”, that’s a GREAT question. Acknowledge it and let it fuel L05.
- Keep the jigsaw tight — 15 minutes max. Use a timer.
- Bridge to L05: At the end of L04, assign each group a debate topic (from L05). Distribute the relevant evidence packet from [[resources/handouts/debate-evidence-packets]] as homework. Students must come to L05 with one compelling piece of evidence and one anticipated counterargument written on a notecard.