Animal testing
Animal testing
Short description
1.2 million EU citizens have signed a petition for the complete ban of animal testing. Their argument being it is both unethical and not useful. In this activity students are asked to decide whether they agree. They apply their knowledge about how asthma affects the gas exchange system to examine evidence and decide if animal testing is essential to developing new asthma drugs. They also learn about how to use ethical thinking to make difficult decisions and study different ethical viewpoints.?
Learning objective
- Breathing: show how asthma affects the structure of the gas exchange system
- Examine consequences: Select the choice which maximises the benefits and minimises the harm. List relevant ‘we should, or should not’ rules that everyone should follow
Blueprint curriculum link
Lesson 1
- Unit: Tissues & organs
- Concept: Gas exchange: In gas exchange, oxygen and carbon dioxide move between alveoli in the lungs and the blood
- Learning stage: Apply
Lesson 2
- Skills: Decisions: Consider ethical implications and social, environmental and financial consequences
- Learning stage: Analyse
Activity contents
- Teachers guide
- Two powerpoint presentations (lesson 1 and 2)
These lessons are delivered as a zip file. After you checkout, you will be sent an email with the link to download them.
Weblinks
The European's commission's response
Their response to the petition (the 'Stop Vivisection' European Citizens' Initiative)
Arguments against the use of animal testing
Arguments for the use of animal testing
Animal testing in asthma research
This article outlines research that may lead to a new asthma drug which was developed using animal testing
A short video clip about the experience of having asthma and how animal research has contributed to treating asthma.