Grade 10 Unit 3
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks tells the story of Henrietta Lacks, a African-American woman who lost her life to cervical cancer and whose cells were used to fuel medical advancements that changed modern medicine. In this work of creative nonfiction, Rebecca Skloot explores Henrietta Lacks’ contribution to these advancements through the HeLa cells as well as the stories of the life of a woman and her family who were disenfranchised and ignored by the medical establishment.
Big Ideas
Scientists and researchers have an obligation to to practice ethical behavior.
People’s lives can be greatly impacted by their childhood years as well as the socioeconomic forces that surround them.
Medical racism impacts the health of marginalized communities in the United States.
Creative nonfiction is a powerful tool for storytelling.
Culminating Task: Research Paper
The idea of bioethics and the moral obligation of doctors or researchers to their patients and subjects has been explored throughout this Unit. In your final paper, you will have an opportunity to select a topic introduced in the Unit and explore it further, conducting your own research and drafting an informational essay that explains the topic. You must draw your research from at least three reputable sources.
Your task is to choose a topic from the list below and write a research paper that addresses the following questions:
What was the research being conducted?
Who was conducting the research and why?
Who were the subjects of the research?
What were the ethical violations that doctors and researchers were accused (or found guilty) of committing?
How did this study impact the field of medicine and medical research?
Topics:
USPHS Syphilis Study at Tuskegee - Source Card
Nuremberg Code - Source Card
The Willowbrook Study - Source Card
The Havasupai Indians - Source Card
The Chester Southam Experiments - Source Card
J Marion Sims - Source Card
