Page 238 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: Science, 2008 (revised)

Grade 12, University/College Preparation
f1. analyse a variety of social, ethical, and legal issues related to applications of biotechnology in the health, agricultural, or environmental sector;
f2. investigate various techniques used in biotechnology and how they are applied in the food industry and the health and agricultural sectors;
f3. demonstrate an understanding of biological processes related to biotechnology and of applications of biotechnology in the health, agricultural, and environmental sectors.
F1. Relating Science to Technology, Society, and the Environment
F2. Developing Skills of Investigation and Communication
THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | science
SPECIFIC EXPECTATIONS
By the end of this course, students will:
f1.1 analyse social issues related to an applica- tion of biotechnology in the health, agricultural, or environmental sector (e.g., issues related to the uses of genetically modified organisms or to the uses and availability of in vitro fertilization) [AI, C]
Sample issue: The promise of genetically modi- fied (GM) crops was that they would be resistant to pests and would produce more abundant harvests. However, GM crops can crossbreed with crops in adjoining fields, thus contaminating traditional food sources, re- ducing biodiversity, changing farming practices, and limiting the choices available to consumers.
Sample questions: What was the social impact of the discovery of insulin? What is the poten- tial impact on the family of biotechnological developments related to the treatment of in- fertility and the genetic screening of embryos? What are the social benefits of the development of drought-resistant crops?
f1.2 analyse, on the basis of research, ethical and legal issues related to an application of biotech- nology in the health, agricultural, or environ- mental sector (e.g., ethical questions related to xenotransplantation; legal issues related to access to an individual’s genetic information) [IP, PR, AI, C]
Sample issue: Advances in biotechnological re- search in human health have raised many difficult questions. Currently, scientists, ethi- cists, politicians, and business people are debating issues such as who should have ac- cess to a person’s genetic information, whether human cloning should be permitted, and whether human embryos should be used for stem-cell research.
Sample questions: If a disease has no known cure, should we use biotechnology to predict or diagnose its occurrence in individuals? Why or why not? Who owns or controls frozen embryos left over after in vitro fertiliz- ation? Who determines whether genetically modified foods are safe? How might the testing/regulation process be open to abuse? What are the legal and ethical implications of introducing into an ecosystem a species engineered through biotechnology?
By the end of this course, students will:
f2.1 use appropriate terminology related to biotechnology, including, but not limited to: selective breeding, hybridization, replication, mutation, genomics, and gene therapy [C]
f2.2 plan and conduct an inquiry into various traditional biotechnological techniques used in the food industry (e.g., the use of fermentation to produce bread, cheese, yogurt) [IP, PR]
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f. Biotechnology OVERALL EXPECTATIONS
By the end of this course, students will: