Genes and You

Published by the Wellcome Trust in 1997, this book provides challenging ways of incorporating scientific information into social situations. Teachers' notes complement the student activity sheets in a series of real-life scenarios.

In addition to looking at the biology of genetic disorders, inheritance, genes, chromosomes and DNA, a range of activities explore wider issues:

What's it got to do with me?
Encourage students to appreciate that genes affect us all and examining how disorders affect people's lives. Includes:
• sickle cell anaemia
• thalassemia
• Laurence-Moon-Bardet-Biedl Syndrome
• glycogen storage disease

The image of perfection
This activity explores attitudes towards facial perfection and imperfection. It considers how it might feel to have a genetic condition which affects appearance. These include:
• cleft lip and palate
• epidermolysis bullosa
• psoriatic arthropathy
• neurofibromatosis

What is in a word?
These activities explore the labels we use to describe ourselves and others. They encourage students to reflect on the theory that it is society which disables people by failing to meet their
needs. Conditions examined include:
• osteogenesis imperfecta
• usher syndrome

Hitting back?
Explores ways of preventing and responding to bullying. Genetic conditions considered include:
• galactosaemia
• Laurence-Moon-Bardet-Biedl Syndrome (LMBBS)
• Vitiligo
• Achondroplasia

To have a baby or not to have a baby? That is the question
These activities help students to think about the pleasures and responsibilities of parenting. They examine how a genetic condition, Charcot-Marie-tooth disease, can affect reproductive choices.

Weighing the pros and cons
This activity encourages students to consider the benefits and disadvantages to an individual of being screened or tested for different genetic conditions. The activities look at:
• Tay Sachs disease
• genetic breast cancer
• Down's syndrome

Blame it on your genes
Students to critically appraise what they read about genes and genetics in the media to explore the 'nature v. nurture' debate. Genetic conditions considered are:
• XYY males and violence

The good, the bad and.....
Encourages students to consider how genetic information about people has been used (and misused) in the past and might be used (and misused) in the future.

Genes and You was written by Gill Mullinar for the Genetic Interest Group (GIG) on behalf of the Wellcome Trust.