Paper, Order, or Assignment Requirements

Overview

More and more farmers and food manufacturers are genetically modifying their crops to reduce susceptibility to disease, improve flavor, and reduce costs. That means that more of the foods on our grocery store shelves are made with ingredients that contain Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). But while manufacturers claim the foods are safe, many people are concerned about the health effects. In this Project, you will write an opinion editorial (“op-ed”) that takes a position on this controversial subject.

Directions

For this Project, you will write your own op-ed article that responds to the question “Are genetically modified foods a good development or a bad one and why?” An op-ed (short for “opinion editorial”) is a newspaper or web article that takes a position on a subject of public interest; it can be written by an expert or by a community member with an interest in the topic.

To write your op-ed:

1. Familiarize yourself with the questions in the GMO Organizer.
2. Read three articles on the impact of GMOs:
   1. “Pro: Can GMOs help our economy while hurting our planet?” by Jessica Cheung
   2. “A Case Against GMOs” by Conrad Miller
   3. “GMO Technology: A Research Tool Becomes an Ethical Debate” by Caitlin Smith
3. Use the GMO Organizer to track each author’s argument and the support they provide for their position.
4. Use the additional articles in the Project Resources to learn more about GMOs. Take note of any convincing evidence and ideas.
5. Decide what position you will take and utilize the GMO Organizer to write your op-ed. Be sure to cite your sources throughout the article.