Subject
Science, Language Arts

Activity Overview
This is a cooperative learning activity designed to give students a format in which they can express their viewpoint in a fair and open environment. the activity also forces students to take the opponent's side of an issue. At the end of this activity, students should understand various viewpoints of a genetic enginering issue.

Activity Outline
Students work in groups of two to four. Give students a problem or issue on whichthey must agree, such as:
· Should genetically modified foods be labeled?
· Should parents be allowed to select the sex of their offspring before fertilization?
· Should parents be allowed to select the physical characteristics of their offspring before fertilization?
· Should human organs be cloned?

The objective of the activity is to reach group consensus, with everyone is the group able to justify the group's collective stance. First, the student group is broken down into two smaller groups, each choosing opposite stances. Students research the issue then present it to the opposing side. Have students reverse perspectives, researching and presenting the other side. Finally, reach a group consensus - all members must agree.

Assessment
Have every student write a one-page report. Someone is the group will be asked to present the conclusions to the class.

Standards and Benchmarks
Standard 4: