Worldviews & Ethics
Define “worldview” and give one example of how it can change scientific interpretation.
Worldview: the perspective shaping understanding of reality; example: two scientists interpret a fossil differently because one presupposes design and the other presupposes natural processes.
List three attributes of living things from the chapter.
Examples: cells, organization, metabolism (other correct attributes: growth, response, reproduction, information-rich)
What is a hypothesis? Include the three required qualities from the chapter’s definition.
Hypothesis: simple, testable, predicts an answer to a question.
State the two parts of the Creation Mandate.
Fill the earth; have dominion over the earth.
Define biotechnology as presented in the chapter.
Use of technology to enhance living organisms and their processes.
State two differences between a biblical worldview and a naturalistic worldview as presented in the chapter.
Biblical: God as Creator, humans made in God’s image, purpose/obligation grounded in Scripture. Naturalistic: explains reality purely by natural processes, no Creator, no ultimate foundation for obligation. (Any two differences)
Why is a car not considered alive even though it can move and use energy? Use the chapter’s key attribute in your answer.
Because it lacks cellular structure; all living things must be made of cells.
List the common sequence of steps in scientific inquiry as given in the chapter.
Ask question → research → hypothesis → test/experiment → collect/analyze data → determine support → publish.
Summarize the chapter’s explanation of what “dominion” means in the Creation Mandate.
Dominion = wise, responsible stewardship, not careless exploitation; managing creation for good.
Give two practical benefits of biology listed in the chapter that biotechnology can support.
Improve food supplies; fight disease (also: improve understanding of organisms).
Explain the three aspects of biblical ethics (principles, motivations, outcomes) and give one example of each in a biological decision.
Principles = what God’s Word teaches (e.g., sanctity of life). Motivations = faith-driven desire to serve (e.g., help patients out of love for God). Outcomes = decisions reflect honor to God and care for others (e.g., fair resource distribution).
Define “information-rich” as an attribute of life and explain its role in cells.
“Information-rich” means organisms contain biological information (e.g., DNA) directing cell activities, development, and function.
Distinguish between hypothesis, theory, and law using the chapter’s descriptions.
Hypothesis = testable prediction; Theory = well-supported explanation tested repeatedly; Law = concise description of a consistently observed pattern.
List three effects of Adam and Eve’s sin on creation described in the chapter.
Sin brought curse on Adam and Eve, descendants, plants and animals; introduced suffering, disorder, death.
Explain the difference between “conservation” and “environmentalism” according to the chapter.
Conservation = preservation and wise use; Environmentalism = emphasizes minimal use of Earth because Earth is fragile.
Describe how the four key ethical principles (respect for autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice) would guide a hospital’s decision about allocating a scarce medical resource.
Respect autonomy = inform patients and allow choices; Nonmaleficence = avoid harm; Beneficence = provide benefit where possible; Justice = fair allocation; combine to guide triage policies.
A sample has metabolism, organization, and growth, but microscopic analysis shows no cells. According to the chapter, is the sample alive? Explain using the rule about attributes.
Not alive — chapter states all attributes must be present and there are no exceptions to the requirement for cellular structure.
Explain why scientific models are described as “incomplete representations of reality” and give one classroom example.
Models simplify reality and omit details; example: a food web model shows energy flow but not every species interaction or microbe.
Describe two ways studying biology can help people fulfill the Creation Mandate responsibly (use examples from the chapter).
Examples: improve food supplies (agriculture), fight disease (medical research); both help steward creation and serve people.
Identify two bioethical questions that biotechnology might raise and state which of the four key ethical principles is most relevant to each question.
Examples: gene editing in crops — question: is it safe? principle: nonmaleficence and beneficence; patient gene therapies — question: who gets access? principle: justice and respect for autonomy.
A class finds fossil evidence that could be interpreted as either evidence of design or natural processes. Construct a brief argument (3–4 sentences) showing how differing presuppositions lead to different interpretations, using terminology from the chapter (presupposition, model, worldview).
Accept responses that show presupposition/model/worldview differences; example: one starts from biblical presupposition and reads design into complexity; the other starts from naturalism and reads gradual processes.)
Given an unfamiliar organism that reproduces, responds to stimuli, and has biological information but shows no growth over decades, evaluate (with justification) whether it meets the chapter’s criteria for life.
(Accept reasoned answers discussing that absence of growth challenges the classification; students should reference that all attributes must be present and weigh evidence.)
Design an experiment (brief outline: question, hypothesis, key variables, method) to test whether light intensity affects plant growth, showing alignment with the chapter’s steps of scientific inquiry.
(Accept experiment outlines that include a clear question, testable hypothesis, independent/dependent variables, control groups, and data collection method.)
Using knowledge from the chapter plus HS-ESS3-3 standard context, propose a classroom project that models relationships among resource management, human population sustainability, and biodiversity (brief title and 3–4 sentence description).
(Accept projects that model resource use, population effects, and biodiversity — e.g., simulation where students adjust harvesting rates and observe biodiversity and human well-being outcomes.)
Design (3–4 sentences) a classroom debate prompt that asks students to evaluate a biotechnology policy using biblical ethics (principles/motivations/outcomes) plus scientific evidence. Include the motion and two judging criteria.
(Accept debate prompts that require students to cite Scripture-based ethics and scientific evidence; judging criteria: quality of ethical reasoning tied to biblical principles, use of scientific evidence, fairness in proposed outcomes.)