• Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells; DNA, genes and chromosomes). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
• Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.

1. Where is this found: a single loop of DNA not in a nucleus? (prokaryotic cells only / eukaryotic cells only / both types of cell) → prokaryotic cells onlyPrompt: “Pro-karyote” means “before nucleus”.
2. How many chromosomes are in a normal human body cell? (23 / 46 (23 pairs) / 12 / 92) → 46 (23 pairs)Prompt: They come in pairs, one of each pair from each parent.
3. Why can antibiotics kill bacteria without harming human cells? (They target structures or processes that only bacterial cells have / Human cells have no ribosomes / Bacteria have a nucleus that absorbs the drug / Antibiotics only work outside the body) → They target structures or processes that only bacterial cells havePrompt: Bacterial cell walls and ribosomes differ from ours.

• Show a microscope image of cells and ask what students think they are looking at.
• Share the objective: Selective breeding, genetic engineering and gene editing. Read the success criteria together.

• Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
• Example: What does CRISPR-Cas9 allow scientists to do?
• Step 1: CRISPR uses guide RNA to direct Cas9 to a target sequence, where the DNA is cut and edited.
• Step 2: So the answer is: cut DNA at a chosen place to edit a gene precisely
• Answer: cut DNA at a chosen place to edit a gene precisely
• Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

• Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
• Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.

1. Golden rice was genetically modified to make a substance the body turns into vitamin A. What problem does it aim to reduce? (obesity / vitamin A deficiency, which can cause blindness / lack of protein / antibiotic resistance) → vitamin A deficiency, which can cause blindnessPrompt: It targets places where rice is the main food.
2. Evaluate this claim: “GM crops are unsafe to eat.” Which response is best supported by evidence? (A website says so, so it must be true. / Large reviews of studies have found approved GM foods as safe as conventional foods, but each new crop is tested separately. / Nobody has ever tested GM food. / All GM crops are identical, so one test proves everything.) → Large reviews of studies have found approved GM foods as safe as conventional foods, but each new crop is tested separately.Prompt: Be wary of answers that use “never”, “every” or “always”.

• Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
• Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

• Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.

1. Golden rice was genetically modified to make a substance the body turns into vitamin A. What problem does it aim to reduce? (antibiotic resistance / obesity / vitamin A deficiency, which can cause blindness / lack of protein) → vitamin A deficiency, which can cause blindnessPrompt: It targets places where rice is the main food.
2. Evaluate this claim: “Insect-resistant GM crops mean farmers never need to manage pests again.” Which response is best supported by evidence? (Insects cannot evolve. / Pests disappear forever after one season. / The crops kill every animal that touches them. / They can reduce insecticide spraying, but insects can evolve resistance, so careful management is still needed.) → They can reduce insecticide spraying, but insects can evolve resistance, so careful management is still needed.Prompt: Be wary of answers that use “never”, “every” or “always”.

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/science/grade-11.