Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

20 minutes	Part A. Exploring Altruism
20 minutes	Part B. Organ and tissue donation
30 minutes	Part C. Myth busters
5 minutes	Reflection

Part A. Exploring Altruism

Step 1.

Ask students to stand. Explain that you are going to read some statements. They should put their hands on their head if they agree, and on their hips if they disagree.

Read and/or display the below prompts one at a time. Watch for how students respond.

Statements:

It feels good to help other people.
It is more important to look after yourself than to look after other people.
If you can do something to make someone else’s life better, you should.
Helping people is something most or all humans want to do.
Most people are willing to help others, even if it doesn’t benefit them.
I would do something that helped someone else, even if it made life harder for me.
People only help others because they think it makes them look good.

Step 2.

Discuss class trends or ideas that came up during the activity.

Step 3.

Read this definition of altruism and distribute the Student Worksheet.

Altruism is, “the unselfish concern for other people—doing things simply out of a desire to help, not because you feel obligated to out of duty, loyalty, or religious reasons. It involves acting out of concern for the well-being of other people.”

(Very Well Mind)

Step 4.

Show students the following video. Ask them to take notes on three reasons people may act altruistically.

Altruism | Ethics Defined (https://youtu.be/gJEhog-vZKU)

Discuss students’ responses to the video.

Part B. Organ And tissue donation

Safety first

Some students may find this topic challenging or triggering. Allow students to find their own way of supporting themselves, including taking some time out if needed.

Step 1.

Ask students to brainstorm as many examples of altruistic behaviours as they can think of (e.g. donating to charity, volunteering). They can write their ideas on the Student Worksheet.

Step 2.

Introduce the concept of organ and tissue donation. Tell students that organ donation fits the criteria of altruism because although it doesn’t help the person once they’re in a position to donate, it helps other people a lot. Check if students understand what organ and tissue donation is. Refer to the teacher content information for details and resources.

Step 3.

Explain to students that some organs, such as kidneys, can be donated while the donor is still alive. Most other organs and tissues can only be donated after death. Invite students to guess who they think is most likely to donate a kidney while they are still alive. Ask students what might make them want to donate a kidney to someone else.

Explain that family members of the people needing the donation are the most common living donors.

Watch this video:

A Second Chance | The Project (https://fb.watch/bt9GvjYn9o/)

Step 4.

Ask students to write down three thoughts, two feelings and one question they have about the video. Have students share these in a small group.

Step 5.

Ask students to chat with a partner or group of three for five minutes in response to the questions:

How can we extend our altruism beyond our family unit?
Why should we do this?

Part C. Myth busters

Step 1.

Students should complete this True or False Activity on their Student Worksheets:

	True or False? (answers indicated in italics)
In 2023, 1,396 Australians were given a second chance at life through deceased donation, and an extra 253 through living donation.	True
One person agreeing to be an organ donor can save up to seven people’s lives.	True
You can become an organ donor if you die at home, as long as the ambulance takes you to a hospital.	False - to become an organ donor you must die in a hospital, on a ventilator.
When most people die, they are able to be organ donors.	False - only around two per cent of deaths in Australian hospitals meet the criteria.
50% of Australians are registered donors.	False - only 36% of Australians are registered
Four out of five Australians believe registering as a donor is important.	True

Step 2.

Highlight the discrepancy between the last two facts. Invite students to share any reactions to this.

Step 3.

Explain to students that improving donation registration and then donation rates will save and improve many Australian lives (this is because nine out of ten families will donate their loved one’s organs if they were registered, but only four out of ten will proceed with a donation if they weren’t registered and hadn’t discussed it.

Play this video:

The organ donation process in Australia (https://youtu.be/s3yJuk1zWe0)

Step 4.

Ask students to list ideas in this table on their Student Worksheet:

Reasons people WOULD register to donate.	Reasons people WOULD NOT register to donate.

Step 5. Show students this clip:

DLW2021 Mythbusting Compilation (https://youtu.be/7QdUqnihaS8)

Have students respond in writing to:

Did anything surprise you? Why/why not?

Step 6.

Ask students to pair up and read this web page:

https://www.donatelife.gov.au/about-donation/myths-and-misconceptions

Step 7.

Tell students to work in pairs to select one myth and the relevant myth buster and create a visual aid that presents this information in a clear and concise way. Students may wish to make an infographic, an illustration or a poster.

They might like to use this checklist:

Have you...?

Stated the myth?
Clearly outlined the truth/myth buster?
Hint: Make this larger or more eye-catching than the myth.
Used imagery that supports your message?
Provided a link to additional information sources?
Used colours and fonts that are eye-catching?

Step 8.

Invite students to share their designs with one another. They might like to create a web page or gallery around the school or local area to show off their designs and educate their community.

Reflection

Ask students to close their eyes and hold up their hands. Then ask students to rate their own understanding and confidence from 1 (unsure) to 5 (super confident) using their fingers:

How would you feel about explaining to someone what organ donation is?
How would you feel about responding to common myths and explaining the truth?
How certain are you about your own decision to donate/not donate?

Optional

Students might like to register their intention to be a donor and/or talk to their families about what they have learned about organ and tissue donation.

Differentiated Learning

Extension

Students might like to discuss what they have learned about organ and tissue donation with their family or local community group and reflect back to the class on what happened.
Students might like to create a web page or gallery around the school or local area to show off their designs and educate their community.
If students have personal experience with organ and tissue donation, they might like to share their stories. Ensure you don’t assume that they are comfortable doing so.
Some students might enjoy digging deeper into the science behind altruism and what happens in our brains.

Provisions for Learning Support

Some students may find this topic challenging or triggering. Allow students to find their own way of supporting themselves, including taking some time out if needed.
If students find the topic of organ and tissue donation difficult, they might like to dig deeper into altruism instead. Consider providing them with a research task to support their explorations. They might create a visual aid about altruism instead of myth busters.

Teacher Reflection

Take this opportunity to reflect on your own teaching:

What did you learn about your teaching practice today?
What worked well?
What didn't work so well?
What would you share?
Where to next?
How are you going to get there?

DonateLife - Motivation To Give

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