Hello Dolly: A WebQuest ~ Theology and Ethics

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Bird Theology and Ethics

As Theology & Ethics team members, your role will be to explain the ethical implications of cloning on religion. You have a difficult job because the US was founded on religious freedom, and you are representing all religions.

Your first job is to decide which group members will be responsible for each task. This is an important task. You will want to match your group member's strengths and resources to their role. (Example: A group member with Internet access at home would be an excellent choice for the Internet Research Team.)

Team Leader	will be the main contact for the teacher
Internet Research Team	will find artifacts on the Internet. It is helpful if these students have access to the Internet. at home.
Library Research Team	will search through newspapers, journals and texts for artifacts.
Writing Team	will do all the writing for the team. Access to a word-processing program at home is a good idea.
Presentation Engineer	will learn PowerPoint or construct posters, overheads and lecture notes.
Presenters	will present the team's findings during the summit.

It is very important that your team members keep their eyes on the main target question:

What government policy should be established to regulate cloning?

From the perspective of an expert in religions, your vision of the ideal policy may be significantly different than an expert in economics. Identify what you believe is the single most important issue that the government should address in a cloning bill.

Example: What effect will cloning technology have on world population?

You may want to review DR. FRANKENSTEIN, I PRESUME?

Now create three "support questions" that you will need to investigate before the answer to the "big question" is clear.

Example: With animal cloning research, will it be possible to fix genetic defects in humans?

Answer the following question:
What do you believe are the current public values and beliefs that underlie cloning and might create a bias one way or the other on the value of cloning?

Brainstorm a list of the types of resources/information that you think would be useful to gain greater insight into cloning.

Below you will find several questions that you must answer. In addition, you will be asked to investigate the major issue that you identified in the previous activity.

Visit the cloning resources page to get a quick start on your investigation. You will be assessed on your information processing skills. You must:

Use a variety of resources
Expand beyond the cloning resources page
Seek accuracy in your work
Validate your resources
Synthesize the information

Here are your questions:

Define theology.

How does cloning blur the boundaries of created and Creator?

What guidelines should be put in place to maintain respect for various species?

How can cloning serve humanity, and what lines should not be crossed?

Look back at your "support questions", and choose the one that your group feels is critical to the success of your project. Use the resources to answer it.

It is time for your team to share what it has learned about cloning. You have become an expert on your role's point of view, and the people attending the Cloning Summit need to learn about cloning from your perspective. Your team will be given ten minutes to explain how the proposed Human Cloning Prohibition Act should be expanded or maintained, and you must explain your reasoning. Be sure that you clearly identify both your major issue and the support questions. Pictures, video & audio clips, and quotes from your research can only strengthen your presentation.

It is your job to present your perspective effectively. If you choose to do a PowerPoint presentation, it is your responsibility to make sure the program will work before the day of the Cloning Summit. If you are not using PowerPoint, you may create a butcher paper mural, or you may choose to create a video presentation. Be creative. You may want to take a quick look at a grading rubric that describes an excellent presentation.