Introduction
In a remote part of Norway, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault is a seedbank that will store and offer long-term protection to a wide variety of the world's valuable seeds - those that are rare or needed for food production. There is no opposition to including naturally produced seeds, but is it ethical to include genetically modified seeds in this collection?
Task
The Norwegian Government has made a call for submissions to help in its determination of whether genetically modified seeds should be placed in the Norwegian seedbank. Your team will look at both sides of the issue and decide on a stance. Your views will be expressed via a podcast.
Process
Team Member One researches GM foods, the definition and arguments for and against GM foods
Team Member Two assists Researcher 1 and also investigates seedbanks and the Svalbard International Seed Vault.
Team Member Three is the technician, producer and director of the podcast.
Team Member Four writes the script for the podcast; all team members must have a role.
What are the qualities of a good podcast?
- be entertaining.
- sound enthusiastic and interested, express an interesting personality.
- speak clearly, audibly and at a reasonable pace.
- script your podcast so that it has a clear structure and direction, but it's OK to improvise sometimes.
- choose good quality information.
- don’t be repetitive.
- choose vocabulary and ideas that will appeal to your intended audience.
- know when you have said enough and then stop.
- have good technical quality - microphone, recording software, appropriate recording environment
See also: Podcasts
Resources
Learning Objects
GM Foods Future Choice (LO ID L948)
GM Foods Pros and Cons (LO ID L1024)
Websites
CSIRO GM food safety questions and answers (http://genetech.csiro.au/foodsafe_faqs.htm)
PBS-Harvest of Fear (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/harvest/)
Genetically Modified Foods (http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/genetically_modified_foods?opendocument)
Seedbank (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seedbank)
The Global Crop Diversity Trust - Arctic Seed Vault (http://www.croptrust.org/main/arctic.php?itemid=211)
The International Treaty On Plant Genetic Resources For Food And Agriculture (http://www.fao.org/ag/cgrfa/itpgr.htm)
Evaluation
Open and complete the Evaluation rubric and checklist for students (Word - 84Kb)
Teacher Notes
- The teacher may structure the groups according to ability levels or behaviour concerns. Students may choose their own groupings. Students may have to write a submission to the teacher, explaining why their self-selected team should be allowed to work together, and how they will go about it. A lucky dip could determine teams. Choose an approach that's right for the class
- It is difficult to suggest exactly how many lessons are required. For example, student ability and attendance, access to equipment, interruptions to the daily school program need to be considered
- Team members should be responsible for all aspects of their project (task allocation, research, time management, construction of the presentation, behaviour and attitude). All of this could be recorded in a journal/blog.
Which elements of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards are addressed in this unit?
- Physical, Personal and Social Learning - Interpersonal Development - Building social relationships; Working in teams
- Physical, Personal and Social Learning - Personal Learning - The individual learner; Managing personal learning
- Discipline-based Learning - English - Reading; Writing; Speaking and listening
- Interdisciplinary Learning - Communication - Listening, viewing and responding; Presenting
- Interdisciplinary Learning - Information and Communications Technology (ICT) - ICT for Visualising Thinking (Learning Objects); ICT for creating; ICT for communicating (If correspondence via blog, email, etc is used)
- Interdisciplinary Learning - Thinking Processes - Reasoning, processing and inquiry; Creativity; Reflection, evaluation and metacognition (If a journal and self evaluation are included)