Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

15 minutes – Part A: Activating Prior Knowledge
20 minutes – Part B: Kate's Story
20 minutes – Part C: Digging Deeper
5 minutes – Reflection

Part A: Activating Prior Knowledge

Step 1.

Explain to students that they will begin this lesson by participating in a 'written conversation' activity to get them thinking about key topics relating to this lesson.

Invite students to form groups of 4–5 and if possible, arrange the classroom furniture so that they are standing around one table per group. Chairs could be stacked up at the sides of the classroom to encourage students to stand.

Let student know that the reason they're standing is because it can help to increase their engagement and creativity during group discussions and brainstorming.

Step 2.

Distribute two pieces of butcher’s paper and some markers to each group, and ask them to write the word 'Donation' in the middle of one piece of paper.

Step 3.

Let groups know that they have five minutes to have a ‘written conversation’ to share their ideas about the concept, including what they know, what they would like to know and their experiences in relation to the concept. After students have begun, keep them informed about how much time is remaining. Encourage students to ‘speak’ with each other by writing on the butcher's paper, rather than with their voices.

Step 4.

After five minutes, invite groups to now use their voices to discuss what they have written, and select two to three ideas that they would like to share with the rest of the class.

Step 5.

Facilitate a quick sharing session. Reinforce with the class that they should be supportive of each other’s ideas, and that each individual’s experiences (and ideas) may be different. This is ok!

Step 6.

Ask groups to write 'Organ and Tissue Donation' in the centre of the second piece of butcher’s paper and repeat Steps 3–5 for this new concept.

Step 7.

Explain to students that for the remainder of the lesson they will explore 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 throughout the lesson.

Part B: Kate's Story

Step 1.

Invite students to move the tables to the sides of the classroom, grab a chair, and sit where they can see the screen. Introduce the clip by informing students that it is 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 Kate, a young woman who awaits a pancreas and kidney transplant.

If there is time, screen the extended version of Dying to Live. It provides poignant insights into what those who require organ transplantation face on a day-to-day basis, and shows how much of a gift a donated organ is to those who receive it.

Share the following clip with students:

Dying to Live: Kate's Story (https://youtu.be/jr3eracx_Kk)

Step 2.

Now distribute one copy of the Student Worksheet to each student and invite students to respond to the clip by completing the thought-bubble prompts:

What three words describe your thoughts and/or feelings after viewing the Dying to Live clip?
List the people/groups that are affected by Kate's situation of being on the waiting list.

Step 3.

Once students have had time to consider and respond to these prompts independently, invite them to turn to the person sitting next to them and share what they noted in each thought bubble.

Part C: Digging Deeper

Step 1.

Guide students to articulate questions that the clip and their pair discussions may have raised for them about organ and tissue donation and transplantation.

Suggested strategies to help elicit questions include:

Providing the 5 W’s (Who, What, When, Why, Where) as question starters.
Creating a set of question dice to help students form as many questions about the topic as possible.
Suggesting an organ and tissue donation and transplant theme to form questions around, e.g. Donors, Family, Waiting Lists, Policy & Laws, Misconceptions.

It may be useful to discuss with students that all (well-intended) questions are reasonable. Some starter questions to prompt student thinking are:

What is organ and tissue donation?
Why do people need transplants?
How long do people wait for transplants?

These questions have been taken from the Frequently Asked Questions section of the Australian Government Organ and Tissue Authority’s Donate Life website (https://donatelife.gov.au/about-donation/get-facts/frequently-asked-questions).

Next, distribute sticky notes amongst the class so that all students have access to a pile. Invite students to select their most interesting and relevant questions and write them on individual sticky notes ready to share with the class.

Step 2.

Ask students to form groups of 4 to read their questions out and discuss briefly. Then, working collaboratively, invite students to organise the questions into themes by moving each sticky-note to reflect groupings.

Invite students to form pairs and choose a question that they would really like to find out about. They can take some time to refine the question so that it is open-ended and different to other students' questions. Students can then note down their question on their Student Worksheet.

Step 3.

Once students have selected their investigation question, advise them that the best place to begin their search for information would be the Donate Life website – this is the website of the Australian Government’s Organ and Tissue Authority.

Students may also like to watch this Behind the News report (https://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2219618.htm), and 'Kate’s Story' again to gain further insights into her experience – they can do so by using the link provided on the Student Worksheet.

Step 4.

Highlight for students that there is space on the Student Worksheet to make notes about what they find out. Provide students with enough time to explore the Donate Life website and discover answers to the questions they have about organ and tissue donation.

Step 5.

Once students have completed their investigation, ask them to shut down their devices and form groups of 4–5. Encourage students to spend some time sharing what they found out about organ and tissue donation and transplantation, taking notes about what they learn from the other pairs.

Reflection

Invite students to work independently to complete the following prompt on the Student Worksheet:

In regards to organ and tissue donation and transplantation:

I used to think...
Now I think...

Differentiated Learning

Extension – Guide students to think about the ethics of organ and tissue donation when they’re posing their questions, such as:

Why should a person donate their organs?
Is it wrong to refuse to donate organs and tissue?

Provisions for Learning Support – Students may feel challenged when required to describe their reaction to Kate’s Story. Offer support by supplying some words and phrases for students to choose from or use as inspiration. Some students may benefit from being provided with a set question to research on the Donate Life website, as well as the URL at which they will find the relevant information.

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 - Introduction to Organ and Tissue Donation

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Summary

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