Question Sheet: Animal Clones: Double Trouble?

By Science News Explores

SCIENCE

Before reading:

  1. What cloning stories have you heard about in the news? 

  2. Why are people nervous about cloning? 

  3. Which animal, if any, would you like to see cloned? Why?

During reading:

  1. Describe in your own words how cloning works. 

  2. Name three different types of people (or industries) that would benefit from cloning. 

  3. According to Westhusin, what problems can often happen with cloning animals? 

  4. Which animals are scientists trying to clone? Why? 

  5. How does science reporter Rick Weiss feel about cloned meat? Why?

After reading:

  1. Would you eat a hamburger made from the meat of a cloned animal? Why or why not? 

  2. Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of cloning endangered animals. 

  3. Why do people find identical twins acceptable but often feel nervous about clones? What would you describe as the major differences between identical twins and clones? 

  4. Name an advantage of cloning not listed in this article. 

  5. Cloning is a strongly debated issue in our society. What responsibility do you think the government has to stop, limit, or encourage cloning?

LANGUAGE ARTS

  1. Write a science fiction story about a world full of clones. Would it be a perfect world full of beautiful, healthy people, or would it be a creepy realm with lots of strange diseases? 

  2. Search the Internet for examples of debates about cloning. Pick some key points and write your own editorial about this issue.

MATHEMATICS

The average cow produces 17,000 pounds of milk a year, but some cows can produce 45,000 pounds of milk a year. If a farmer could have cows that all produced the larger amount of milk, how much more milk would a farmer get from 76 cows in one year. If cloned cows that produce 45,000 pounds of milk a year cost twice as much as ordinary cows, would it still be worth it for the farmer to get cloned cows? Why?