Paragraphs 53-57 offer a history of the creation of biological weapons in Russia. Discuss some of the uses of science mentioned in the article that could be debated from an ethical standpoint. The four students in the center are the only ones allowed to speak. Each student locates a New York Times article that is science-related. Then, the student writes a summary of the article, selects one aspect of the article that could be viewed as an ethical issue dealing with science, and writes a short essay discussing both sides of this issue.
Students can present their articles to the class as an oral presentation or as a visual display.
What counts is intent. Students will be evaluated based on journal entry response, participation in classroom discussion and debates, and summary and analysis of the ethical issues addressed in a science-related New York Times article. Read the portion of the featured article not read in class, which discusses different biologists and others attempted to be recruited to work in germ warfare laboratories in Iran. Research warfare developed in different cultures and eras. Each student can focus on a different historical period and create a poster describing the technologies developed, and the class can then develop a timeline of warfare by hanging the posters in chronological order in the classroom.