DNA+Day+Essay+Contest



The American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) invites you to participate in the 5th Annual DNA Day Essay Contest! The contest is open to students in grades 9-12.

The contest aims to challenge students to examine, question, and reflect on the important concepts of genetics. Essays are expected to contain substantive, well-reasoned arguments indicative of a depth of understanding of the concepts related to the essay questions.

Essays are read and scored by at least two independent judges. A 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winner are chosen for **__each__** question. This year you have two question options. Whichever you choose, remember to support your argument with citations from science articles, books, newspapers, etc. Take advantage of research published by experts, which is more reliable than open Web sources, blogs, or other references from people who lack specialized knowledge.
 * 1st Place Winner: || $400 + teacher receives a $2,000 grant for laboratory genetics equipment. ||
 * 2nd Place Winner: || $250 ||
 * 3rd Place Winner: || $150 ||
 * Option 1 || In 2010, a major discovery in genetics research found that the DNA of some modern humans contains small amounts of Neanderthal DNA. Briefly explain this finding and discuss its relevance to human ancestry and evolution. ||
 * Option 2 || A number of companies offer genetic testing directly to consumers, bypassing the involvement of physicians and genetic counselors. Discuss whether you think this is a good idea or not. You might focus on medical, ethical, legal, or social dimensions of this issue. ||

To assist you in your assignment your peers built web pages and wiki pages full of resources!
 * Option 1 ||  ||   ||   || O ption 2 ||   ||   ||
 * [[image:caveman-technology.gif width="150" height="150"]] || Wiki Resources

WIX Web Page ||  ||   ||  || Wiki Resources

WIX Web Page || media type="custom" key="8511070" ||

to see the scoring Rubric

to see examples of winning essays