Learning Objectives
The “Feeding the World Using GMOs” unit focuses briefly on the science of genetic engineering technology, the varieties of genetically modified crops, their potential to alleviate world hunger and to lessen the impact of climate change on agricultural yield, and finally the costs, benefits, and controversies surrounding their use. It also provides a template for teachers of similar content to incorporate aspects of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) into AP courses by incorporating current events, creation of student models, analysis of data, and communication through various forms of media. Since this unit connects to several other common themes in the APES curriculum, it can be used as a model integrative phenomenon that can be revisited throughout the school year as students develop an increased understanding of environmental science. My overarching goal for this unit is for students to develop an evidence-based opinion on the role of GMOs in feeding a growing population while simultaneously dealing with threats to agricultural productivity because of climate change.
There are several course objectives and aspects of the three-dimensional Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) that are addressed in this unit. Specific to the course, students learn that: (1) food production needs to be increased significantly by 2050 to meet the demands of a growing population, (2) crop yields and the amount of arable land on the planet are threatened by climate change, (3) genetic modification (GM) is a more refined version of selective breeding that focuses on altering/inserting/deleting specific genes, and (4) GMOs are a viable option for feeding a growing population but must be part of a larger multi-pronged approach.
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