Page 70 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: Science, 2008 (revised)

Grade 11, College Preparation
d1. evaluate some social, ethical, and environmental implications of genetic research and related technologies;
d2. investigate the process of meiosis, and analyse data related to the laws of heredity;
d3. demonstrate an understanding of the process of meiosis, and explain the role of genes in the transmission of hereditary characteristics.
D1. Relating Science to Technology, Society, and the Environment
D2. Developing Skills of Investigation and Communication
THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 11 AND 12 | science
SPECIFIC EXPECTATIONS
By the end of this course, students will:
d1.1 evaluate, on the basis of research, some of the social and ethical implications of genetic re- search and reproductive technologies (e.g., sex selection, harvesting umbilical cord cells) [IP, PR, AI, C]
Sample issue: Scientists are using genetically modified embryonic stem cells to study the role of specific genes in human development and aging and the genetic causes of disease. Some people are concerned that these techniques could one day be used to “design” babies with certain desirable traits, creating a class of gen- etically enriched individuals and an inequitable society.
Sample questions: Who owns and controls our personal genetic information? Who should have access to our personal genetic information and decide how it will be used? Why is it important to regulate research into, and uses of, genetically based reproductive technologies? What are the ethical implications of using medical data from isolated communities (e.g., First Nations com- munities, homogeneous island communities) to study the genetic makeup of these communities without their knowledge and/or consent?
d1.2 evaluate, on the basis of research, some of the effects of genetic research and biotechnol- ogy (e.g., genetically modified organisms [GMOs]) on the environment [IP, PR, AI, C]
Sample issue: Farmed salmon can be genetical- ly modified to reach market size in half the time of normal fish, and cost half as much to feed. However, entire populations of wild fish could be endangered by mating with bioengineered fish that are released into the wild, with disas- trous consequences for the ecosystem.
Sample questions: What are the risks of grow- ing genetically modified crops near fields where traditional crops are growing? Why have some countries banned genetically modified food crops? What impact has the introduction of herbicide-tolerant plants had on local en- vironments? In what ways can insect-resistant plants both improve agriculture and hurt bio- diversity? What are some of the possible effects on the environment of releasing bioengineered insects into the wild?
By the end of this course, students will:
d2.1 use appropriate terminology related to gen- etics, including, but not limited to: spindle, haploid, diploid, heterozygous, homozygous, hemophilia, gamete, ultraviolet radiation, carcino- gen, cancer, trisomy, somatic cell, and zygote [C]
d2.2 investigate the process of meiosis, using a microscope or computer simulation, and iden- tify, and draw biological diagrams of, the phases of meiosis [PR, C]

d. geneticS OVERALL EXPECTATIONS
By the end of this course, students will: