LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Read about the experience of a teen who received a kidney transplant; identify challenges and benefits involved in both giving and receiving the gift of an organ; distinguish facts from myths about organ transplants.

HEALTH ED STANDARDS

NHES 7: Demonstrate the ability to practice health-enhancing behaviors and avoid or reduce health risks.

CASEL: Social awareness

KEY VOCAB

transplant

toxins

donor

vulnerable

deceased

Lesson Plan: My Life With a Kidney Transplant

Nate, 16, has already lived in more places than many people live in their whole lives. Here’s what he wants you to know about the ups and downs of life as a child of a service member.

PREPARING TO READ

Before you read the article “My Life in a Kidney Transplant,” ask your students the following pre-reading question:

What are the challenges and benefits involved in organ transplants?

READING AND DISCUSSING

  • Have your students read the article “My Life in a Kidney Transplant” independently; read the article out loud to them; or have students partner-read the article out loud.
  • After they’ve read the article, revisit the pre-reading question. Have their answers changed?

BUILDING COMPREHENSION AND VOCAB

Check students’ comprehension of and engagement with the story with the following assessment tools:

  • Comprehension Quiz
  • Vocab Builder

EXPANDING SEL OPPORTUNITIES

Continue the learning journey with the following writing prompt:

In DONOR’S DIARY, students will imagine life as a kidney donor by writing two journal entries from the perspective of John’s cousin Allie. The first entry should describe how Allie felt when she found out she was a match to be John’s kidney donor, why she decided to give John one of her kidneys, and how she felt right before the surgeries. The second entry should describe how she felt after the surgeries once she found out that they were successful. Remind your students that, while they can use the provided prompts to help them organize their ideas, they should also be creative!

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