CBC Archives

If students have completed the activity What Is Cloning?, they can review what they know about the fundamentals of cloning and discuss the difference between therapeutic cloning (production of stem cells for research) and reproductive cloning (production of genetically identical individuals). If they have not completed the activity, they can do so now, or they can browse the topic Canada Enters the Clone Age on the CBC Radio and Television Archives Web site to find the information.

Direct students to the topic Canada Enters the Clone Age on the CBC Radio and Television Archives Web site. Have students view Clips #1, 6, and 7, concentrating on therapeutic cloning. Students will compile a list of the possible uses of therapeutic cloning and the dangers or hazards associated with those uses. Using their information, students will design posters to brief Members of Parliament before they vote in the House of Commons on whether to allow therapeutic cloning. The poster should present the information in an objective way and allow the viewer to come to his or her own conclusions.

Allow students time to view their classmates’ posters. As they view, students will list what they believe to be the top three uses and the top three hazards associated with therapeutic cloning. Using these six points, students will write a short paper explaining how they would vote if they were one of the target MPs. Provide students with the following questions to guide their thinking:

Did the posters affect your vote? How?

Was one point so compelling that the others didn’t matter anymore?

How did you decide if the possible uses or the possible hazards were more important?

Students can conduct a poll of another class to determine their opinions about therapeutic cloning. Members of the sample should have only a basic knowledge of therapeutic cloning before the poll. Students will then present their posters to the sample group, and conduct a second poll to see if opinions have changed.