Educator Guide: Analyze a Clinical Trial and Horned Reptiles

About this guide

Engage students with news articles from the January 27 Science News issue to have them answer graphical analysis questions about a gene editing medicine’s clinical trial and comprehension questions about how evolutionary trees may help scientists determine if reptiles with a certain hunting style are more likely to have horns.

This Guide Includes:

Horned reptiles may prefer to lie in wait

Horns grant advantages to some lizard species but can be a liability to others. Learn how differences in hunting styles might contribute to physical differences in lizard species. At the same time, answer questions about evolutionary trees and convergent evolution while considering the value of analogies in helping understand complex concepts.

Analyze a clinical trial’s result

Patients with a genetic disorder that increases the risk of severe heart disease took a gene editing medicine called VERVE-101 in a clinical trial. Have students answer a set of graphical analysis questions to learn more about the trial’s outcomes and the scientists’ proposed next steps.