The purpose of this activity is to hone your critical thinking skills around the contentious and complex issue of genetic engineering. Critical thinking is a process that focuses on "uncovering assumptions that frame how we think and act, and checking these for their accuracy and validity" (Teaching for Critical Thinking: Tools and Techniques to Help Students Question Their Assumptions, Brookfield, 2012). The point is to lead us to develop informed opinions and take education actions.
To begin unpacking the big ideas around genetic engineering and genetically modified organisms, check out the following resources:
- Garas, L. C., Murray, J. D., & Maga, E. A. (2015). Genetically engineered livestock: ethical use for food and medical models. Annual Review of Animal Biosciences, 3(1), 559–575.
- Lemaux, P. G. (2008). Genetically engineered plants and foods: a scientist’s analysis of the issues (part I). Annual Review of Plant Biology, 59(1), 771–812.
- Lemaux, P. G. (2009). Genetically engineered plants and foods: a scientist’s analysis of the issues (part II). Annual Review of Plant Biology, 60(1), 511–559.
- Mark, S. (2014). Agriculture and biotechnology. In B. Jennings (Ed.), Bioethics (4th ed., Vol. 1, pp. 132-137). Farmington Hills, MI: Macmillan Reference USA.
- Phillips, T. (2008) Genetically modified organisms (GMOs): Transgenic crops and recombinant DNA technology. Nature Education 1(1): 213.
- Prado, J. R., Segers, G., Voelker, T., Carson, D., Dobert, R., Phillips, J., Cook, K., Cornejo, C., Monken, J., Grapes, L., Reynolds, T., & Martino-Catt, S. (2014). Genetically engineered crops: fom idea to product. Annual Review of Plant Biology, 65(1), 769–790.
- Resnik, D. B. (2014). Genetic engineering, human. In B. Jennings (Ed.), Bioethics (4th ed., Vol. 3, pp. 1271-1276). Farmington Hills, MI: Macmillan Reference USA.
An excellent resource for additional information on the biotechnology behind genetic engineering and its safety, environmental impacts, and regulation can be found at the GMO FAQ page of the Genetic Literacy Project.
