A company plan to produce GM mosquitoes which carry a gene that causes the death of offspring before reaching adulthood. Male mosquitoes do n't feed on blood, so scientists are planning on releasing millions of GM males. Do you think they should?

I will, through the format of a venn diagram or mind map, guide the student through brainstorming important points. I will pay particularly close attention to those listed in the Higher GCSE AQA 2017 Biology Unit 1 paper mark scheme. I will then ask the student how they would combine their points into a concise argument with good use of English. I would provide them with the below example answer written by me from the points in the mark scheme, however I would allow the student to decide on their own stance on the matter:

"When GM males are released, they will compete with wild mosquitoes to reproduce, but their offspring will not survive. This will lead to fewer mosquitoes in the wild, which may lead to fewer people being bitten and infected by mosquitoes. There may also be economical benefits as well as ethical benefits. Fewer people with malaria will reduce the burden on healthcare in these countries, and therefore reduce healthcare costs. However, the cost of the research, and production and release of mosquitoes may be very high. Importantly, there may be high ecological costs; mosquitoes are important pollinators, so fewer mosquitoes may lead to less pollination and a poorer crop yeild. Furthermore, mosquitoes are prey for birds and bats, so this approach may lead to birds and bats dying of food shortages."