Interdisciplinary Perspectives on HeLa Cells

By: Mrs. Vanessa Mehenti
from Meira Academy

Category:
Interdisciplinary Integration

Subject(s) of entry:
Halacha, Literature, Science

Pedagogy:
Constructivist, IBL - inquiry based learning, PBL - project based learning, 21st Century Skills

Grade(s) to which this was taught:
12, High school

Grade(s) for which this will be useful:
11, 12, High school

My 12th grade AP Language and Composition students read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, a non-fiction text which explores the intersection of race, American history, and medical ethics through the lens of the discovery of an immortal cell line tied to an African-American woman named Henrietta Lacks. My students’ final project was to examine these intersections through a project that blended independent research with multi-media content. Of particular interest to this category is the student project that tackled the ethical questions raised in the text through the lens of Judaic studies; students who completed this project consulted primary sources as well as experts in Jewish medical ethics to create a presentation they later delivered to the entire student body.

Entry Narrative

 

Entry Document Attachments

Presentation Files