Democs for Schools: Stem Cell Research

About Democs
Democs conversation kits are an exciting way to hold your own debate on difficult scientific, political and ethical issues.

Each kit presents a range of key viewpoints on a particular issue in an easily accessible format and offers a simple, game-like structure to facilitate debate. The kits include a deck of cards representing key facts, opinions and examples about the topic. Participants uses the cards to identify the things that matter to them and as a starting point for discussion.

Find out more about Democs and see a list of kits.

In this Democs kit: Stem cell research
Stem cell research has the potential to create a medical revolution. Stem cells – or body cells derived from them – might be able to repair damaged tissues, cure burns and even stop some degenerative diseases, including parkinson's  diabetes or cystic fibrosis. However, for some the use of stem cells taken from embryos is unethical and others doubt whether the techniques will ever come to fruition. This kit explores questions like:

• When does human life begin?
• Can we have the benefits of stem cell research without using embryos?
• Is it a good idea to do stem cell research at all when there are people suffering from preventable diseases (like TB) in developing countries?

This kit was part of project funded by the Wellcome Trust to produce materials for schools. It is aimed at students in Key Stage 4. View all Democs for schools kits.

Please note that this kit has not been updated since its publication