No More Aches and Pains!: Debating Clinical Trials

Lesson Content

• Lesson Plan Template:

  CTE Lesson Plan

• CTE Course Info and Benchmark Notes

  
  

  Program Title: Biomedical Sciences

  Course Title: Medical Interventions

  Course Number: 8708130

  Career Cluster: Health Sciences

  CIP Number: 0326010201

  Course Type: Non-Career Preparatory

  CTE Standard(s) or benchmarks

  41.01: Explore how gene therapy can be used to treat genetic disorders.

  41.02: Discuss and debate the safety and effectiveness of gene therapy

• Unit Outline

  
  

  This lesson is designed to be used with the case study, "No More Aches and Pains!" See CPALMS resource ID# 209234.

• Career Connection

  
  

  Students will use technical knowledge skills to describe the process of how drugs undergo clinical trials. This lesson supports the career building skills of communication and oral communication as students expose contrasting points of view on an ethical issue to an audience of their peers.

• Learning Objectives

  
  

  Students will be able to:

  • Determine the pros and cons of using CRISPR technology to treat genetic disorders.
  • Evaluate the ethical and moral issues brought about using CRISPR technology.
  • Determine the effectiveness of clinical trials in developing treatments for genetic diseases.
  • Debate the consequences of a person entering a clinical trial for the treatment of a genetic disease.

• Prior Knowledge

  
  

  Students should be familiar with/able to:

  • The genetics of sickle cell disease.
  • CRISPR technology.

• Guiding Questions

  
  
  • What would be the pros and cons of a patient continuing with a current treatment for sickle cell anemia?
  • What are the ethical issues about using CRISPR technology?
  • What would be the concerns that a patient might have about clinical trials for a new treatment for sickle cell disease?
  • How can genetic testing be used to treat genetic disorders?

• Procedure

  
  

  1. To introduce the lesson, discuss the genetic causes, symptoms, and current treatments for sickle cell anemia. Describe how CRISPR technology works and its potential use to treat genetic disorders.

  2. Put students in small groups of 3-4 and distribute the case study “No More Aches and Pains!” (see CPALMS resource #209234). After students read the case study, present and discuss the following questions:

  • What would be the pros and cons of Lanisha continuing with a current treatment for sickle cell anemia?
  • What are the ethical issues about using CRISPR technology?
  • What would be the concerns that Lanisha might have about clinical trials for a new treatment for sickle cell disease?

  3. Provide students with the research graphic organizer (see attachments). Answer any questions students may have about how to use the graphic organizer before allowing students time to conduct their research.

  4. Using the research, allow students time to develop their arguments for whether Lanisha should consider enrolling in a clinical trial for a CRISPR-developed treatment for sickle cell anemia.

  5. Class discussion/Debate: Students expose their arguments to the class. This can be done with a debate panel and audience, or by selecting a spokesperson from each team to expose the team’s views. Students should consider the following:

  • Describe the pros and cons of using CRISPR technology to develop treatments for genetic diseases.
  • What are some ethical issues brought about using CRISPR technology to treat genetic diseases?
  • Describe arguments for whether Lanisha should consider enrolling in a clinical trial for a CRISPR-developed treatment for sickle cell anemia.
  • Students should consider the following:
    • Evaluate whether Lanisha should continue her current treatment for sickle cell anemia.
    • Analyze Lanisha’s concern about the safety of clinical trials.

  6. To bring the lesson to a close, students submit a written response that addresses the following:

  • Reasons that describe whether Lanisha should consider exploring CRISPR technology to treat sickle cell anemia.
  • Reasons that describe whether Lanisha should enter a clinical trial for a CRISPR-derived treatment for sickle cell anemia.

• Teacher Notes

  
  
  • The teacher can choose to provide extended time and conduct the debate in a separate 50-minute class period.

• Optional

  
  

  Extension Ideas:

  • Research a genetic disease where CRISPR technology can be used to treat it and how it may be used. Evaluate the pros and cons of such treatment for such disease. Write a one-page essay describing such topics.
  • Students write an expository essay on the presented debate.