Choosing the sex of babies: Ethical debate

This activity is designed to get students thinking about the moral and ethical implications of sex selection. The resources will encourage students to form their own opinion and share it with the rest of the class.

Curriculum links

  • KS4 Science – 4a) 4b)
  • KS4 Citizenship – 2a) 2c) 3a)
  • KS4 English – En1 3a) 3b) 3c) 3e)

Time scale

50 minutes – 1 hour 20 minutes

Learning objectives

To understand that:

  • Due to new developments in science, it is now possible for parents to select for a boy or a girl baby.
  • Sex selection can be achieved in one of three ways: sperm sorting; pre-implantation genetic diagnosis; and termination.

To develop skills in:

  • Considering other people’s experiences, thinking about, expressing, explaining and critically evaluating views that are not their own

Materials needed

All of the materials needed are provided in the PDF of this lesson plan (link at the top of this page) except for the following:

  • Large sheet of paper/card for each group
  • Marker pens