The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Lesson Plan

Journal Entry

Kind of Activity:

Creative Writing

Objective:

Student will put themselves in the shoes of one of the scientists working on Henrietta and write creatively from their point-of-view.

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.3.D

Structure:

When Dr. Gey's young assistant, Mary, helps him perform the autopsy on Henrietta, she is profoundly affected by seeing Henrietta's chipped, bright pink nail polish.

Imagine you are Mary, returning home after the autopsy. Write a 250-word journal entry from her point of view. How do you imagine she felt after the autopsy? Keep in mind that she had been working with the HeLa cells for months and that this was her first...