Critical Thinking about Biotechnology:
Genetically Modified Crops
Follow the decision-making process to learn about current biotech issues. Click on the headings in the decision making map to move from one phase of the process to the next.
Before getting started, read the introduction below to learn more.
An Introduction to Critical Thinking about Biotechnology
Critical thinking: A skill you use every day
Balanced information: An important component to critical thinking
Scientific literacy: How does it fit with critical thinking?
Canola Info: Bringing balanced biotech knowledge to you
Teachers' Guide: Meeting the common curriculum
Biotechnology is fast becoming a part of our everyday lives. But with new advances discovered almost weekly, it's sometimes hard to keep up. What is this technology all about? How will it affect me? With so many differing information sources, it's often difficult, if not confusing, to find answers to these commonly asked questions.
This Biotech Educational Web-Based Resource, developed by Canola Info, will help you learn more about the societal, economic and environmental impacts of agricultural biotechnology. First let's review some basics to help guide you through this activity.
Critical thinking: A skill you use every day
Critical thinking is a skill used to evaluate information from a source -- be it the media or from friends or family. Critical thinking can be considered a process in that it is a series of steps used to assess information so that a conclusion can be made on a topic or issue.
Questioning and challenging the issue and the information sources are key components to critical thinking. There are often many information sources, with differing points of view that argue their perspective to influence your decision on the issue. The critical thinking process presented in this case study on biotechnology shows an array of views to help you better understand biotechnology and the surrounding issues. We've included a web site glossary so that you can check out what other organizations are saying about biotechnology.
The critical-thinking process goes beyond simply making a decision on an issue. It evaluates the impact your choice has on factors such as the environment and society. Evaluating the impacts of your decision is a significant step as you may change your conclusion once you've considered the long-term effects of implementing it.
The Canola Info web site will take you through the critical-thinking process step-by-step. For the purpose of this activity, three options are presented on the use of biotechnology as it relates to genetically modified canola. These options are examples used to illustrate a viewpoint, but there are other options as well.
Critical thinking also requires keeping an open mind to different perspectives and respecting other's viewpoints. There are no right or wrong answers.
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Balanced information: An important component to critical thinking
Making an informed decision about an issue means seeking out information from reputable and well-known sources. These sources provide balanced information, backed by scientific insight and consider the advantages and disadvantages of a given technology. Access to balanced information will help you make a decision based on facts, rather then someone else's opinion.
Canola Info's case study on biotechnology addresses this balance by presenting the societal, economic and environmental implications of biotechnology from a variety of credible sources with different perspectives. A biotech web site glossary of mandates from other important sources is also included. This web site will lead you through a discussion of how genetically modified canola impacts both producers and consumers.
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Scientific literacy: How does it fit with critical thinking?
The rapid pace of scientific and technological innovations in biotechnology reinforces the importance of scientific literacy. Access to information from all perspectives of biotechnology provides the background for an informed choice.
Understanding scientific literacy is fundamental in the interpretation of both educational and nutritional information, solving problems, making informed decisions, accommodating change and creating new knowledge.
The Pan-Canadian Science Framework describes scientific literacy as an evolving combination of science-related attitudes, which includes skills and knowledge needed to develop inquiry, problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
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Canola Info: Bringing balanced biotech knowledge to you
Canola Info is pleased to provide this web-based educational resource. Canola Info is an alliance of Canadian canola producers with support from the Canadian canola industry and was founded by several key organizations including: the Alberta Canola Producers Commission; the Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission; the Manitoba Canola Growers Association; and the Canola Council of Canada. Its mandate is to provide accurate and up-to-date educational and nutritional information on canola to consumers, educators, dietitians, media and foodservice personnel. The goal of Canola Info is to increase consumer awareness of canola and its role in healthy lifestyles.
Are you ready to get started? Let's go!
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