Would you worry about this if you were a principal at a middle school?

Suppose the science teacher had a friend who is a student in a medical research program at the local university. The science teacher would like her friend to come in and talk to the class about DNA and show the students how to extract their own DNA from cells sloughed off the insides of their cheeks. Would you be concerned about students extracting their DNA because of 9-11?


The principal at one school was, but I want to know what YOU think.

Would you worry about this if you were a principal at a middle school?
Ambi,


first - this sounds like a very interesting way to learn and become involved with science. Basically, it brings it back to "the person" - that each has something different from the other.





Outside of the basic "copyright" of one's own DNA, I for one do not see the link between teaching "how to extract" and that of "9-11-01". Am I missing something here? Maybe you could clarify what you mean and/or what the intent of the question is and the association (that you understand it to be) with the terrorist act and the association of identifying people after the event.





Have a good day!





Gerry
Reply:Ambivalence,


thanks for choosing me. Briefly, after the kids do this will the results be kept somewhere? That is the only concern that I have or would have as a parent. Other than this there is no reasonable expectation that I am able to conjure up as a "link" or connection. Report Abuse

Reply:I don't see what 9-11 has to do with a science class. I don't see the connection at all. I think maybe don't do the students. Maybe offer that you use your own and collect samples for the students to work with. I think it is a hands on thing and a very interesting way to learn and understand DNA. If you are very concerned, maybe call each parent, or send home a permission slip, and a gaurantee that the dna samples would be disposed of.
Reply:I don't see what 9-11 has to do with it either, but when I was in middle school we did that. It's not like we gave them the little stick and the shipped it off to a lab to analyze it, we just threw it away.