WEBQUEST
ORGAN TRANSPLANTS:
WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS?
Ms. Williams
INTRODUCTION:
People in need of an organ transplant will face
many problems. They will need to 1)
somehow obtain a new organ, 2) have it surgically implanted and 3) hope that it
will work in their body. Organ availability, preventing transplant
rejection, and surgical expertise are all required.
You are a student writing an article for the
school paper. Some of the immigrants at
your school report that their parents sold their kidneys in order to come to
TASK:
You will create a ten-slide PowerPoint presentation or a detailed web page on
the problem of black marketeering in human organs and how American public
policy impacts on the trade.
PROCESS:
I. Research the websites provided below (in
Resources/Research) to gather information about what it would be like to need
an organ transplant. The websites will
also give information on American public policy regarding organ
transplantation.
II. Perform
the Task by responding to the following:
A. Pick an organ. Describe its anatomical features and
functions. Then consider that your organ
was diseased and that you needed a new one. Consider how you will obtain a new
organ, how it will be paid for and the likeliness of successful transplantation.
Describe the quality of life you will have without the transplant. Investigate
how you might put yourself on a donor list or put out a contract for a black
market 'part' in
Summarize your initial
findings on the following worksheets:
Worksheet 1
(Defining the Problem)
Worksheet 2
(Gathering Evidence)
Worksheet 3
(Determining the Causes)
B. Devise a suitable public policy for
increasing the availability of organs in the
Summarize your initial findings on the
following worksheets:
Worksheet 4
(Evaluate a Policy)
Worksheet 5
(Develop Solutions)
RESOURCES/RESEARCH:
I. To obtain a new organ: Your first hope may
be that someone unrelated to you dies in an accident and leaves you their
organs. (Anatomical gifts must be
legally designated). Read how an
anatomical gift is made: http://www.mobar.org/pamphlet/anatom.htm. You might ask a family member to perhaps
donate a kidney or part of their liver.
There is a black market for organs. These organs were stolen from the
dead; or perhaps some poor soul will sell you a kidney for the right
price. Read about the black market in
anatomical organs:
http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/tandi/tandi30.html
http://www.american.edu/TED/prisonorgans.htm
http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m0GER/2000_Summer/63500744/p1/article.jhtml
http://reason.com/rb/rb121703.shtml
II. Have the organ surgically
implanted: Which organs are commonly
used in organ transplants? Research the
success rates of organ transplantation.
What is the cost of organ replacement surgery? How long does the
surgical training take? How many transplant doctors are available?
http://www.asts.org/fellowship2.cfm
http://www.classkids.org/library/classqa/txsurgeon.htm
III. Hope that the organ works in your body: Be
aware that the immune system identifies self from non-self, causing many
transplants to be rejected. (There are immunosuppresive
drugs which may help suppress this reaction). Research how these drugs work and
their success rates. http://health.yahoo.com/health/encyclopedia/000815/0.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/immune/transplant.shtml
In the future you may contract to have a clone of your organ
grown for you. The cloned organ will not be rejected from your body.
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.01/cloning.html
http://fpeng.peopledaily.com.cn/200003/03/eng20000303T102.html
http://www.religioustolerance.org/clo_ther.htm
IV. Public Policy Issues:
A. There is a desperate
shortage of donor organs. Should we change our policy and automatically harvest
usable organs from people in the
B. Should the black market
sale of human organs be banned, or should it be encouraged? What are the social
implications for each?
C. Is the cost of
transplant surgery "worth it"? Could the expense of saving one life
be better utilized? Examine issues of
hospital insurance payments for transplantation surgery.
D. The
EVALUATION:
Grading:
D- read the webquest and take no
other action
C - click on the links in the webquest
and read more about the topics.
B - perform the task,
A - perform the task and also read a novel or watch a movie
which has organ transplantation as the theme. (for
example; read Robin Cook's COMA). Comment on the relevance of the movie or
novel to your WebQuest.
Standards:
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The
present Web Quest focuses on the following Science Performance Standards: |
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S5
Scientific Thinking |
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S5d: Proposes, recognizes, analyzes, considers, and
critiques alternative explanations; and distinguishes between fact and
opinion. |
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S5e: Identifies problems; proposes and implements solutions;
and evaluates the accuracy, design, and outcomes of investigations. |
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S6
Scientific Tools and Technologies |
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S6d: Acquires information from multiple sources. |
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S7:
Scientific Communication |
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S7a: Represents data and results in multiple ways. |
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S7b: Argues from evidence. |
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This web quest also focuses on the
following English Language Arts Performance Standards: |
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E1c: Read and comprehend informational materials. |
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E2a: Produce a report
of information. |
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E3c: Prepare and
deliver an individual presentation. |
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E4b: Analyze and
subsequently revise work to improve its clarity and effectiveness. |
CONCLUSION:
Your
investigation into organ transplantation has taken you from a sick individual
to one whose health has been restored.
In the process, you've learned about American health policies and may
have traveled to foreign countries in order to obtain organs. You may battle with some ethical and economic
issues and ultimately come to the conclusion that your life was worth saving,
whatever the cost.