Genetic Testing: Do I Care to Know?

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 Science

  CIP Number: 0326010201

  Course Type: Non-Career Preparatory

  CTE Standard(s) or benchmarks

  40.01: Describe genetic testing and how it is used to determine if someone has a genetic disorder.

  40.02: Explain how genetic counseling impacts a patient’s health outcome.

• Unit Outline

  
  

  This lesson is designed to be used with the case study, “Do I Care to Know?” See CPALMS resource ID# 209261.

• Career Connection

  
  

  Students interested in the medical field will require the skill of empathy to work with individuals who are debating whether to perform genetic testing for a dominant genetic disease. Students will collaborate with others to consider the impact of this difficult decision on future patients.

• Learning Objectives

  
  

  Students will be able to:

  • Identify the pros and cons of genetic testing.
  • Determine whether a person should perform genetic testing for a dominant genetic disease.
  • Role play a conversation to demonstrate the impact on a person and their family when making a decision on genetic testing.

• Prior Knowledge

  
  

  Students should be able to:

  • Determine probability of a genetic cross.
  • Describe inheritance of dominant traits.

• Guiding Questions

  
  
  • What are the pros and cons of genetic testing?
  • What are some possible effects of knowing results of genetic testing?

• Procedure

  
  
  1. To introduce the lesson, pose the following question to students: If you had the opportunity, would you want you or a family member to have genetic testing? Why or why not?
     • Distribute the student handout (see attachments) and allow students to briefly respond on page 1.
     • Ask student volunteers to share their opinions.
  2. Review how dominant genetic disorders are inherited and the probabilities of inheritance. Have students record notes on page 1 of the student handout (see attachments).
     • Describe and discuss the symptoms and treatments for Huntington’s disease.
     • Ask the students to describe the pros and cons of genetic testing, especially for dominant conditions on page 1 of the student handout (see attachments).
  3. Distribute the case study, “Do I Care to Know?” (see CPALMS resource ID# 209261). Have students read the case study with a partner. Instruct them to add any additional information to their notes on page 1 of the student handout (see attachments) as they read.
     • Have students identify any vocabulary words that they have difficulty with and arrive at their meaning based on context clues. Review words as needed with student pairs.
  4. After students read the case study, pose the following suggested discussion questions to prepare for the role play activity:
     • What reasons would Ronald have to pursue genetic testing? What reasons would Ronald not have to pursue genetic testing?
     • How would Ronald react to a positive test for Huntington’s disease? How would Ronald react to a negative test for Huntington’s disease?
     • How would Ronald’s wife react to her husband’s decision to pursue genetic testing? How would Ronald’s wife react to her husband’s decision not to pursue genetic testing?
     • How would Ronald’s wife react to the results of her husband’s test for Huntington’s disease?
     • How would the results of genetic testing affect the couple’s young children
     • How would the results of genetic testing affect the couple’s decision to have more children?
     • If Ronald came to you for advice, what would you suggest he do? Explain.
  5. Organize students in groups of 4 and direct students to page 2 of the student handout, the role play graphic organizer (see attachments).
     • Ask students to choose a character in the case study, They will need to create 2 new characters who Ronald can talk to about his situation. Each student will select a character and decide if Ronald should proceed with genetic testing.
     • Students will explain reasons why they chose their position and provide justification.
     • Students should discuss the following:
       1. Pros and cons of genetic testing.
       2. Potential issues brought about by genetic testing.
  6. Students will then perform their role play activity in which they explain whether to do genetic testing for Huntington’s disease and justify their choice as their selected character.
     • See Teacher Notes for suggestions on grouping and pacing the role-plays.
     • Debrief with the class after all the groups have done the role play.
  7. To close the lesson, have students revisit their response from Step 1 and write a journal entry answering the following question:
     • Based on information from the case study and Huntington’s disease presented in class, would you want you or your family member to go through genetic testing if you were at risk of having the condition?
       • Have students specify at least 1 character’s perspective from the case study to support their response, include at least 1 pro or con, and incorporate information about Huntington’s disease

• Teacher Notes

  
  
  • Suggested Pacing:
    • Step 1: 3 minutes
    • Step 2: 12 minutes
    • Step 3: 10 minutes
    • Step 4: 10 minutes
    • Step 5: 10 mins
    • Step 6: 12 mins
    • Step 7: 3 mins
  • For the Role Play activity, the teacher can choose one of the following modalities:
    • Pair students and each listen to the other as they role-play the character stating their opinion on genetic testing.
    • Have groups of students role-play as the different characters in front of the class, with each stating their opinions on genetic testing. Set a timer for each group, with the time limit decided based on the number of groups and classroom schedule.
  • Resources on Huntington’s Disease and genetic testing:
    • https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/huntingtons-disease#:~:text=Huntington%27s disease (HD) is an,as well as other areas.
    • https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/huntingtons-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20356117
    • https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/huntington-disease/
    • https://www.cdc.gov/genomics/gtesting/genetic_testing.htm

• Optional

  
  

  Formative Assessment Ideas:

  • Use students’ responses to questioning on dominant inheritance patterns and symptoms of Huntington’s disease to check comprehension.

  Summative Assessment Ideas:

  • Use the completion of journal entry as an assessment of students’ ability to state a position on the impact of genetic counseling and genetic testing on a patient.

  Extension Ideas:

  • Talk to a family member and ask them how they would feel about genetic testing for a particular disease that runs in their family. They must explain reasons why they would do such test or not. Student can share their findings with the class.