GMO vs Organic in plants

Introduction

There is nothing better than going out to your garden in the summer and picking some fresh vegetables, although not all veggies are made the same. Some of those vegetables that you know and love are GMO which means genetically modified organisms, and some others may be organic/heirloom varieties. Although why does is matter and what is even the difference? Looking through this webquest we will see why there is a problem, and what the differences really are. Along with that we will decide if there is real danger attached to GMO plants, or is it all just a bunch of heresy.

Task

Working in groups of three of three you will decide whether or not your group would grow your own personal gardens GMO free, mixed in with organic varieties, or strictly organic/heirloom varieties. Also be prepared to defend you decision to the class in a discussion. Cite the imformation you get from the websites or journals at the end of your answers.

Along with that answer the following questions.

1. What happens to a plant to make it considered a GMO?

2. How do we decide if a plant is considered organic/heirloom?

3. Is there any proof that GMO plants may be bad for us?

4. What is the difference between organic gardening and organic/heirloom seeds?

5. What are the benefits of GMO plants?

6. What are the positives of using organic/heirloom varieties?

7. What are the designations for GMOs, Organic, or heirloom veggies in the stores?

Task 1

Individually each group member should also draw in Microsoft word, or by hand, a garden with the types of vegetables they would like to have in their back yards.

Task 2

Individually write 3-5 paragraphs about how you feel about GMO plants. Also include things such as whether you would choose to grow GMOs over heirlooms or vice-versa, and if this research is going to influence your future purchase of vegetables in super markets.

Process

You can use the following links to find information for the web quest. Additionally along with these links you will need to find one scientific article supporting the use of GMO plants, and one scientific article supporting Organic/Heirloom variety usage.

http://www.nongmoproject.org/learn-more/what-is-gmo/

http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/1282246/err162.pdf

http://www.isaaa.org/kc/default.asp

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/science/gmfoods/

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/harvest/exist/

http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/issues/311/ge-foods/about-ge-foods#

http://www.halcyon.com/tmend/define.htm

https://www.organicfacts.net/organic-products/organic-food

You may be able to find good articles from the ERIC database found here

http://eric.ed.gov/

Evaluation

Task 1

The garden plan will be garden on completeness and participation. Which will make up 20% of the overall project grade for the individual.

Task 2

The essay will be graded on participation, and on the inclusion of all the topics asked. Which will make up 20% of the overall project grade for the individual.

The questions section will be graded by accuracy of the answers. Which will make up 60% of the final grade.

Conclusion

Congrats on finishing your web quest! I hope now that you are more educated on what GMO plants are and how they compare to Organic/Heirloom veggies. Hopefully you saw that this topic has a lot of different points of view attached to it. There are still many nations which are primarily agricultural and their people must grow their own food. Knowing how these types of seed and farming practices affects these people is important for you to understand modern agriculture. GMO research is one of the keystones of modern genetics, and is important to know for the understanding of genetics use in the working world.