The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

What kinds of ethical questions come up when writing nonfiction? What kinds of oversight or standards exist for nonfiction writers to follow? What are the consequences of not following these standards? How can nonfiction writers create engaging narratives within the parameters of these standards?

Teaching Suggestion: This question can be implemented in small groups or class discussion to activate prior knowledge before exploring the resources below or as a reading check or discussion prompt after students explore the resources.  

• This webpage outlines the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics to provide context for ethical standards in journalism, offering criteria by which students can evaluate Skloot’s book through the unit.
• Rebecca Skloot’s website offers several videos regarding her process and strategies for writing ethically from source material.

Short Activity

Interview an adult about what happened during a well-known news event they remember but for which you were not present, such as 9/11, the fall of the Berlin Wall, or Hurricane Katrina. Then, following the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics, do your best to ethically recreate a narrative of this event.

Teaching Suggestion: This can work as an individual, pair, or small-group task. Emphasizing the process over the product may increase focus and engagement. Consider closing the activity with a class discussion or written reflection related to challenges faced and how the activity may have expanded perspectives regarding nonfiction writing.

• This webpage outlines the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics to provide context for ethical standards in journalism before reading and offering criteria by which to evaluate Skloot’s book through the unit.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students with organizational or executive functioning differences may benefit from graphic organizers or steps to follow to put their narrative together loosely based on the code of ethics. Nonverbal or socially anxious students may benefit from supportive peer grouping or individual work. Internet narratives can be used as a substitution for interviewing people for these students.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

Are companies justified in taking your data when you consent to using their free apps or visiting their websites? How much do you think about the cookies requests when visiting websites, or how often do you read the fine print on free apps or software you might use? Do you know exactly what you are consenting to when you accept cookies or use free apps and software? Does it matter to you how companies use it? Now imagine this was not data, but genetic information taken from you during a medical test you agreed to. Should those people be able to give or sell your information to researchers looking to treat and cure disease? Why or why not? Are these two ideas similar or different? Explain your reasoning.    

Teaching Suggestion: This works best as a personal reflection but can be extended in a post-reflection debate or discussion.