Encourage tinkering with ideas, relationships, connections. Set up situations where students have to find information not readily available in school texts. Provide opportunity for students to design open-ended explorations of the concept. Provide multiple options so students can plan a unique "proof" of learning.

Small group investigation of living and nonliving thing controversies

Objective: To have students explore the fact that the line between living and non-living is not well defined.

Activity: Students are to select a topic from a list that contains the following choices to investigate and report on. They may work in groups of 3 and only one group may report on a given topic.

1. Are viruses considered to be living or non-living?

2. When does life begin for humans?

3. When does human life end?

4. Design and conduct an experiment that will show if radish seeds are alive or non-living according to the defined characteristics of life.

5. What are the issues associated with the use of tissue from aborted human fetuses for research and treatment of human conditions?

6. What are the issues associated with using organs for transplant from infants born with only a brain stem?

Assessment: Level of student participation and enthusiasm.