Ethics of genetic data
Debate whether genetic test results should be shared with relatives, and defend your view.
Written CER (3-5 sentences) arguing whether genetic test results should be shared with relatives, with a reference to the shared nature of genetic information in the reasoning.
- 1Do thisDebate whether genetic test results should be shared with relatives, and defend your view.
- 2Use this resource
- 3Submit thisCER: Written CER (3-5 sentences) arguing whether genetic test results should be shared with relatives, with a reference to the shared nature of genetic information in the reasoning.
- 4Submit it here
- 1CMSD website. Go to clevelandmetroschools.org and click the Clever button.
- 2Clever. Clever opens. Sign in if it asks.
- 3Microsoft (district) login. Use your district Microsoft account (the one for school).
- 4Schoology. Open Schoology, then your class, then Assignments, and find the file named below.
The file to submit is named: Principles of Biomedical Technology (Principles of Biomedical Science) › Unit 2.2 Decoding a Diagnosis: DNA, chromosomes, genes, proteins, protein synthesis, mutation, inheritance. › CEROpen Schoology
Read to prepare for today
Vetted sources picked for today's question. Skim these before you take a position or start the work, so your argument and evidence are grounded.
- CER:
- Claim, Evidence, Reasoning — make a claim, back it with evidence, explain your reasoning.
- SOP:
- Standard Operating Procedure — the exact steps to follow (especially in a lab).
- Tracker:
- Your PLTW progress log where you record completed evidence.
- myPLTW:
- The PLTW course site where you do the online activities — you open it through Schoology.
Minute-by-minute · 80-minute block
💡 Big idea: Genetic information is unique because it is partially shared: a result about one person is simultaneously a partial result about their biological relatives.
- 0:00Hook: brief description of a real case where a patient refused to share a hereditary cancer result with their family
- 0:10Introduce GINA; contrast genetic privacy with the concept of shared genetic heritage
- 0:20Read the ethics prompt; list one argument for disclosure and one for individual privacy
- 0:32Small-group debate: connect position to the nature of shared genetic information
- 0:54Individual CER writing: position, evidence, reasoning
- 1:10Share two CERs; preview Tuesday DNA-to-protein content
- • A genetic test is different from any other medical test in one crucial way: your DNA is shared with your biological family. If a test reveals you carry a BRCA gene variant linked to breast cancer, your sister may carry it too.
- • The question today is: does your sister have a right to know? And does your doctor have an obligation to tell her?
- • Legally, in most places, the answer is no. Your genetic information belongs to you. But ethically, the question is genuinely contested. Relatives who could take preventive action and are not told might argue later that they deserved to know.
- • Pick a side and defend it. Wednesday we move from ethics to mechanism: how does DNA actually make a protein, and what happens when it goes wrong?
- 1Read the prompt: If your DNA reveals a risk, do relatives have a right to know?
- 2List one argument for disclosure and one for individual privacy.
- 3Choose a side and connect it to shared genetic information.
- 4Argue your claim in your group with one reason and one example.
- 5Post a written CER with your position and reasoning.
- • I can weigh genetic privacy against relatives' interests.
- • I can defend a position with reasoning.
- • GINA (Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act) prohibits discrimination in health insurance and employment based on genetic information, but does not require disclosure to relatives.
- • A patient's genetic risk information may have medical relevance for first-degree relatives (parents, siblings, children), creating a tension between individual privacy and family benefit.
- • Genetic counselors are healthcare professionals who help individuals and families understand and navigate the implications of genetic test results.
Your PLTW work today
Unit 2.2 Decoding a Diagnosis: DNA, chromosomes, genes, proteins, protein synthesis, mutation, inheritance. · Ethics of genetic data
Day 1 of this lesson. Open this exact section in myPLTW (reached through Schoology), then do the work below.
Do this: Log in to myPLTW and open Lesson 2.2 Decoding a Diagnosis. Read the unit overview before Tuesday.
Mark the Lesson 2.2 overview task complete in myPLTW.
You finished the clinical-data work last week. Today starts Lesson 2.2 Decoding a Diagnosis (DNA and protein focus). The overview reading should be done by the end of today.
myPLTW screenshot showing the Lesson 2.2 Decoding a Diagnosis overview task marked complete.
All PLTW activities are completed inside the PLTW course environment — this page only gives direction. Submit producibles on Schoology.
Today's PLTW tracker
Check things off as you work, then submit. This tells Mr. Mendoza how you're doing so he can help the class. It does not replace turning in your producible on Schoology.
Use the code Mr. Mendoza gave you, not your name. Saved on this device.
Unit 2.2 Decoding a Diagnosis: DNA, chromosomes, genes, proteins, protein synthesis, mutation, inheritance. · Ethics of genetic data
Log in to myPLTW and open Lesson 2.2 Decoding a Diagnosis. Read the unit overview before Tuesday.
You finished the clinical-data work last week. Today starts Lesson 2.2 Decoding a Diagnosis (DNA and protein focus). The overview reading should be done by the end of today.
This is how Mr. Mendoza sees the class keeping pace with PLTW. Be honest, it only helps if it is accurate.
🎯 Debate whether genetic test results should be shared with relatives, and defend your view.
- Read the prompt: If your DNA reveals a risk, do relatives have a right to know?
- List one argument for disclosure and one for individual privacy.
- Choose a side and connect it to shared genetic information.
- Argue your claim in your group with one reason and one example.
- Post a written CER with your position and reasoning.
CER: Written CER (3-5 sentences) arguing whether genetic test results should be shared with relatives, with a reference to the shared nature of genetic information in the reasoning.
Submit on SchoologyUpload by 11:29 PM for full credit.
| Task | Who |
|---|---|
| Read the prompt: If your DNA reveals a risk, do relatives have a right to know? | _______ |
| List one argument for disclosure and one for individual privacy. | _______ |
| Choose a side and connect it to shared genetic information. | _______ |
| Argue your claim in your group with one reason and one example. | _______ |
| Post a written CER with your position and reasoning. | _______ |
Working solo? Put your own name in "Who" for every row.
- I can weigh genetic privacy against relatives' interests.
- I can defend a position with reasoning.
Resources & readings
Hand-picked materials for this lesson. Class file items open the document directly; the rest are vetted readings and interactives from other biomedical programs.
Lab & supplies
WebXam practice
Cumulative WebXam review
A quick mixed-review pulling questions from earlier units plus today, so the WebXam material stays fresh.
Where this leads — careers
What today's skills lead to. These are real health-science careers this course builds toward. Tap one to see, on the US Department of Labor's O*NET site, what the job actually involves, what it pays, and how fast it is growing.
What to do if you were absent
Watch the recorded genetic-data ethics prompt and post a written CER on whether genetic risk results should be shared with relatives.
John Carroll Philosophy for ChildrenThen submit your CER on Schoology.
Class still runs. Complete the online activity above (it's self-guided). Need the concept taught without a teacher? Use this authoritative explainer:
Learn.Genetics (University of Utah): DNA to protein- CompleteEvery required part of the artifact is present, nothing left blank.
- AccurateThe science and the data are correct and match the evidence.
- Scientific reasoningYou explain your claim with evidence and reasoning (CER), not just an answer.
- Professional communicationClear, organized, labeled, and written the way a clinician or scientist would.
- SubmittedTurned in the right way (Schoology for routine work) and confirmed.
Drop your Wed, Oct 14, 2026 · Ethics of genetic data here. Use a clear file name (your initials + project). Routine work still goes to Schoology (via the CMSD portal).
Upload a project