Overview
Imagine being an African American living during the post-civil rights movement. Police brutality is common; African Americans are angry and protesting. Without your knowledge or permission, a government agency administers a vaccine to you and other people in the city with the intent of suppressing your aggressive behavior. However, their experiment failed. You’ve witnessed the kidnapping of your brothers and sisters as they exhibited strange powers, or even died because of those powers. Yet, you survive to become the city’s next superhero, saving African Americans from police brutality and black-on-black crime. You temporarily retire, get married, and have two children, who actually inherit superpowers from you. Just when you think things are back to normal, crime surges and beckons your return to heroism. When the government learns of this years later, you are now hunted because the government wants to study your genetic advantage in surviving the effects of the vaccine. If this story sounds familiar, it is because this is the story of DC Comics’ African American superhero, Black Lightning.
What if the technology to vaccinate people on the level of mental disorders and behavior aggression really existed? Would you believe it? The truth is, scientists are not too far from determining the genetic markers of some mental disorders. In addition, scientists have already conducted enough research to precisely cut DNA. Should humans even be in possession of that type of power? Is it okay to tamper with the human genome at the expense of human lives even if it legitimately means potentially saving many lives? I believe that these are the types of questions that will really get students engaged in learning chemistry.
I am a teacher that loves creating relevant content. However, I feel that the curriculum in the school district of Philadelphia really keeps chemistry teachers boxed into traditional lessons that have not advanced since I was first introduced to chemistry back in 2002; they barely scratch the surface of science application. Since I am in charge of molding the next generation of students, I feel obligated to teach students new ways of doing things, which translates to offering them the most up-to-date curriculum available. If I am not living up to that task, then that means my university degrees and professional accomplishments carry no weight or power because there is no impartation of my professional experiences to the next generation of scholars. Failure to impart these experiences actually sends my students back in time to a darker past contrary to advancing them toward a brighter future.
There are dual purposes for writing this unit. In my three years of teaching, I am beginning to encounter more students who are interested in medical or nursing careers. Thus, to meet that need, I am writing this unit to give my students a taste of biochemistry. Secondly, my students will have taken the Biology Keystone examination at the culmination of their freshman year, which is required by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. In the event that students have not scored proficient on the examination, this unit offers an opportunity for students to get some review before having to retest. Due to students being required to take biology before chemistry, the biology teachers that I have worked with often wish that students had some chemistry first because the Keystone exam questions imply familiarity with chemistry content, such as the structure of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.
After watching the Black Lightning television series, I have considered several themes worth exploring in chemistry. First, I think the prevalence of mental disorders in African Americans would interest my students. and determining if there really are genetic factors that contribute to aggression and mental health. This creates an opportunity for studying the biochemistry involved in the manipulation of DNA, including content themes of intermolecular forces, Lewis structures, amino acids, and proteins. Ultimately, students will be able to discuss the costs, benefits, and controversies involved with manipulating DNA.
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