NovaNEWS for July 2010

Announcing a new edition of NovaNEWS . . . a student forum for current events

NovaNEWS is an international current events forum that gives students the opportunity to discuss a variety of issues on a supervised bulletin board. This collaborative learning environment enhances students' critical reading and thinking skills by encouraging them to analyze, discuss, and debate recent events in the world of politics, national and foreign affairs, economics, the environment, and even entertainment. It also improves the students' ability to express themselves through the written word by prompting them to write responses to a variety of thought-provoking questions.

Each of the articles selected for NovaNEWS is followed by a series of questions designed to promote critical thinking about challenging issues of the day.

This month's edition is titled "Industry and Genetics." It includes articles that discuss industry's involvement in the field of genetics-from creation of genetic bacteria, to patenting genes, and using personal genetic tests. The articles detail the benefits, as well as the challenges, of industry's involvement in the field of genetics specific to these topics. Students are encouraged to come to their own conclusions about the extent of federal regulation necessary to oversee the evolution of this industry.

The article "Let There Be Life" reports on recent developments in the unique creation of bacteria in a lab setting. The discussion surrounds the development of the bacterium nicknamed "Synthia," called by one professor "one of the most important scientific achievement in the history of mankind." The benefits and challenges of its creation are discussed in detail.

The article "Finding the Right Balance on Gene Patents" discusses a recent case involving the ruling on a request for a genetic patent for breast cancer. The article goes into detail about the different types of genetic patents and their implications.

And finally, the article "FDA Calls for Genetic Tests Crackdown" sheds light on the relatively new industry of personal genetic testing. The article examines the possible benefits of such tests as well as the risks surrounding them.

NovaNEWS resides as a lesson in every social studies alignment, as well as in the Additional Areas folder under Student Forums in the All Curricula location. NovaNEWS can be assigned alone or as part of a course. As with NovaKEYS, you might want to make NovaNEWS an initial assignment for your students. Once NovaNEWS is assigned, it is always available to students.