UNIT
ACTIVITY

Lesson 8: The End of Life

Description

This lesson explores how the biblical ideas of universal human dignity shape how Christians have seen and treated the elderly and terminally ill.

This is a sensitive topic where students may have strong opinions, sometimes based on personal experience – so of course should be handled with great care.

Introduce

Human Barometer Activity

Facilitate a ‘Human Barometer’ activity where students indicate their perspective on the following statements:

  • “People with terminal illnesses should be able to choose when and how they die”
  • “People who oppose euthanasia lack compassion for those who are suffering”
  • “As a society we have a strong track-record of caring for the elderly and the terminally ill”
Read & Reflect

Students skim read the TED Ideas article ‘Death is not the end: Fascinating funeral traditions from around the globe’ and discuss the tradition which most stands out to them. Students then reflect on what the insight that tradition give us into the beliefs and values of that cultural group.

Read & Create

Students read the blog post and choose the quote they most identify with.

Students then create their own meme on the topic.

Engage

Clip Analysis & Comparison

Students watch the clip and complete the ‘Compass Points’ thinking routine.

  • Where do you see Eye to Eye with her argument?
  • What do you find Worrisome about her argument?
  • What else do you Need to Know in order to evaluate her argument?
  • What is your current Stance on her argument?
Read & Respond

Students read the article. As a class, students identify the arguments that are presented and then offer counter-arguments which should also be considered.

Explore how convincing the class finds the various arguments.

Clip Analysis

Read ONE of the articles ‘What is a “good death”?’, ‘When we are old: Dignity in aged care’ and ‘The truth about dying’ and complete the ‘Step In, Step Out, Step Back’ thinking routine:

  1. Step In:Given what you read in this article, what do you think this person might feel, believe, know, or experience? (In particular, focus on what it seems they believe about what it means to be human, and the value of human life).
  2. Step Out:What else would you like or need to learn to understand this person’s perspective better?
  3. Step Back: Given your own exploration of this perspective so far, what do you notice about your own perspective and what it takes to choose to adopt somebody else’s?
Bible Focus

In small groups students read the following verses and create a mind-map to summarise what they teach about aging and death. (Isaiah 46:4, Leviticus 19:32, Proverbs 16:31, Job 12:12, Job 14:5, Ecclesiastes 8:8, Hebrews 2:14-15, Isaiah 25:6-8, Revelation 21:1-4)

Students choose one or two of these verses which they think are particularly counter-cultural in today’s world and create a short video presentation explaining why they chose that verse, and how they think society would change if more people believed it.

Respond

Class Brainstorm

As a class brainstorm a list of ways in which society, your school, and you as an individual could value the elderly and terminally ill more.

Read & Respond

Students read the article and in point form note down their own thoughts in response to her three reflection questions.

  1. Do I have a story?
  2. Am I the author of my story?
  3. Am I even the protagonist of my own story?
Written Reflection

Students write a two or three paragraph response answering the question ‘What is a “good death?’.

Extension

Students read the article then write their 200-300 word opinion piece in response to this one.