Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

15 minutes – Part A: What is Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation?
20 minutes – Part B: Digging Deeper
20 minutes – Part C: Circle Discussion
5 minutes – Reflection

Part A: What is Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation?

Step 1.

Introduce the lesson by informing 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.

Step 2.

Activate students’ prior knowledge about the topic by distributing a sticky note to each member of the class and writing the following on the top of the whiteboard:

"On your sticky note, write down one thing that you know about organ and tissue donation and transplantation".

Invite students to stick their sticky note to the whiteboard. Once all notes are placed on the board, facilitate a class sharing session using the notes as prompts.

Step 3.

Explain to students that they will now be watching a clip from the documentary film Dying to Live. The film examines organ and tissue donation and transplantation in Australia through seven different people’s stories. The clip students are about to watch features Kelly, the mother of Ebony, a young woman whose organs were donated after she died. It also features Holly, the recipient of a lung donation.

Share the following clip with the class:

Dying to Live: Kelli & Holly's Story (https://youtu.be/wMKrj1C1FOo)

Step 4.

Once complete, distribute three sticky notes to each student and invite students to complete the ‘See-Think-Wonder’ visible thinking routine in response to the clip they just watched (they should write what they ‘See’, ‘Think’, and ‘Wonder’ on separate sticky notes). Inform students that their ‘wonderments’ could be about the stories in the clip or organ and tissue donation more generally.

If students are feeling challenged when completing the visible thinking routine, scaffold the activity by modelling some responses, such as:

SEE

“I see how sad Kelly is that Ebony died”
“I see Holly when she is very sick”

THINK

“I think that it is amazing that Ebony’s death led to six different people receiving an organ transplant”
“I think that organ donation seems really valuable”

WONDER

“I wonder what an organ is?”
“I wonder how tissue donation works?”
“I wonder why more people don’t donate their organs/tissue?”

Step 5. Once students have had some time to record their own answers, you could write ‘See-Think-Wonder’ at even intervals on the whiteboard or a piece of butcher’s paper, and invite students to come to the front of the room to attach their sticky notes under the headings. If possible, organise students so that they are standing at and viewing the display. Invite students to read out what they have written.

Part B: Digging Deeper

Step 1.

Now explain to students that they will have the opportunity to find out more about what they are wondering, then extend each other’s understanding of the topic by sharing what they find with the class.

Invite students to form pairs, select a ‘Wonder’ sticky note to research, collect a web-enabled device and return to their seats. Advise students that three great starting points for their research include:

The Dying to Live website (https://www.dyingtolive.com.au/)
The Donate Life website (https://donatelife.gov.au/)
This Behind the News report (https://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2219618.htm)

Step 2.

Distribute the Student Worksheet to each student. Students need to use the following prompts (also available on the Student Worksheet) to guide them in preparing a short presentation (maximum 3 slides) about their research:

We are wondering...
We found that...
The sources we used were...

Remind students of the Search Strategies for Googling when conducting research online.

Allow students time to conduct their research and create their presentation. Once complete, you could invite students to share their presentations with the class or to conduct group to group presentations.

Part C: Circle Discussion

Step 1.

Invite students to help you arrange the classroom furniture so that the tables are pushed against the walls and the chairs are in a large circle. Ask students to bring their Student Worksheets and sit in the circle. Once the class is seated in this arrangement, inform students that sitting together in a circle helps everyone to engage with the information being shared and encourages everyone to participate in the discussion.

Step 2.

Invite pairs to take turns to share what they found out about organ and tissue donation. Encourage the rest of the class to ask any questions that arise. If possible, encourage the whole class to contribute their knowledge to the discussion.

When required, use prompting questions such as “What makes you say that?” to extend your discussion.

During your discussion, ensure that the following information has been addressed:

Organ and tissue donation involves removing organs and tissues from someone who has died (a donor) and transplanting them into someone who, in many cases, is very ill or dying because an organ is failing (a recipient).
Waiting times are usually between six months and four years, but there are cases where the recipient must wait even longer. Usually, the longer the delay in receiving a transplant, the greater the risk of deteriorating health.
You can register an 'intent to be an organ and tissue donor' with the Australian Organ Donor Register from the age of 16. You can only fully register from the age of 18. Children cannot be registered by their parents, but their family can approve donation after they pass away.
It’s challenging to think about death, but if you are under 18, a frank discussion about donation ensures your family knows what you want.

Source: Australian Government Organ and Tissue Authority

Reflection

Invite students to work independently to complete the Reflection Pyramid in the Student Worksheet.

Differentiated Learning

Extension – During the ‘See-Think-Wonder’ visible thinking routine, guide students to think about and pose questions around the ethics of organ and tissue donation such as:

I wonder why people choose to donate their organs and tissue?
I wonder why people choose not to donate their organs and tissue?
I wonder how many people want to donate their organs and tissue, but their wishes aren’t carried out after they die?

Provisions for Learning Support – Support students by modelling responses to the ‘See-Think-Wonder’ visible thinking routine. Supply some ‘wonder’ questions that relate directly to information students will encounter on the suggested websites, such as:

I wonder what organ and tissue donation is?
I wonder why people need organs/tissue to be donated to them?
I wonder if all cultures are ok with organ/tissue donation?
I wonder what the benefits of organ/tissue donation are?

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?
How are you going to get there?

Dying To Live - Tuning In to Organ and Tissue Donation

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