Genetics, History, and the American Eugenics Movement

PBS Learning Media
Contributed By
PBS Learning Media
Resource Type
Classroom Material
Keywords
Ken Burns the gene an intimate history eugenics gregor mendel darwin francis galton immigration inheritance intelligence elitism pseudoscience nature vs nurture kqed learn heredity genetics inherited traits trait selection Charles Darwin evolution scientific racism selective breeding Adolf Hitler Nazism Nazi ideology
Subjects
Science History-Social Science
Grade Levels
Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12
Related Resources

Genetics, History, and the American Eugenics Movement

This lesson was created by the Personal Genetics Education Project, and paired with a clip from The Gene.

How can we as a society take advantage of the promise of genetics while avoiding the mistakes of the past? This lesson delves into the dark past of genetics, as students learn about eugenics and its history in the United States.

Interested in learning more? Visit pgEd's companion lesson, "Using Primary Sources to Examine the History of Eugenics. Additionally, KQED Learn has an online forum where you can join the discussion and share your thoughts.  
Publisher
PBS Learning Media

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