Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

15 minutes – Part A: Introduction – Zaidee's Story
25 minutes – Part B: Investigating Claims
25 minutes – Part C: Communicating Findings
5 minutes – Reflection

Part A: Introduction – Zaidee's Story

Step 1.

Introduce the lesson by explaining to students that they will be exploring the topic of organ and tissue donation and transplantation. Assure the class that if they’re not familiar with the topic, that’s ok – they’ll have the opportunity to become more informed about the topic throughout this lesson. Distribute Student Worksheets.

Step 2.

Begin by explaining to students that they will watch two clips from the documentary film Dying To Live. As they watch, invite students to record anything they find interesting or important. Explain that following the viewing of the clips, students will reflect on clips in writing and through discussion.

Dying to Live: Zaidee's Story (https://youtu.be/cuZafGNh_hk)

Dying to Live: Allan's Story (https://youtu.be/BqA3cMc1c7g)

Step 3.

Before facilitating a class discussion, encourage students to reflect on the clip by responding in writing to the following prompts (also available on the Student Worksheet):

Step 4.

Once complete, engage students in a class discussion around their answers to these prompts. Allow students to discuss their personal views on deceased organ and tissue donation, by weighing up what they can see as benefits and concerns. Direct students to the Student Worksheet to fill out the Benefits and Concerns table, which encourages them to look at the issue from four different perspectives:

If it was you donating...
If it was your family who donated...
If you needed a transplant...
If your family member needed a transplant...

These four perspective can be used as a starting point to discuss and evaluate the benefits and concerns that different people and groups may have.

Part B: Investigating Claims

Step 1.

Explain to students that the next part of the lesson will be investigating claims and finding evidence to support or reject claims about organ and tissue donation.

Divide the class into groups of 3–4 and direct each group to read through the following three claims about deceased organ and tissue donation (also available on the Student Worksheet):

If you register on the transplant list, you will become an organ donor.
If you are on the transplant list, you will receive a transplant eventually.
One donor can transform the lives of 10 or more people.

Within each group, ask students to discuss the claims and decide if they support or reject each claim. It is important for students to know that it is okay if they have different perspectives on the claims, and that they do not all have to agree.

Step 2.

Next, provide each group with a printed or electronic copy of Claims Research Links document which includes the three claims and supporting links from the DonateLife website. Invite students to select one claim that their group will investigate. Each claim has been paired with supporting links to help students gather information to use as evidence in supporting or rejecting their claim.

Encourage each group to investigate their chosen claim using the links as a starting point, and conducting additional research if necessary. Students will need to find evidence to support or reject their claim and use this information to prepare their response. They can record thoughts and ideas raised through their research on the last page of the Claims Research Links document or in their workbooks.

This research task can be completed for homework and continued during the next lesson. The links provided do contain enough information for students to come to a decision but the more time students can spend investigating their topic, the better their understanding.

Part C: Communicating Findings

Step 1.

Now that students have investigated their claim and found evidence to support or reject it, explain that they will need to communicate their findings. Ask your class to communicate the findings of their investigation by completing the table on the Claims Research Worksheet. You may find the scaffolding and examples included in the table below useful, if students need clarification or help.

Claim: e.g. If you register on the transplant list, you will become an organ donor SUPPORTED or REJECTED
Evidence
Point #1	Point #2	Point #3
E.g. If your loved ones are not aware of your wishes, they may elect for you not to be a donor even if you have signed the register.	E.g. Even with consent, you may not be able to donate your organs due to the mode of your death. For donation to occur, death generally needs to occur within a hospital where your organs can be maintained until removal.	E.g. You may not be able to become an organ donor, but you may be able to donate tissues which can still be used to save and improve the lives of others.
Concerns or issues with the data/research
This section can be used for students to discuss any issues or inconsistencies they found within their data. They could also include opposing evidence which may help to tell the full story. E.g. Although an organ and tissue donor may be able to transform the lives of 10 or more people, the number of organ and tissue recipients from a single donor can vary and is generally lower on average. Data is also restricted since it is not clear whether donors elected to donate particular organs or tissues, as opposed to all.
Recommendations
This section will mainly be used to make recommendations if a claim is rejected. E.g. “It is recommended that those wishing to become an organ and tissue donor communicate their wishes clearly with their family to ensure these wishes can be met. It is also important to understand that although consent is given, organ donation may not be able to occur due to location and cause of death. The donation of tissue, however, is more likely to occur, so a donor’s decision is still very important.” It can also be used to improve the accuracy of supported claims. E.g. “Whereby many people who remain on the transplant list will receive an organ between 6 months and 4 years on average, a small number of people will die whilst on the list. This percentage may actually be higher if people who are removed from the list whilst still battling illness are included.

Step 2.

Once all groups have completed the Findings Table, direct groups to join up with another group who researched the same claim and then present the main points of their investigation to that group. Encourage students to take note of what is similar and what is different in their investigations.

You could then invite each new group to present their findings with the class. This can be done through a class discussion or, if time permits, through the creation of a formal report, poster, multimedia or oral presentation.

Reflection

Ask students to reflect on their learning throughout the lesson by completing the following sentence stems on the Student Worksheet. Encourage students to provide detail and examples to support their change in thinking.

I used to think…
Now I think…

Differentiated Learning

Extension – The communication of findings for this lesson could be extended to include the development of a formal report, poster, multimedia or oral presentation to be shared with a wider audience such as other classes, year levels or community groups.

Provisions for Learning Support – The example findings table in Part C could be used as a model for students to know what is required in the task. Using the table, students could work backwards to find the evidence in the relevant factsheets.

Teacher Reflection

Take this opportunity to reflect on your own teaching:

What did you learn about your teaching today?
What worked well?
What didn't work so well?
What would you share?
Where to next?

Dying To Live - Investigating Claims

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