Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly

In This Episode

For Educators

Politics of Death: The Right to Live, the Right to Die – Procedures For Teachers

In This Lesson

Prep — Preparing for the lesson
Steps — Conducting the lesson
Extension — Additional Activities


Prep

Media Components

Computer Resources:

  • Modem: 56.6 Kbps or faster
  • Browser: Netscape Navigator 4.0 or above or Internet Explorer 4.0 or above Macintosh computer: System 8.1 or above and at least 32 MB of RAM
  • Personal computer (Pentium II 350 MHz or Celeron 600 MHz) running Windows® 95 or higher and at least 32 MB of RAM
  • RealPlayer
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0 or higher. Download the free Adobe Acrobat reader here: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

Bookmarked sites and video resources:

Before teaching this lesson, bookmark all of the Web sites used in the lesson on each computer in your classroom, create a word-processing document with all of the Web sites listed as hyperlinks, upload all links to an online bookmarking utility such as www.portaportal.com, or make paper handouts of necessary Web pages so that students can access the information on these sites. (Note: It’s a good idea to preview these sites before presenting them to your class.) Make sure that your computer has necessary media players, like RealPlayer, to show streaming clips (if applicable).

Preview all of the sites and videos before presenting them to your class.

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly Web sites:

Other sites:

Teachers will need the following supplies:

  • Board and/or chart paper
  • Ideally, a screen on which to project the video clips
  • Handouts of Web resources if computers are not available in the classroom.
  • Copies of the Example of a living will
  • Copies of the Student Organizer
  • Hard copies of all handouts (optional)
  • If computers are not available in the classroom print transcripts of RELIGION & ETHICS NEWSWEEKLY episodes numbers 708, 738 and 830 and pass them out as handouts.

Students will need the following supplies:

  • Computers with the capacities indicated above
  • Notebook or journal
  • Pens/pencils

Steps

Lesson 1 (The end-of-life debate)

Introductory Activities:

Goal: To get students comfortable with the subject matter and to get them thinking about end-of-life issues.

  1. Have students read the following article, “Terri Schiavo Passes Away“
  2. Once the students have read the article, begin a discussion by asking them the following:
    • Why was this case so controversial?
    • How would you assess the media coverage of the controversy? Do you think it was too much, too little, about right?
    • Can such a controversy and legal battle be avoided? (The answer is yes, if a person has a living will.)
  3. Distribute the Student Organizer and ask students to define the following terms. When they have finished, ask a few students to share their definitions. You should also provide your own definitions.
  4. Explore the Right to Life issue
    • Print and handout the mission statement of the National Right to Life organization located at http://www.nrlc.org/Missionstatement.htm.
    • Ask the students to read the mission statement and ask them where this group likely stands on the Schiavo case.
    • For homework ask the students to complete question #2 on the Student Organizer, where they will interview a parent about a living will.

Learning Activities:

Goal: to provide context for the issue and to allow students to further understand the complexity of the end-of-life debate.

  1. Show the students the following bookmarked RELIGION & ETHICS NEWSWEEKLY segment. You can stream the video from a computer or you can print out the show’s transcript from the Web site.
    • PERSPECTIVES: Religious Responses to End of Life Issues
      (October 24, 2003, Episode no. 708)
      https://pbs-wnet-preprod.digi-producers.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week708/perspectives.html
      This video explores the religious and ethical issues in the Terri Schiavo case with a professor of theological studies. Explain that this news segment is from 2003, approximately a year and a half before this story became national news. Begin the clip at 1:00 and run it through to the end.
  2. Ask students the following questions:
    • What are the quality of life issues that the Schiavo family faced?
    • In the context of Dr. Walter’s interview, have students define absolute vs. relative value of life on the Student Organizer.
    • Ask students if they consider a feeding tube to be part of basic care or part of medical treatment and have them explain why this is important.
  3. Distribute an example of a living will document
    • Ask a student to read the example of a living will out loud.
    • Ask the students if they understand how a living will impacts the end-of-life decision.
    • Discuss why a person may not want a living will, making sure to point out those who would want to stay alive on a feeding tube.
  4. Have students read the article, “The Terri Schiavo Case Uphill Battle“. Ask students about the precedent set set in 1990 by the Cruzan case?

Culminating Activity/Assessment:

Goal: to make sure students understand the facts and the issues surrounding the Schiavo case.

  1. Divide the students into pairs. Then assign each pair one of the following scenarios:
    • Supporters of Michael Schiavo.
    • Supporters Terri Schiavo’s parents.

    Note: This is a sensitive and potentially contentious issue but open discussion of the two sides will offer students rich and varied perspectives on this important subject.

  2. Explain that each pair is assigned to write an essay as if it is an editorial for their local paper, in which they explain the side they support and why. The goal is to clearly explain why it is you support the side you have chosen. The editorial should include at least three distinct and well crafted reasons why the students support their position.
  3. Have the students work on the editorials in class, touch them up overnight, and read them aloud in class the next day. You can ask them to use the information they have seen and read in class, as well as encourage them to conduct additional Web research on the case.
  4. Ask each student pair of students to provide a list of resources (Web, video, print) that they used in writing the editorial.
  5. During the next class session ask students if they think the media coverage of the Schiavo case was excessive or if the issue was worthy of the extensive air time and print attention it received.

Lesson 2 (Religion and Death)

Goal: to familiarize students with the politics and religious issues behind the Schiavo controversy.

Introductory activities

  1. Assign students to read the following articles:
  2. On a black board write:
    • Politicians
    • Religious leaders
    • Judges
  3. Ask students to brainstorm a list of the various actions taken by the above groups in response to the Schiavo case, based on the articles and/or news coverage they’ve read or seen on their own. Record their responses on the board under the appropriate list.
  4. Ask students to list various actions they witnessed, either on television or via other news media, in response to the Schiavo case. Ask the students why they think people were moved to such extreme action? One example of such action is that some people were arrested for trying to enter the hospital with a bottle of water for Schiavo after her feeding tube was removed. What were their motives?

Learning activities

  1. Show the students the following bookmarked RELIGION & ETHICS NEWSWEEKLY segment. You can stream the video from a computer or you can print out the show’s transcript from the RELIGION AND ETHICS NEWSWEEKLY Web site.
    • PERSPECTIVES: Terri Schiavo and End-of-Life Care
      (March 25, 2005, Episode no. 830).
      https://pbs-wnet-preprod.digi-producers.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week830/perspectives.html
      This video explores the questions families often ask regarding end-of-life care, with a medical doctor and Catholic theologian who also chairs the hospital bioethics committee. Explain that this news segment is from 2005 during the national media coverage of the Schiavo case. Begin the episode at 2:15. End the clip after they discuss the Pope when Dr. Harvey says, “but in principle, which means there are conditions and times when it can be omitted.”
  2. After viewing the video clips ask students the following questions:
    • What is Dr. Harvey’s interpretation of the Roman Catholic Church’s stance on the removal of a feeding tube, as spoken by the late Pope John Paul II? Is it a clear definition, or is it open to interpretation in his opinion?
    • Discuss the various religious interpretations of the answers to these questions.
  3. Break the students into groups and have each group come up with a list of arguments that the two sides presented during the controversy. Instruct them to list the arguments under the following two titles:
    • Keeping Her Alive
    • Allowing Her to Die
  4. Show the students the following bookmarked RELIGION & ETHICS NEWSWEEKLY segment. You can stream the video from a computer or you can print out the show’s transcript from the RELIGION AND ETHICS NEWSWEEKLY Web site.
  5. At the conclusion of the video clip ask the following questions:
    • Based on Hugh Finn’s widow’s description of Mr. Finn’s state, what do you think she feared would happen if she chose to leave him in that state?
    • Why do you think she made the decision to end his life?
  6. Resume playing the video clip at 6:15 and end at 8:30. Ask the students the following:
    • What were the Finn family’s reasons for keeping Hugh alive?
    • How do the Finn family and Mrs. Finn differ in what they wanted for Hugh?
  7. On the Student Organizer instruct students to answer question #3: What is similar about the Schiavo and Finn cases? What is different about the Schiavo and Finn cases? Did these differences affect the outcomes in either case?

Culminating Activity/Assessment:

Goal: To allow students to summarize then separate the political and religious aspects of the case from the medical.

  1. Explain the following scenario to your students and tell them that — using the Student Organizer — they are going to write a public statement on the issue:
    • You are the mayor of a town with a diverse make up. Two sides have been feuding over the Schiavo case, holding protests in front of city hall, urging townspeople and elected officials to take a stance and offer their support. A large crowd forms outside your office. They demand a statement. Putting yourself in the role of Mayor, write what you feel will serve as the best statement to your constituents, seeing that the two sides are evenly split.

Extension Activities:

  • Have students read the following article, “William Frist Did Not Kill Kenny on South Park“. Ask students to come up with other examples in which they have seen one of their favorite television shows or bands poke fun at a political issue.
  • Write a letter to a trusted friend or relative explaining what you would want to happen if you had the misfortune of ending up in a “persistent vegetative state.”

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