Are Bionic Superhumans on the Horizon

Are Bionic Superhumans
on the Horizon?

​by Ramez Naam

​Informational Text

Goals for this lesson:

Identify two or more central ideas and their development throughout the text
Analyze how text features convey purpose and meaning in texts
Use context clues to determine the meaning of words

Multiple Select

Focus on Genre: What does an informational text contain?

Select all that apply.

• Provides factual information

• Only includes the entire script for the Bee Movie

• Includes evidence to support ideas

• Contains text features

The central ideas of a text are the main points that the author wants to communicate to readers.
How to identify and understand the central idea of an informational text:

Identify Central Ideas and Details

• Identify the specific topic of each paragraph or section.

• Examine the supporting details the author uses to develop key ideas in each section.

• Ask yourself why are the details are used to elaborate on the topic.

Multiple Choice

What are central ideas?

• Historical background information
• Random, uncollected thoughts of the author

• Unrelated side notes and doodles

• Main points or key concepts that the author wants to convey.

Multiple Choice

According to the Flocabulary about Main Ideas, what backs up the main idea in an informative text?

• Supporting details

• Only quotes from experienced scientists

• Introduction, body, conclusion
• The United States of America

Vocabulary

Match

Match the following

• improves or adds to the quality or function of something.

• following a strict code of ethical conduct.

• place (a device) inside of the body through surgery.

Enhancements

Integrity

implanted

• Enhancements

• Integrity

• implanted

Ramez Naam's article mainly uses a main-idea-and-supporting-details pattern of organization to connect ideas.
Each paragraph of text section introduces a main idea and gives examples or other details about it.

Analyze Organization:

Near the end of this article, however, he breaks away from this pattern, filling one paragraph with questions and the next with a call to action.
Author Ramez Naam poses questions and then tells readers what they ought to do.

Analyze Organization:

Multiple Select

Select two central ideas of the passage.

• Superhumans can be created by using human enhancements to restore function to body parts

• The importance of considering the ethical and social implications of human enhancement

• Limited abilities are impacted by human enhancements

• Individuals without disabilities should also be eligible to have bionic enhancements.

• The advancement of bionic protheses and implants has helped people regain their lives.

Open Ended

Look at Paragraph 1 of the text.

What is the author's assertion in Paragraph 1?

Drag and Drop

Q: What evidence does the author use to develop the central idea found in paragraph 1?​ A: Naam mentions that

Placeholder

​ and ​

Placeholder

stimulators are already in use.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

Cochlear implants

deep brain