Activity Introduction
Quick summary: Students explore the personal qualities and strategies that can be used when having difficult conversations. They begin by creating a mind-map of personal qualities used to improve difficult conversations and then identify some of these qualities and the strategies used to employ these qualities in a clip from the documentary Dying To Live. Students then work in groups to create a poster about personal qualities and strategies to share with the class. Finally, students are invited to imagine they are preparing to have a difficult conversation about organ and tissue donation with their families and to create a script for this conversation that incorporates personal qualities and strategies.
Dying To Live is a documentary feature film that examines organ and tissue donation and transplantation in Australia through seven different stories that highlight the social, physical and emotional effects of being on the organ donor waiting list. The film also aims to dispel myths about organ and tissue donation while encouraging family conversations, so that family members are aware of their loved ones’ donation intentions. Find out how to screen or view the film here.
Learning intentions:
- Students understand what personal qualities can be helpful when having difficult conversations.
- Students understand that certain strategies can be strengthen the impact of personal qualities.
21st century skills:
Australian Curriculum Mapping
Content descriptions:
Year 7 & 8 Health and Physical Education
- Investigate the benefits of relationships and examine their impact on their own and others’ health and wellbeing (ACPPS074)
- Analyse factors that influence emotions, and develop strategies to demonstrate empathy and sensitivity (ACPPS075)
- Evaluate health information and communicate their own and others’ health concerns (ACPPS076)
Syllabus outcomes: PDHPE4.3, PDHPE4.8, PDHPE4.11, PDHPE4.13, PDHPE4.16.
General capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking, Personal and Social Capability, Ethical Understanding, Intercultural Understanding.
Cross-curriculum priority: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures OI.8.
Relevant parts of 7 & 8 Health and Physical Education achievement standards: Students analyse factors that influence emotional responses. They investigate strategies and practices that enhance their own, others’ and community health, safety and wellbeing.
Topic: Social Issues, Learning Through Film
Unit of work: Dying To Live – H&PE – Years 7–10
Time required: 60 mins.
Level of teacher scaffolding: Medium – Facilitate discussions and oversee poster-making activity.
Resources required: Student Worksheets – one copy per student. Device capable of presenting a video to the class. Poster making materials. Poster Assessment Rubric. Butcher’s paper and pens, or devices with mind-mapping software (for brainstorming). Individual (or group) online devices for additional research and image-sourcing (optional).
Related Professional Development: Exploring General Capabilities: Ethical Understanding
Keywords: Dying To Live, organ and tissue donation, conversation, personal qualities.
Cool Australia’s curriculum team continually reviews and refines our resources to be in line with changes to the Australian Curriculum.
Cool Australia, Aquarius Productions and Intrinsic Story would like to acknowledge the generous contributions of GoodPitch² Australia, Shark Island Institute, and Documentary Australia Foundation in the development of these teaching resources.
