Making Sense of Evolution

CONTENTS OF CURRICULUM UNIT 16.06.02

  1. Unit Guide
  1. Introduction
  2. Objective
  3. Rationale
  4. Background
  5. Strategies and Activities
  6. Resources for Students
  7. Resources for Teachers
  8. Appendix
  9. Notes
  10. Bibliography

Genetic Engineering and the Potential Effects on Evolution

Akemi Hamai

Published September 2016

Tools for this Unit:

Resources for Teachers

CRISPR-Cas9 resources

“CRISPR, the Disruptor” http://www.nature.com/news/crispr-the-disruptor-1.17673

“How CRISPR Gene Editing Works http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/genetic/crispr-gene-editing.htm

“FW: Thinking: Gene Drives: Saving Lives or Powering Extinctions?” http://shows.howstuffworks.com/fwthinking-show/gene-drives-video.htm video

Academic Discussion Starters and Responses

To deepen understanding:

What do you mean by . . .?

Say more about . . .

Can you elaborate on the . . .?

I understand the part about . . . but I want to know more about . . .

In other words, you are saying that . . .

A different way to say it . . .

To extend and build on an idea:

Can you give an example?

What is the strongest support for . . .?

For example,

In the text it said that . . .

One thing that illustrates this is . . .

Strong supporting evidence is . . .

To disagree with an idea:

How are the two ideas similar and different?

Which has the strongest evidence?

How does evidence for your argument compare to mine?

I see it a different way,

On the other hand, . . .

That’s a valid point but . . .

Scaffold for Argument Paper

Prompt: _______________

Claim (your position)

_______________

_______________

1st Argument (most general)

_______________

_______________

Evidence to support 1st Argument (can be paraphrased/quoted from text)

_______________

_______________

Elaborate (connect evidence to claim and explain)

_______________

_______________

2nd Argument (more specific)

_______________

_______________

Evidence

_______________

_______________

Elaborate

_______________

_______________

3rd Argument if necessary (most specific)

_______________

_______________

Evidence

_______________

_______________

Elaborate

_______________

_______________

1st Counterargument (Most likely argument against your claim)

_______________

_______________

Rebuttal (Explain why the counterargument may not be valid)

_______________

_______________

2nd Counterargument in necessary

_______________

_______________

Rebuttal

_______________

_______________

Conclusion (restate and paraphrase what you said before in your claim without repeating)

_______________

_______________

Sentence Starters for Argumentative Essay

Introduction: Write a hook that captures the reader’s attention.

Have you ever thought about _________________?

It has been said that _________________. 

Some people think __________________.

Make your claim: Tell what your position is.

My position is _____________________.

My opinion is _____________________.

I think __________________________.

From my point of view _______________________.

Argument: Give your reason for making your claim.

Many experts claim _______________________.

According to ____________________________.

This assertion is justified by __________________.

Evidence: Provide evidence to support your argument. This can include statistics, expert opinion and examples.

Evidence can also be found in the article _____________________________.

Another example can be found in _______________________.

To better understand my position, ________________________.

____________ proves that ________________________.

Elaborate: explain your evidence and how it supports your claim.

This example explains _____________________________.

Furthermore, ___________________________.

In addition, ___________________________.

This confirms that _____________________.

Counterargument: main evidence against your position

Although some people think ___________________________.

Others suggest ________________________________.

____________ argues that _____________________.

Rebuttal: State why the opposition is wrong.

However, _____________________.

Nonetheless, ____________________________.

Despite opposition, I am convinced that _________________________________.

The point remains ________________________.

Conclusion: restate claim and summarize evidence

In closing, ___________________________.

Finally, _______________________.

The facts clearly indicate ___________________________________.

It is essential to recognize ___________________________.

There is little doubt

Adapted from E.L. Achieve

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