Cloning Around

Subject: Biology
Grade: 9-12
Time: 90 minutes
Objectives: Students will:

 Understand the role of democratic decision making in accommodating human

dignity and freedom of thought in the areas of science, medicine, and public
health.
 Learn the issues raised by genetic cloning and the scientific and public policy
terms used to discuss this area of science.
 Explore the tensions between the protection of human dignity and the alleviation
of human suffering raised in the discussion of therapeutic cloning of human cells.
 Analyze the reasons supporting and opposing therapeutic cloning of human cells.
 Identify areas of agreement and disagreement with other students.
 Decide, individually and as a group, whether the government should permit
therapeutic cloning of human cells; support decisions based on evidence and
sound reasoning.
 Reflect on the value of deliberation when deciding issues in a democracy.
Materials Needed: Internet/computer access
Handout 1 – Pros and Cons of Cloning
Handout 2 – Human Cloning Process
Handout 3 – Ethical Issues of Cloning
Handout 4 - Pros/Cons Index Sheet (to be given to students on index
cards)
Vocabulary List
Student Argumentation Sheet
Art Material

Deliberation Question: Should our democracy permit therapeutic cloning of human cells?

Procedure: 1. (10 minutes) Students discuss the following questions (written on the board
prior to class): What do you think about the idea of cloning (or creating an
exact copy of) humans? What positive effects could this have? What negative
effects could this have? The teacher makes two columns on the board, one
labeled “positive” and one labeled “negative,” under which he or she writes
student responses during this brainstorm. Students should explain their answers
thoroughly. The teacher will go over vocabulary words to ensure that the
students understand the meaning of the terminology that will be used in this
exercise.
 2. (5 minutes) The teacher will show the students a powerpoint on cloning that
will include a video on how cloning takes place. The powerpoint will include key
terms as well as information for the assignment.
http://youtube/hepoJgGJtNc - cloning video

3. (30 minutes) Tell students that each of them should decide for herself or
himself which side of the issue to support. Students will be placed in groups.
The groups should then plan a public service advertisement campaign for or
against cloning. The teacher will provide example of ad for students.
a. Encourage students to use attention-grabbing images and snappy yet
informative language in their ads. Suggest that they might find models of such
images and language in other public service advertisements, such as the ones
that discourage people from smoking. Point out that student ad campaigns can
take the form of posters, buttons, pamphlets, television or radio spots, and
magazine or newspaper advertisements.
b. Have students choose which side they will be on, think through their
arguments, and list what they believe to be the strongest points in their
arguments. Teacher will help place students into groups based on their
decision.
c. Allow class time for students to create their ad campaigns, utilizing their
lists. The teacher will provide handouts and index cards with information
pertaining to cloning for students to use in their ad.
4. (15 minutes) Allow class time for each group to present or display their
campaign ad.
Closure: (20 minutes) Invite the class to vote on which three campaigns are the most
effective, whether for or against cloning. Discuss what makes the winning
campaigns effective. Is it the compelling logic of the arguments, the persuasive
quality of the language, the forceful quality of the visual images?
Assessment: (10 minutes)The students will write a summary based on their campaign ads
that are to include the claim, evidence, reasoning and rebuttal.
•Three points: compelling logical arguments, strong persuasive language,
forceful visual images
•Two points: logical arguments, sufficiently persuasive language, adequate
visual images
•One point: some weak arguments, insufficiently persuasive language,
inadequate visual images
Extension: 1. Write a short story or brief drama imagining that you are cloned, discussing
how you would relate to your clone or clones and how daily life would
change for you.
2. Discuss the exact science of cloning. What exactly is cloned, and how do
cells that are cloned then create a duplicate of the parent cell? What aspects
of the new being are not cloned? (e.g., personality, thoughts, memories)
3. Cloning in the News
The U.S. government is currently working fast and furiously to pass whatever
laws are necessary to prevent or delay human cloning experimentation in the
United States. Have your students research the steps that the president and
Congress are taking to make this happen, as well as any current cloning
experiments that are under way. When they have gathered their information,
ask them to synthesize what they have learned into a news briefing for a local
television station. Make sure they summarize all of the important
developments and present them in a clearly written report.
Attributions: http://www.lessonplanet.com/lesson-plans/cloning
http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-lesson-plans/the-clone-
age.cfm
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/human-cloning-process.html
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/pros-and-cons-of-cloning.html
http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/2004/1/04.01.01.x.html#g
 Handout 1 – Pros and Cons of Cloning
When Dolly, the first cloned sheep came in the news, cloning interested the masses.
Not only researchers but even common people became interested in knowing about
how cloning is done and what pros and cons it has. Everyone became more curious
about how cloning could benefit the common man. Most of us want to know the pros
and cons of cloning, its advantages and its potential risks to mankind. Let us
understand them.
Pros of Cloning
Cloning finds applications in genetic fingerprinting, amplification of DNA and
alteration of the genetic makeup of organisms. It can be used to bring about desired
changes in the genetic makeup of individuals thereby introducing positive traits in
them, as also for elimination of negative traits. Cloning can also be applied to plants to
remove or alter defective genes, thereby making them resistant to diseases. Cloning
may find applications in development of human organs, thus making human life safer.
Here we look at some of the potential advantages of cloning.
Organ Replacement: If vital organs of the human body can be cloned, they can serve
as backup systems for human beings. Cloning body parts can serve as a lifesaver.
When a body organ such as a kidney or heart fails to function, it may be possible to
replace it with the cloned body organ.
Substitute for Natural Reproduction: Cloning in human beings can prove to be a
solution to infertility. Cloning can serve as an option for producing children. With
cloning, it would be possible to produce certain desired traits in human beings. We
might be able to produce children with certain qualities. Wouldn't that be close to
creating a man-made being?!
Help in Genetic Research: Cloning technologies can prove helpful to researchers in
genetics. They might be able to understand the composition of genes and the effects of
genetic constituents on human traits, in a better manner. They will be able to alter
genetic constituents in cloned human beings, thus simplifying their analysis of genes.
Cloning may also help us combat a wide range of genetic diseases.
Obtain Specific Traits in Organisms: Cloning can make it possible for us to obtain
customized organisms and harness them for the benefit of society. It can serve as the
best means to replicate animals that can be used for research purposes. It can enable
the genetic alteration of plants and animals. If positive changes can be brought about
in living beings with the help of cloning, it will indeed be a boon to mankind.
Cons of Cloning
Like every coin has two sides, cloning has its flip side too. Though cloning may work
wonders in genetics, it has potential disadvantages. Cloning, as you know, is copying
or replicating biological traits in organisms. Thus it might reduce the diversity in
nature. Imagine multiple living entities like one another! Another con of cloning is
that it is not clear whether we will be able to bring all the potential uses of cloning into
reality. Plus, there's a big question of whether the common man will afford harnessing
cloning technologies to his benefit. Here we look at the potential disadvantages of
cloning.
Detrimental to Genetic Diversity: Cloning creates identical genes. It is a process of
replicating a genetic constitution, thus hampering the diversity in genes. While
lessening the diversity in genes, we weaken our ability of adaptation. Cloning is also
detrimental to the beauty that lies in diversity.
Invitation to Malpractices: While cloning allows man to tamper with genetics in
human beings, it also makes deliberate reproduction of undesirable traits, a
probability. Cloning of body organs might invite malpractices in society.
Will this Technology Reach the Common Man?: In cloning human organs and using
them for transplant, or in cloning human beings themselves, technical and economic
barriers will have to be considered. Will cloned organs be cost-effective? Will cloning
techniques really reach the common man?
Man, a Man-made Being?: Moreover, cloning will put human and animal rights at
stake. Will cloning fit into our ethical and moral principles? It will make man just
another man-made being. Won't it devalue mankind? Won't it demean the value of
human life?
 Handout 2 - Human Cloning Process
Cloning is the creation of an exact genetic copy of any organism. There exist different
kinds of cloning processes which are important in the decision of legal and ethical
issues. Before we speak of the technical matters, there are a few things that need
understanding.
The Need for Human Cloning
One of the key issues that science throws up through genetic engineering is making a
better tomorrow, or in fact, improving the flaws gifted by Nature so we are promised
better offspring. The bottom line here remains that there has to be complete human
control over genetics in order to justify the scientific procedure of cloning.
There are a multitude of such justifications that are put up and here are some that are
the typical examples:
1.People can have clones of themselves who are carbon copies and can do more of
their work and achieve more in the world.
2.The lines of death and life can be blurred as anybody can be easily replaced by a
genetically identical clone.
3.Sickness can be cured because the same kind of marrow, blood type, etc., will be
easily available with a clone.
4.Clones can be produced with lower or higher mental capacities that would be similar
to human robots for performing specialized tasks or even labor.
5.Genetic disorders can be curbed and even removed with this process.
6.Scientific curiosity can be satisfied and one will be able to learn from scientific
discoveries.
The Process of Cloning
Cloning is a method actually "cloned" from a process that occurs in nature commonly
seen in bacteria which multiply by splitting themselves in half and each of the cells are
complete organisms by themselves which share the same DNA (deoxyribonucleic
acid). These bacteria reproduce asexually but are genetically similar and thus are
clones of each other in all respects. However, during sexual reproduction, the process
is very different when the nucleus of a sperm cell carrying the male DNA impregnates
the nucleus of the egg cell containing the female DNA. The resulting offspring thus
carries genetic traits from both parents even if they themselves are not identical to the
parents.
In the process of cloning, to create the cloned cells, there exists differing methods that
depend on the kinds of cells to be cloned and the results desired. Cloning an animal is
very different from cloning a human gene. When cloning an animal, a nucleus of a cell
containing chromosomes made up of DNA protein is placed into an egg cell or oocyte
from which the nucleus has been removed. This egg cell divides to produce the
embryo that in turn develops into the animal. Thus cloning an animal involves creating
an exact genetic copy of the parent cells. This technique is called nuclear transfer or
nuclear transplantation.
However, the process of cloning humans the gene is needed to be first isolated from
the genome and this DNA sequence is copied into a smaller piece of DNA, for
example a plasmid. This separation makes complex beings simpler to reciprocate
through cloning.

Types of Cloning Technologies

1.DNA cloning or Recombinant DNA technology
2.Reproductive Cloning
3.Therapeutic Cloning

Ethical Issues
The third process of cloning raises some questions about the abstract, about the
interference with Nature and with God. This was the theological argument by Richard
Seed that we as humans are justified in controlling our destiny and our reproductive
process. However, President Clinton countered this argument with another theological
debate while banning the process of cloning, saying that we are trying to "play God".
In fact, this is the very argument that bans human cloning in many countries. Bioethics
remains a hot topic of debate between the scientific community and various
organizations and individuals worldwide.
The way that the proponents of cloning humans go, we are indeed trying to play God.
Just as most inventions used for destruction were never meant to be for that purpose,
the process of human cloning that seems to have a clean agenda can easily turn tables
to become a reason for destruction and quick riches. Eugenic experiments of this sort,
though, would underline the autonomous choice but they are also demeaning to
humans besides being plain selfish and odious, they may prove overtly dangerous in
the wrong hands.
Human cloning remains a scientific miracle and while we have successfully cloned
animals, we must at the same time, focus on the fact that on the other hand we are
constantly abusing Nature. Nothing can save us from extinction if we destroy what we
have, even if we think of regeneration through the miracle of science. It is thus more
important to channelize our energies and resources into benefiting the human society.
 Handout 3 - Ethical Issues of Cloning
In the movie Jurassic Park, based on the best-selling book of the same name by
Michael Crichton, scientists clone dinosaurs by using the DNA that was preserved for
millions of years. However, there is trouble when the cloned dinosaurs turn out fiercer
and smarter than expected. Can dinosaurs really be cloned? Theoretically, they can; all
that would be required is DNA from an extinct dinosaur and a currently living closely
related species which would act as a surrogate mother. In fact, there is ongoing
research to clone the Woolly Mammoth by extracting the DNA from frozen animals.
Actually, cloning is a phenomenon that occurs naturally in a wide variety of species
from aphids to armadillos, to poplar trees, to bacteria. Whenever you see a pair of
identical twins, they are examples of nature's clones. Although scientists have been
cloning certain organisms like the carrot quite successfully for decades, attempts to
clone animals have not been as successful. However, they began long before the birth
of Dolly, the sheep - the first mammal to be successfully cloned. There were sporadic
successes at cloning other animals, like CC (abbreviation for 'copycat'), the first cat to
be cloned, an Asian gaur, an endangered species, which Bessie, a cow, gave birth to,
and way back in the 1960s', frogs being cloned, albeit with limited success. In fact, in
the 1980s, some companies tried commercializing the cloning of livestock by the
process of taking the nuclei from fetuses and embryos. These efforts generally resulted
in failure because the newborns usually did not survive for long due to being
unhealthy. Livestock cloning, currently, is still in the process of research. However, it
is generally accepted that in time the scientific viability of producing healthy clones
will become a reality.
Although cloning other species does give rise to some misgivings, whether reviving
extinct or endangered species, or to reproduce a dead pet, the prospect of cloning
humans artificially is one of the most controversial debates that the human species has
been pondering about, raising a number of ethical issues involved. In fact, the social
impact of producing humans artificially was brilliantly explored in the famous novel
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, and also in the movie The Island.
Human cloning is basically about creating a genetically identical replica of a
previously existing or existing person. Why would anybody opt to clone human
beings? Well, generally, it will be one more option by which infertile couples can have
children. Replacing a deceased child is also another reason why some people have
expressed interest in the procedure.
There are various methods of human cloning: embryo cloning, reproductive cloning
and therapeutic cloning. There is another method known as replacement cloning,
which at present exists only in theory. It is a combination of both reproductive and
therapeutic cloning. Replacement cloning involves replacing a body that has been
extensively damaged, or has failed, or is in the process of failing, followed by
transplanting the brain either partially or entirely. This procedure has been projected as
a way of greatly extending human lifespan.
Embryo Cloning: In this procedure, identical twins are produced, basically by
reproducing how twins are created naturally. A few cells are extracted from a
fertilized embryo, which are induced to develop into duplicate embryos. The twins
that are thus formed have identical DNA. Although this procedure has been used on
various animal species, there has been only limited experimentation done on humans.
Reproductive Cloning: In this procedure, the DNA is removed from an ovum and
replaced with the DNA extracted from a cell taken from an adult animal. Next, the
fertilized ovum, which is called a pre-embryo now, is implanted in a womb, which
then develops into a new animal. Thus, this procedure basically produces a duplicate
of an existing person. Based on studies done on animals, it results in animals being
born with severe genetic defects. This is the main reason why many in the medical
field think it to be a profoundly unethical procedure to be carried out on humans. It is
specifically banned in many countries. However, there are rumors that this procedure
has been used successfully to initiate a pregnancy by the controversial Italian
embryologist, Dr Severino Antinori.
Therapeutic Cloning: The initial stages of this procedure are practically the same as
Reproductive Cloning. However, in this, the stem cells are extracted from the pre-
embryo, with the intention of generating a whole organ or tissue, so that it can be
transplanted back into the person who gave the DNA. The pre-embryo, however, dies
during the process. The aim is to create a healthy organ or tissue of a sick person, in
order to transplant it into them, instead of relying on organs from other people. This
eliminates the need of waiting lists for organs, and since the organ has the same DNA
as the donor, there is no need to take immunosuppressive drugs, as is required now
after transplantation.
At this nascent stage of cloning, there is no consensus yet about the ethical issues that
are thrown up by the process of the destruction of human embryos, so that stem cells
can be collected. Many conservative Christians and others concerned about the ethical
issues, think that the embryo is equivalent to a human being right at conception, and
should be given the same rights. Since the process involved in the removal of DNA is
similar to the process of conventional conception, because both create a pre-embryo, it
is thought that the pre-embryo is a human person. In therapeutic cloning, the process
of extracting stem cells, therefore, is equivalent to murdering the human being.
Religious and ethically conservative people think it is ethically wrong to kill one
person so that another person's life can be extended or saved.
Others, however, are of the opinion that the embryo does not require any particular
moral consideration, because at the stage when it is cloned, it is just a bunch of cells
that contain DNA, and are not very different from the millions of skin cells that we
shed every day. The embryonic cells at that stage cannot be considered equivalent to a
human being because it does not have a brain, thoughts, self-awareness, memory,
awareness of its environment, sensory organs, internal organs, legs, arms, and so on.
They think that the embryo attains human personhood much later during gestation,
perhaps at the point when the brain develops so that it becomes aware of itself.
 Vocabulary List
Clone - Definition: An exact genetic replica of a living being.
Context: Two human clones would have the same genetic structure, but they
would probably have different personalities.
Embryology - Definition: The study of the development of the individual from egg to birth or
hatching.
Context: Embryologists are crucial to the development of cloning technology.
Ethical - Definition: Relating to or involving questions of right and wrong.
Context: The idea of cloning human beings raises ethical and moral concerns.
Genes - Definition: The building blocks of DNA, which serve as transmitters of
hereditary characteristics.
Context: Genes control the transmission of hereditary traits in living beings.
Genetic Engineering - Definition: The process of altering a living being's genes to create a
desired effect.
Context: Genetic engineering can produce a redder tomato, a taller giraffe, or a
cow that gives more milk.
Nucleus - Definition: The control center of a cell.
Context: The nucleus is where the cell's genetic information is contained.
Transgenic - Definition: The process of replacing the nucleus of one animal's cell with the
nucleus of a different animal's cell.
Context: Transgenic scientists have inserted a human nucleus into a sheep cell
 Handout 4 – Pros/Cons Cards for Students
The teacher will put the following information on index so that the students may use
the information for their argumentation lesson.

Pros –
1. Imprecise use of the term cloning confuses the public at the cost of good science. Therapeutic
and reproductive cloning are clearly different. Reproductive cloning places an altered human
cell in a woman’s uterus. In contrast, non-reproductive cloning takes place in a laboratory
and cannot lead to a human being. These differences mean there is little danger of a “slippery
slope” leading from cloning that can cure disease to cloning that is universally condemned.
2. Therapeutic cloning covers an array of scientific possibilities. Among these are stem-cell
research and other forms of non-reproductive cloning. Therapeutic cloning holds great
promise to alleviate human suffering and advance human knowledge.
3. The technology of cloning is too tempting to leave unregulated. Because of its extraordinary
potential, unscrupulous people will attempt cloning. By legislating procedures and
safeguards, society can regulate what kind of cloning is permitted. It can also set proper
limits and define what kind of cloning is illegal. Reproductive cloning can be identified,
isolated, criminalized, and, when necessary, punished without limiting the scientific
knowledge or medical advances that might be gained through therapeutic cloning.
4. Scientists have the necessary technical training and background to make informed decisions
about cloning. Democratic societies must learn about, discuss, and debate the moral and
ethical issues surrounding therapeutic cloning. The expertise of scientists is critical to helping
democracies make informed decisions about policy.
5. The “embryos” used in research are not babies with limbs or brains. They are tiny balls of
stem cells. Moreover, the embryos currently used are from fertility clinics, where they are
routinely discarded. Using them for research assures that they are not wasted. Using them
values their potential to expand human knowledge.

Cons –
1. The processes for therapeutic cloning and reproductive cloning both share a fundamental act:
the destruction of human embryos. Therapeutic cloning is therefore no different from
reproductive cloning—the very policy that the world universally condemns as an affront to
human dignity.
2. Therapeutic cloning is wrong because it requires the creation of human beings only so that
they may be “harvested” for the betterment of other human beings. Such activity gives the
impression that some human lives are much more important than others. International laws
were created in large part to protect all human beings from such a judgment. Furthermore,
cloned embryos are not necessary to stem cell research—cells from umbilical cord blood
could be used instead.
3. Cloning is very costly and any advances will happen decades from now and benefit only the
wealthy and influential. The money and effort devoted to cloning should be spent on current
problems—like AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis—that affect millions of mostly poor people
worldwide.
4. Humanity cannot leave decisions about human cloning to “experts.” Scientists do not ask
whether something should or should not be done; instead, they ask whether something can be
done and what can be learned from doing it. Societies, through national and international
agreements, have the right and the responsibility to draw the line in scientific research.
5. Human cloning represents the very worst characteristics of capitalism. Both therapeutic and
reproductive cloning turn human embryos into little more than spare parts or new clothes for
those who can afford them. When human beings are viewed as market commodities, they are
denied their fundamental rights as persons.
 Cloning Argumentation Sheet

Congratulations Students!!! Your school has been asked to help write a campaign ad
on “Should our democracy permit therapeutic cloning of human cells?” Your class
may have the winning campaign ad! If selected, your class will be able to present
your slogan and ad in Atlanta, GA at the CDC (Center of Disease Control) meeting.
This would be a great honor bestowed upon your class.
Before you can choose a pro/con, you must first collect evidence to support your
argument on if our democracy should permit cloning of human cells. Listed below are
some questions to help guide you in deciding what your argument will be. You can
use the handouts given as well as any internet resources. The following is a link that
may be used in helping to create your ad: http://www.badvertising.org/.
Here are some questions concerning the ethical issues of cloning humans for you to
ponder about:

 Is cloning humans "playing God?" If it is, then how about other reproductive
procedures like hormone treatments and in vitro fertilization?
 Does an embryo, at whatever stage of its existence, have the same rights as human
beings?
 Do we have the right to have children, regardless of how they are created?
 Is it justified to create stem cells by killing a human embryo?
 Is it ethically right to harvest organs from clones?
 If a clone is created from an existing person, who is the parent?
 Will cloned children face any social repercussions? If so, what?
 Can cloned children be manipulated to become monsters, like Hitler, or slaves, as
is explored in Brave New World?
 Should the research in cloning by regulated? If so, who should regulate it, and
how can it be regulated?
What side is our group on?_________________________
List of strongest points of our argument:
1.
2.
3.
4.
In order for you to create a campaign ad, the following information will be needed in
order to create a successful argument for your group. You will need to construct an
argument using three facts. You will need to predict which information the other
 groups might use against you in their arguments and construct a rebuttal using your
information. Use the following information to construct the winning campaign ad!!
List claim:

Possible Evidence:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Reason or Rationale:

Rebuttal:

Closing Argument:
 Reflection on Argumentation Lesson

My argumentation lesson was titled “Cloning Around” with my deliberation

question being “Should Our Democracy Permit Therapeutic Cloning of Human
Cells?”. Before presenting this lesson, I was not sure exactly how I should present
the material. Prior to this lesson, all of my presentations had been via powerpoint and
I did not use a powerpoint in this lesson. I felt a little awkward due to this fact
because using the powerpoint would have allowed me to bring in terminology and
extra information that I felt would have made my lesson more powerful and clearer. I
did not feel that I did an adequate job of teaching the lesson and was grateful that we
were not being graded on the teaching part. After presenting, I was grateful for the
feedback which I implemented into my lesson plan and into my reflection.
Even though I was not comfortable with my lesson from a teaching standpoint, I do
feel that I had some strengths in my lesson. First, I feel that the subject matter was
interesting and was current with what is going on in science today. Also, I was able to
incorporate a classroom discussion into my lesson by getting the class to give
pros/cons of human cloning which I put into T chart on the board. I also drew a visual
diagram of how the human cloning process worked. Finally, I feel that having the
class to pick sides and create a campaign ad was different. Even though they were
doing an argumentation lesson, the ad allowed for creativity which made it fun for the
students. The NOS tenet that science is creative was definitely used in my
argumentation lesson. The weakness of my argumentation lesson was that I was not
prepared to actually teach the lesson. I feel that the handouts that I gave out had
difficult vocabulary that would have made it hard for the students to understand. Also,
I did not include any terminology that would have defined words that the students had
trouble with. I did not give specific directions on how to do the campaign ad which
made it difficult for the students to follow.
If I taught the argumentation lesson again I would make the following changes:
 provide a powerpoint on cloning that would include a video of human
cloning
 provide vocabulary list of terminology used in handouts
 provide index cards of pros/cons for students to use on campaign ad
 provide instructions on how to use the readings
 In the closure on the lesson plan, I would have added “final argument”
so that the students could summarize their campaign
 Add more visuals to the lesson – students tend to remember more of
what they see than what they hear