Could use some help on a bioethics assignment!

[WillowRose]

I am trying to develop one last discussion assignment for my Introductory Biology class. I'd like to give them a couple of scenarios requiring them to work through the ethical issues involved. But, naturally....I'm having a difficult time really fleshing out a scenario.

Does anyone have any suggestions on good directions for discussion questions? These are intro-level students and most are only taking the course to satisfy graduation requirements. So, I don't want to give them anything too technical, but still something that will (hopefully) synthesize some concepts and force them to put biology into a "real-life" perspective.

Naturally, abortion is a favorite topic...but what else? Physician assisted suicide? Stem cell research? Sex education? Infertility treatments? Can you think of anything outside the realm of health care or sex?? (Our current topic is reproduction/developement so sex is on the brain right now) I've discovered there isn't much discussion when the topic is abortion. Hoosiers tend to fall heavily on the side of "ain't gonna have one, nobody else should either."

(Oh hey...I just found a good starting point developed by the former professor of bioethics at my alma mater. cool)

Ugh...I could use a few good ideas, if anyone has some.

Thanks,
Willow

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[DireWolf]

Try this site.

BioEthics

 

[indo]

Do a search for "Dax". He was a guy who was severly, horribly burned and wanted to die throughout his treatment. He eventually recovered to a reasonable quality of life and married a woman. He's still alive today and is an advocate for patient autonomy rights. It is a famous ethics case.

Do a search for Ely Lilly. A healthy girl volunteered for antidepressant trials and became depressed and killed herself. Its been in the news lately.
edit: its eli lilly and it isn't the name of the girl but is the name of the pharm. company.

PM me if you need more sources. I have 2 huge packets full of ethics cases.