Genetic Menu Slides Genetic Menu
Bioethics Review Board
Session 01: Bioethics
Ethical Frameworks
The Genetic Menu
If you could select your child's IQ, height, and eye color before birth, would you?
Consider the long-term societal impacts. Is this a medical necessity or a luxury upgrade?
Enhancement
Improving beyond natural levels
Therapy
Curing or preventing disease
The Tool: CRISPR-Cas9
CRISPR is a technology that allows scientists to cut and paste DNA with extreme precision.
Eliminate hereditary diseases (Sickle Cell, Huntington's)
Modify crops for climate resilience
Potential for "Off-target" mutations
The "God Play" Problem
Once we change the germline (eggs/sperm), those changes are passed down forever. We are rewriting the future of the human species.
Board Briefing
Case #402: The Hylas Proposal
The Role
You are members of the Hospital Ethics Committee. Your decision will set national precedent.
The Case
A couple wants to use CRISPR to prevent their child from inheriting a heart defect AND to ensure the child has high muscle density.
The Task
Review the evidence, apply ethical theories, and vote: Approve, Deny, or Partial Approval.
Genetic Menu Worksheet The Genetic Menu
Bioethics Review Board Simulation
NAME:
DATE:
Part 1: The Genetic Shopping Trip
Imagine you are about to have a child. Scientific advancements allow you to select specific traits for a fee. You have $5,000 to spend. Select your choices below:
Resistance to common cancers $3,500
Natural athletic agility $1,500
Eliminate hereditary heart defect $4,000
Eye color selection $500
IQ Boost (+20 points) $2,500
Height selection (6'0"+) $1,000
Reflection: Why did you prioritize these traits? If you couldn't afford a life-saving trait (like cancer resistance), how does that feel?
Part 2: Case #402 - The Hylas Proposal
Patient Profile
The Hylas family carries a rare genetic marker for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, which causes sudden cardiac arrest in young adults. They are requesting CRISPR intervention to "snip" this gene from their embryo. However, they also request that the laboratory increase the expression of the ACTN3 gene, commonly known as the "sprinter gene," to ensure their child has elite physical endurance.
Request A: Genetic Therapy
Request B: Genetic Enhancement
1. Applying Deontology (Duty-Based Ethics)
Should we treat humans as a means to an end, or an end in themselves? Does a parent have a "duty" to provide the best possible life for their child? Write your analysis below.
2. Applying Utilitarianism (Consequence-Based Ethics)
If society allows "sprinter genes" for those who can afford them, what are the long-term consequences for equality? Does the benefit of curing a heart disease outweigh the risks of creating a genetic class divide?
Final Board Verdict
Approve All
Deny All
Approve A Only
Justify your verdict with one specific ethical argument:
Committee Facilitation Guide Facilitation Guide
Lesson 1: Genetic Engineering Ethics
TEACHER RESOURCE
Lesson Objective
Students will differentiate between genetic therapy (fixing what is broken) and enhancement (improving what is healthy), applying ethical frameworks to determine the limits of genetic modification.
Ethical Frameworks Primer
Utilitarianism (Mill/Bentham):
"The greatest good for the greatest number."
Focus on consequences. Does CRISPR reduce suffering overall? Does it create a 'genetic elite' that harms societal utility?
Deontology (Kant):
"Duty and universal laws."
Focus on the act itself. Is it inherently wrong to 'play God'? Do we have a duty to ensure our children are healthy?
Simulation Pacing
05m The Genetic Menu Hook (Individual)
10m CRISPR Tech Briefing (Slides)
20m Board Deliberation (Small Groups)
15m Class Vote & Debrief
Critical Discussion Prompts
On Equality:
"If only the wealthy can afford these modifications, have we fundamentally changed what it means to be human? Does this end the concept of meritocracy?"
On Consent:
"An embryo cannot consent to having its DNA permanently altered. Is it ethical to make choices that will affect all future generations of that family?"
On Normalcy:
"By 'fixing' certain traits (like deafness or neurodivergence), are we saying those lives are less valuable? Where do we draw the line between a 'defect' and a 'difference'?"
On The Law:
"Should the government regulate these technologies, or should it be left to the 'market' and individual parental choice?"
* Note: Ensure students stay focused on the ethical "Why" rather than just the "What." Challenge them to use the vocabulary (Utilitarianism, Deontology) during their board vote.
Machine Logic Slides Machine Logic
AI & Algorithmic Bias
Session 02: AI Ethics
Bias & Liability
The Moral Machine
A self-driving car’s brakes fail. It must choose:
Option A: Swerve into a wall
Killing the single passenger inside.
Option B: Stay the course
Hitting five pedestrians crossing the street.
Who is Responsible?
The Programmer?
The Car Manufacturer?
The Owner?
The AI itself?
Mirror or Mask?
Algorithms are not neutral. They learn from historical data that contains human prejudice.
The "Garbage In" Effect
If you train facial recognition on mostly white, male faces, the system will fail to recognize everyone else.
Hiring Bias
AI screening resumes filtered out women for tech roles because "history" said men were hired more.
Justice Bias
Recidivism risk algorithms rated black defendants higher risk even with identical histories.
The Liability Audit
Your board must determine who pays the price for "Machine Mistakes."
Analyze
The "Moral Machine" data.
Evaluate
Facial recognition errors.
Propose
New laws for AI safety.
Moral Machine Worksheet The Moral Machine
Algorithmic Bias & Liability Audit
BOARD MEMBER:
Scenario 1: The Automated Choice
Option A: Save the Pedestrians
The car swerves into a concrete barrier. The single passenger (a doctor on their way to surgery) is killed. The three pedestrians (a group of young children) are saved.
Select this path
Option B: Protect the Passenger
The car maintains speed and hits the pedestrians. The passenger survives with minor injuries. The three children are killed.
Select this path
1. Justification: Why is your choice the "most ethical"? (Use Utilitarian or Deontological reasoning)
2. Liability: If Option B happens, who should be legally responsible? Rank them 1-4 (1 = Most Responsible).
The Software Engineer
The Car Owner
The City (for the road)
The AI Algorithm
Scenario 2: The Bias in the Code
The "Watchman" System
A city implements an AI facial recognition system to identify criminals in crowds. The training data was 85% male and 70% white. As a result, the system has a 35% error rate for women of color, leading to several false arrests of innocent citizens.
The Company's Argument
"The system reduces overall crime by 15%. A few false positives are the price of a safer city."
The Civil Rights Argument
"The burden of error falls disproportionately on one group, violating the principle of justice and equal protection."
Analysis: Is it ethical to use a flawed system if it works "most of the time"? At what error rate does a technology become unethical to deploy?
Board Recommendation
As an Ethics Board, what is your ruling on the "Watchman" System?
Ban until error rates are equal across all demographics.
Allow use, but provide financial compensation for false arrests.
Full deployment; technology will improve through real-world data.
Explain your logic:
AI Liability Teacher Guide AI Liability Notes
Lesson 2: Artificial Intelligence Bias
TEACHER RESOURCE
The "Black Box" Problem
Modern AI uses "Deep Learning," where the machine creates its own rules based on patterns. Even the engineers who built it often cannot explain exactly why a specific decision was made. This makes legal liability incredibly difficult.
Key Term: Explainability (XAI)
Liability Frameworks
Strict Liability: The manufacturer is responsible for any harm their product causes, regardless of intent or "error."
Negligence: The manufacturer is only responsible if they failed to follow safety standards.
Personhood: A theoretical future where an AI has legal status and its own insurance fund.
Leading the "Moral Machine" Debrief
Question 1: Value of Life
"Did you choose based on the 'usefulness' of the person (the doctor) or the quantity of lives (the children)? What happens if we start assigning numerical 'value' to human lives in code?"
Question 2: Omission vs. Commission
"Is swerving to kill one (an active choice) worse than staying the course and hitting many (a passive choice)? Does the algorithm treat 'not acting' as a choice?"
Real World Tie-In
Amazon's AI Hiring Tool
Scrapped in 2018 because it taught itself that "male" was a success metric for engineers based on past hires.
Real World Tie-In
COMPAS Risk Assessment
Used in US courts to predict re-offending; found to have a much higher false-positive rate for Black defendants.
Activity Tip
The "Audit" Roleplay
Divide students into "Victim Lawyers" and "Company Engineers." Force them to argue liability based on the "Watchman" case.
Corporate Ethics Slides Profit vs. Planet
Corporate Responsibility & Justice
Session 03: Corporate Ethics
Environmental Justice
The Crisis Brief
Your company just spilled 50,000 barrels of oil into a protected nature reserve.
"The safety budget was cut by 30% last year to increase shareholder dividends. How do you justify this?"
The Two Theories
Shareholder Theory
The only social responsibility of business is to increase its profits. (Milton Friedman)
Stakeholder Theory
Companies must balance the interests of employees, customers, society, and the environment.
Who Pays the Price?
Siting Bias
Why are 80% of toxic waste sites located in low-income or minority communities?
Distributive Justice
Externalities
When a company pollutes water, they save money, but the local community pays the healthcare costs.
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Accountability
Should executives face prison time for environmental crimes, or just pay a corporate fine?
Retributive Justice
The Stakeholder Map
You are now the Corporate Ethics Board.
A decision must be made: Upgrade safety equipment (costing millions) or pay out record dividends to keep investors happy?
Goal 1
Map every affected party.
Goal 2
Assign "weight" to their interests.
Goal 3
Draft a justification letter.
Goal 4
Apply Utilitarian logic.
Stakeholder Showdown Worksheet Stakeholder Showdown
Corporate Crisis Management Simulation
CHIEF ETHICS OFFICER:
Part 1: The Stakeholder Map
Your company, Vortex Energy, is facing a major decision. A leak has been detected in a pipeline near an indigenous burial ground and a critical water source. Fixing it immediately will shut down production for a month, losing $500 million.
Stakeholder Primary Interest Conflict of Interest Shareholders Dividends / Stock Price Production shutdown lowers stock value. Local Community Clean Water / Health Pipeline leak threatens long-term safety. Employees Job Security / Wages Shutting down may lead to temporary layoffs. The Environment Biodiversity / Safety Permanent damage to a protected ecosystem.
Part 2: The $1 Billion Budget Challenge
You have a $1 Billion surplus this year. Allocate the funds based on your board's priorities:
Infrastructure Upgrades
$
Shareholder Dividends
$
Local Reparations/Clean-up
$
Marketing & PR
$
1. Utilitarian Defense
Which allocation provides the "greatest good" for the greatest number of stakeholders? Be specific about who benefits and who suffers.
2. Distributive Justice Analysis
If this pipeline leak happened in an affluent suburb versus a low-income rural town, would your decision change? Why is this a question of environmental justice?
Final Verdict
Write the one-sentence headline you would release to the public tomorrow morning.
Crisis Brief Teacher Guide Crisis Facilitation
Lesson 3: Corporate Responsibility
TEACHER RESOURCE
The Press Conference Hook
Begin class by playing the role of a hard-hitting investigative journalist. Students are the "Executive Board" of Vortex Energy.
// SAMPLE SCRIPT //
"CEO, we have reports that your company ignored three internal warnings about pipeline corrosion to save money for the quarterly earnings report. Do you have a comment for the families whose water is now contaminated?"
Key Vocabulary
Shareholder Theory: Profits are the only goal.
Stakeholder Theory: Community/Planet also matter.
Negative Externality: A cost (like pollution) paid by someone other than the producer.
Real-World Case Study References
Bhopal Disaster (1984)
Union Carbide's pesticide plant leaked toxic gas in India. Poor safety standards (to save costs) led to thousands of deaths. Corporate accountability remains a major legal battle today.
Cancer Alley, LA
An 85-mile stretch along the Mississippi River lined with chemical plants. Local, predominantly Black communities face extreme cancer rates due to emissions. A prime example of Environmental Racism.
Deepwater Horizon (2010)
BP's oil spill in the Gulf. Debates centered on whether fines ($18B) were enough of a deterrent for future negligence versus the record profits the company continued to earn.
Ethics Metric
Balancing Fiduciary Duty vs. Moral Duty
Facilitator Note:
Students often lean towards "Stakeholder Theory" immediately because it feels "nicer." Challenge them by acting as a shareholder: "If you spend all our money on safety and reparations, my retirement savings disappear. Why is my financial security less important than the water quality in a town I've never been to?" Force the hard choice.
Privacy Paradox Slides The Privacy Paradox
Data, Surveillance & Security
Session 04: Privacy Rights
Civil Liberties
The Silent Tracker
Your phone is currently collecting:
Precise Location
Search History
Purchase Habits
Social Circles
The Paradox
"We claim to value privacy, but we trade it away every day for convenience, social connection, and free apps."
If you aren't paying for the product, you are the product.
The Balance of Power
Public Safety
Surveillance can prevent crime, stop terrorism, and find missing persons.
Civil Liberties
Unchecked surveillance leads to self-censorship, state control, and the death of dissent.
Where is the line?
Session Task
You are drafting a Digital Bill of Rights for your community.
What data can a school collect on a student?
Do you have the "Right to be Forgotten"?
Who owns your facial data?
Ethics Board Action:
Analyze surveillance scenarios, debate the "necessity" of data mining, and codify protection for individual liberty.
Digital Rights Draft Digital Bill of Rights
Community Ethics Board Framework
DRAFTER:
The Preamble
"We, the digital citizens of our community, in order to form a more transparent and secure society, establish these rights as fundamental protections against the misuse of our data."
Task: Briefly explain why a Digital Bill of Rights is necessary in the 21st century.
I
The Right to Transparency
Should companies be required to provide a one-page "plain English" summary of how they use your data before you sign up?
Proposed Article Text:
II
The Right to be Forgotten
Should an individual have the right to request the permanent deletion of their entire digital history from a platform? Under what circumstances (e.g., crime, public safety)?
Proposed Article Text:
III
Biometric Privacy
Does a person own their face, fingerprints, and voice? Can a school or business store this data without explicit, recurring consent?
Proposed Article Text:
Enforcement & Penalties
Rights are meaningless without consequences. If a corporation or government agency violates your Bill of Rights, what should the penalty be?
Monetary Fines
"Fine them 5% of their total annual revenue."
Product Ban
"Revoke their license to operate in this community."
Write your proposed enforcement clause:
Policy Brief Template Policy Recommendation
Official Ethics Review Board Brief
Status
FOR REVIEW
AUTHORS:
TOPIC:
DATE:
Bioethics
AI/Tech
Privacy
Corporate
1. The Problem Statement
Identify the central ethical tension. Why is this issue pressing right now? Who is being harmed or threatened?
2. Ethical Analysis
Framework A: Utilitarianism
How does your policy maximize "the greatest good" for the greatest number?
Framework B: Deontology / Virtue
What universal moral duties or character virtues are being upheld or violated?
3. Policy Recommendations
List three specific rules, laws, or guidelines you are proposing to resolve this dilemma.
1
2
3
4. Addressing the Opposition
What is the strongest argument against your policy? How do you defend your recommendation against it?
Final Hearing Slides The Final Verdict
Policy Workshop & Ethics Hearing
Session 05: Capstone
The Assignment
Your final task is to write a Formal Policy Brief for the Ethics Review Board.
Choose ONE topic from our previous sessions to solve permanently.
Bioethics & Genetics
AI & Bias
Corporate Justice
Digital Privacy
Required Evidence
Theory
You must use Utilitarian or Deontological logic to justify your law.
Stakeholders
You must prove that you've considered the marginalized groups affected by your policy.
Counter
You must address the strongest objection to your rules.
The Hearing
You will present your brief to the class. We will vote.
