©2009. Monsanto/Relevant Classroom. All Rights Reserved. 18

Lesson 2: Trait Stewardship

Lesson Vitals - What must I know to facilitate this lesson?

Objectives

Lesson Snapshot

Special Notes about Preparing for the Lesson

Entry Points - How do I prime my students for learning today?Interest Approach

Assess Learning - How do I assess student learning in the lesson?

Bring Closure - How do I conclude the lesson?Review Activity: Responsibility

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Materials Used - What do I need to complete this lesson?

Assessment Questions

Answers

Students will be able to:Explain the importance of trait stewardship to agriculture.•Defi ne trait stewardship and the four pillars of stewardship.•Describe the purpose of a technology use license and list the consequences of violating •the license.

Interest Approach 5 minActivity: Red Hot Harvest 15 minMini-Presentation: Trait Stewardship 15 minProject: Advertise the Need for Stewardship 5 minReview Activity: Responsibility 5 min

Total Time: 45 minutes

Trait Stewardship PowerPoint• ® presentationPaper plates (1 per every 2 students)•Cups (1 per every 2 students)•Popsicle® sticks (1 per every 2 students)•Plastic spoons (1 per every 2 students)•Red Hots• ® or something similar (20 pieces

per student)Activity Sheet 1 - Red Hot Harvest • (1 per every 2 students)Activity Sheet 2 - Advertising the Need for • Stewardship (1 per student)

Read and review the lesson plan and materials.•Make copies of activity sheets.•Set up the “Red Hot Harvest” activity prior to class:•

On a table or desk in the middle of the room, set out one paper plate loaded with “grain” 1. for every pair of students. (Red Hots are recommended, but you can use any readily available uniform, small item, such as corn kernels, dog food, etc.)Make sure each pair will have to travel the same distance from the plate to their location. 2. Use the following diagram to help you set up the room. 3.

Write the following sentence on a writing surface:1. With privilege comes responsibility.

Explain to students how most privileges also require responsibility. Examples can include 2. receiving a free education with following rules at school, getting a part-time job with keeping grades up, having the freedom to elect leaders with voting and understanding the issues, etc.Point out that the privilege of biotechnology traits comes with the responsibility to use 3. them safely and appropriately.

True or false? Trait stewardship requires the proper care and management of 1. personality traits in growers. True or false? All crops grown in the world include biotechnology traits.2. Which of the following is NOT a benefi t of trait stewardship?3. A. Creates fewer regulations to followB. Farmers have access to benefi cial traits now and in the futureC. Ensures long-term effectiveness of traitsD. Preserves consumer trust in products

Which of the following is the best defi nition of a trait license?4. A. A contract to sell crops at an agreed upon priceB. An agreement between a grower and a seed company to manage traits appropriatelyC. A suggestion to not save back seed to plant the next yearD. An understanding between the American consumer and farmers to protect the environment

Which of the following practices ensures that a portion of every fi eld is planted as a 5. refuge?A. Intellectual property protectionB. Biotechnology trait researchC. Grain channelingD. Insect resistance management (IRM)

True or false? Grain channeling requires that farmers keep some crops with biotech 6. traits separate from crops without biotech traits.

False1. False2. A3. B4. D5. True6.

Team 1 Team 2 Team 3 Team 4

Team 10 Team 9 Team 8 Team 7

Team

5

Team

6

Plates of Red Hots

Set context for the lesson by sharing that, like any science or technology, biotechnologists •must adhere to regulations and standards to protect the science behind the advancement.

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Entry Points - cont’d

Lesson Objectives Preview

Core Instruction - How do I facilitate instruction on the core topics?

©2009. Monsanto/Relevant Classroom. All Rights Reserved.

Explain the importance of trait stewardship to agriculture.•Defi ne trait stewardship and the four pillars of stewardship.•Describe the purpose of a technology use license and list the consequences of violating •the license.

Complete ActivityReview the directions. 1. Have the pairs gather their initial materials (popsicle stick, cup and pencil) to keep 2. track of the harvest. Check for readiness.3. Start Round 1. End after 30 seconds. Remind the pairs to record their harvest.4. Start Round 2. End after 30 seconds. Remind the pairs to record their harvest.5. Announce that a new technology has been approved by the USDA and FDA to help 6. with harvest. Show the spoon. Explain that people are really worried about the safety of this new technology, so it can only be used to transport the “grain” to the storage facility (cup). Explain that the popsicle stick must still be used to pick up the “grain,” but then it can be placed in the spoon to be carried to the cup. Announce that anyone using the spoon to pick up the “grain” will be warned and/or lose their spoon.

Provide each pair with one spoon.Ask for questions. Start Round 3. (Watch for spoon violations when students pick 7. up the “grain” from the plate). End after 30 seconds. Remind the pairs to record their harvest. If necessary, reload the “grain” on each plate.Start Round 4. End after 30 seconds. Remind the pairs to record their harvest.8. Announce that there have been too many close calls with the spoons and consumer9. groups have pressured the USDA and FDA to take them away. Take away everyone’s spoons. Start Round 5. End after 30 seconds. Remind the pairs to record their harvest.10.

Activity DirectionsDivide students into pairs and have them move to the proper location (if moving is 1. necessary). Provide each pair with 2. Activity Sheet 1 - Red Hot Harvest.Have students read the directions while you set out materials for the activity (if you 3. have not done so already).

Activity: Red Hot Harvest

Activity DirectionsAsk students to remember how it felt to have the spoons taken away during the opening 1. game. (Likely answers include being frustrated, surprised, upset, etc.)Tell them to imagine how much more frustrated, surprised and upset farmers and food 2. consumers would be if they lost access to biotechnology traits in crops. It would be a huge setback for farmers, consumers and the environment.

NOTE: This is an opportunity to review the previous lesson on the benefi ts of biotechnology. If you’ve not used that lesson, spend a few moments explaining the benefi ts of biotechnology traits:

Increased income of farmers around the world by $27 billion•Saved nearly one-half billion gallons of fuel, reducing need for fi eld tillage and •plowingAdded value to more than 1 trillion meals served to consumers•

Announce that their project is to develop a 30-second radio/podcast commercial to 3. promote the importance of trait stewardship. You can have students work in pairs or individually. If you have equipment for even basic recording capabilities, have students record their commercials.Distribute 4. Activity Sheet 2 - Advertise the Need for Stewardship to each student.Review the scoring criteria with students and answer any questions. 5. Give students a deadline for completing the assignment and submitting the fi nal product. 6. Assignment deadline: ____________________

Project: Advertise the Need for Stewardship

Needs Improvement Satisfactory Above Expectations

Content - Accurate facts - Clear message

Vague or lots of generalstatements. Very few facts.Unable to tell main points of

advertisement.

Easy to identify one to four key points. Facts come from informa-

tion presented in class.

Strong message theme with clear, supporting main points in logical

sequence. Facts are accurate and meaningful.

Design - Interesting - Easy to understand

Uninteresting or confusing.Listener would have diffi cult time

paying attention.

Uses an interesting “hook” to grab attention. Listener can

easily follow message and follow fl ow from beginning to end.

Advertisement is powerful and captivating. Listener is motivated to

listen to entire advertisement.

Writing - Organization - Grammar

Mistakes in grammar and word usage. Sentences are confusing.

Flow of thought is not logical.

No mistakes in grammar and word usage. Sentences are clear.

Advertisement has logical fl ow.

Writing is crisp. Effective words are chosen. Content is organized in

interesting and logical fl ow.

Impact - Catches attention - Encourages trait stewardship

Does little to draw attention or call listeners to take action.

Is interesting or unique and causes interest in listener. Pro-

vides listener with information on how to take action.

Motivates listeners to listen intently. Listeners likely to not only take

action immediately but also encour-age others to take action.

Scoring Criteria

Ask the following question:• What might happen if there were no rules or standards to follow?

Host a short discussion to get students thinking about violations, abuse and •repercussions of each. Where appropriate, share that, without parameters, the technologies can be used irresponsibly (causing harm) or can be taken away from everyone because of the actions of a few.

Slide #9 - Intellectual Property: Combating Piracy

A final reason traits could be lost is if they are •stolen from the companies that created them. Traits are stolen when growers save crops from one year to plant as seed for the next or when other companies copy the genetics from one seed and put it in their own seed. This kind of stealing, called piracy, causes •problems for two reasons. First, consumers and the government want strict controls over seeds with traits, and if it appears that growers or other companies are using traits in a way not approved, they could shut down the use of all trait seeds. Second, companies invest hundreds of millions of dollars in the researching, testing and approving traits before they are released for sale. If traits are stolen, companies are not able to make a return on their investment or make a profit to use them in creating more beneficial GMOs in the future.If piracy were allowed, these companies would •lose money and stop trying to bring new traits to the market for sale. Unlike music, where people feel as if they can •take songs for free because another musician will make more songs, there are only a few companies that can afford to spend the millions of dollars required to bring new traits to the market. If those companies feel as if they can’t make •money because of piracy, they will stop investing in new traits, and we’ll all pay higher costs for food in the future.

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On a writing surface, collect the total amount of “grain” harvested for each round (add all 1. pairs’ totals together) and draw a simple graph to show the harvest. Ask the following questions:2.

Why did the total harvest go up in Round 2?•Why did the total harvest go up in Round 3?•Why did the total harvest go down in Round 5?•How important was the new technology to your success?•

Explain that the new technology in this game is a lot like the new traits that biotechnology 3. has given to crops.Tell students that these new biotechnology traits are very valuable, but that they have to be 4. used carefully so they are not lost. Have each student draw a spoon and a popsicle stick in their notes (or provide a copy of 5. the first content slide from the PowerPoint presentation).Have them write “seed potential” on the popsicle stick and “biotech traits” on the spoon. 6. Tell them that success in growing healthy food to feed all of the people on the planet 7. requires both good seed potential and the application of biotechnology traits that help unlock the seed potential. Announce that one definition of trait stewardship is 8. acting responsibly so we don’t lose our ‘spoons.’

Debrief Activity

Activity DirectionsLead students through the brief PowerPoint presentation on trait stewardship. Refer to the 1. bulleted text as talking points during the presentation.

Complete ActivitySlide #2 - Definition of Trait Stewardship

Stewardship, in general, means the appropriate •care and management of something. Trait stewardship, then, is the appropriate care and •management of biotechnology traits in crops. Traits need to be managed and taken care of •so they are not lost, meaning that they are not available for farmers to use and for consumers to seek. (Reference the Red Hot Harvest activity.)

Slide #3 - Biotechnology vs. Trait Stewardship• Traitstewardshipisnotthesameasbiotechnology.

Biotechnology describes the science of adding •traits to plant genes.Trait stewardship describes the process for •managing and protecting the technologies available in crops.

Mini-Presentation: Trait Stewardship

©2009. Monsanto/Relevant Classroom. All Rights Reserved.

Complete Activity - cont’d

4 5

Slide #4 - Benefits of Trait StewardshipGives farmers access to beneficial traits now and •in the future. Ensures long-term effectiveness of traits. •Preserves consumer trust in products. •Encourages research and investment in future •traits.

Slide #5 - Four Pillars of StewardshipShow the diagram on the screen and explain •that there are four “pillars” of trait stewardship. Each pillar is important in supporting the long-•term success of traits.

Slide #6 - Licensing: Shared Responsibility and Ethics

Farmers who plant seeds with biotech traits •agree to the terms of a license. The license is a legal agreement between the •grower and the seed company to manage and use the seed appropriately. Consumers expect the government to keep their •families and the environment safe from anything potentially harmful. The government requires seed companies to do •years of tests before any seed traits are released for sale. The government also requires that the seed company ensures that farmers manage the traits in a safe and effective manner. Therefore, the license is the foundation of trust •between growers and consumers. Without a license, people may not feel safe about how the traits are being used and may pressure the government to ban them altogether. If farmers don’t follow the rules of the license, •they can lose the privilege of using seed with biotech traits. The next three slides highlight the primary parts of the agreement in the license.

Complete Activity - cont’dSlide #7 - IRM: Preventing Resistance

Insect resistance is one way that the effectiveness •of biotechnology traits can be lost.A collection of traits have been added to crops that •allow them to naturally repel damaging insects. Scientists know that insect populations, though, can adapt over time. If 100% of crops were planted with the trait, insect •populations very likely would become resistant to the trait’s effects. This adapted insect would make the trait ineffective •and require more money to be spent on pesticides to control the insects.To prevent this adaptation from happening, the •federal government requires companies to work with farmers to set aside a refuge area where crops without the trait are planted. This refuge allows a place for insects to feed and •breed so they avoid developing resistance to the trait.

Slide #8 - Grain Channeling: The Right MarketsAnother way traits can be lost is if people become •afraid of them and pressure the government to stop permitting them or pressure stores and restaurants not to serve food made with crops that have traits. Obviously, the government wouldn’t allow traits to •be used in crops if they weren’t extensively tested and proven safe. After more than a decade on the market and more •than a trillion meals made with biotech crops, there’s not a single, reliably documented case of human or animal safety issues. But that doesn’t stop some groups from sharing misinformation to motivate people to stop the use of biotechnology traits. These groups have been especially effective in •Europe and, as a result, many of the crops are not allowed to be sold in Europe. To make sure crops with traits aren’t accidentally •mixed with acceptable crops, farmers are required to keep those crops in separate bins and elevators. These separations are referred to as grain channels.

Complete Activity - cont’d

©2009. Monsanto/Relevant Classroom. All Rights Reserved.