Bringing Bioethics to the Natural Sciences Classroom: A Case Study Approach

The value to students of discussing and evaluating bioethical scenarios has been widely demonstrated, yet relatively few natural science courses incorporate this topic as part of the curriculum. This paper presents an activity to introduce bioethics into a college introductory-level, general education natural science course. The objective of this activity is to help students critically analyze and evaluate bioethics scenarios across a wide range of topics (e.g., animal testing, gene therapy, ownership of human remains) that incorporate common bioethical concepts. At the end of the activity, students reflect on their given scenario and the broader implications of science on society.