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Metaphorical Expression
Lesson Plan
Honors Literature & Composition
9
Interdisciplinary Unit centered around The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Students will learn about the Nuremberg Code and how these 10 rules were developed.
Students will use metaphorical expression to become familiar with and relate to this idea.
55 Minutes
Christine Pekatos

Instructional Unit Content

Standard(s)/Element(s)
Content Area Standard
ELACC9-10RI1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly
as well as inferences drawn from the text.
ELACC9-10RI8: Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the
reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and fallacious reasoning.
ELACC9-10RI9: Analyze seminal U.S. documents of historical and literary significance (e.g., Washingtons
Farewell Address, the Gettysburg Address, Roosevelts Four Freedoms speech, Kings Letter from Birmingham
Jail), including how they address related themes and concepts.

Summary/Overview
This lesson focuses on chapter 17 of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, a brief account of the Nuremberg trials
and how they led to the Nuremberg Code. An understanding of the Nuremberg Code is vital for understanding the
course of medical ethics in the last century and the roll of HeLa cells in that history. Through the use of
metaphorical expressions, students will become familiar with the Nuremberg Code and relate to the cotent,
regardless of the extent of historical or scientific background.

Enduring Understanding(s)
At the end of this lesson the student will understand that
a. The Nuremberg code is a list of 10 principles that govern medical ethics worldwide.
b. The difference between these principles and laws.
c. How the Nuremberg Code is a reaction to the Nuremberg trials and Nazi experimentation.
Essential Question(s)
What is considered universally ethical when experimenting on human subjects?
What is informed consent, and what was its role in Dr. Geys experiments growing human cells?
Revised April 2009

Concept(s) to Maintain

Evidence of Learning
What students should know:
a. Nuremberg Trials were convened to try Nazi doctors for unethical and horrendous experiment performed on
holocaust victims.
b. The Nuremberg Code is made up of 10 principles that guide lawmakers worldwide in consistent and ethical
path.
c. The primary goal of the Nuremberg Code is to protect human subjects during experimentation from any
unethical practices.
What students should be able to do:
a. uses direct analogies, personal analogies, and compressed conflicts to explain the principles of medical
ethics.

Suggested Vocabulary

Medical Ethics
Nuremberg Trial

Nuremberg Code

Informed Consent

Procedure(s)
**This lesson plan is contingent on students having read and annotated chapter 17 of the text the night before.
Phase 1: Hook
Students will watch a quick video that details some of the inhumane experiences of subjects of Nazi
Experimentation on youtube, Nazi Medical Experiments- A Living Debate Students are encouraged to respond
to the video on their weekly bellringer sheet and explore their EMOTIONAL response. This emotional reaction
will be a tool to todays lesson.
Video can be located at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1vtoxzfBfA
1.

Phase 2: Examine the Content

Set the Scene: The instructor will ask students to get out their annotations for chapter 17. Using their text,
notes, and elbow partner, students will compare annotations and discuss the key points of the chapter.
3. Pose the Essential Questions. What is considered universally ethical when experimenting on human
subjects? What is informed consent, and what was its role in Dr. Geys experiments growing human cells?
2.

Revised April 2009

Phase 3: Analogies
During the remainder of class, students will be developing analogies individually, in pairs, and in small groups. Each
student needs to keep a log of all of their analogies that will act as a record of the days lesson.
Direct Analogy: Students will identify the similarities and differences between the Nuremberg Code and a
fence. In pairs, working with their elbow partners, students should create as many analogies as possible.
5. After 5 minutes, each pair will join another pair to make a small group. This group will share their anologies.
6. Personal Analogy: Students will compare the Nuremberg Code to limitations in their own life in order to make
personal analogies. Guiding questions:
Students will write a paragraph, poem, or song in the first person about their life as a plant.
7. Compressed Conflict: Working individually, students will list as many adjectives as possible to describe their
understanding of the 10 principles in the Nuremberg Code. After 2 minutes, students will join their elbow
partners and choose the 5 best adjectives. Using these adjectives, students will walk through the process of
creating compressed conflicts. At the end of this activity, pairs will volunteer to share their created analogies OR
to challenge the rest of the class with a particularly complex compressed conflict analogy.
4.

Phase 4: Synthesis Activity

8.

Candidates will generate another direct analogy by completing the following sentence: The Nuremberg Code is
like ________. Give at least 3 reasons why the principles of ethics are like the item in your sentence.

Summarizing Activity

Exit Ticket: Individually, write a quick summary of your annotations from chapter 17 that addresses the
Essential Questions. Students will be used to this process, as it is an activity required by Cornell Notes, used
school-wide.

Resource(s) :
Anchor Text(s): The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, specifically chapter 17: Illegal, Immoral, and Deplorable
(19541966)
Technology: YouTube Video: Nazi Medical Experiments- A Living Debate
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1vtoxzfBfA
Handouts:
Handout 1: Nuremberg Code Principles Organizers
Handout 2: Analogies Record

Revised April 2009