Lesson plan curriculum links

KS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Cross-curricular ideas

• Mexican Day of the Dead.
• Design your own urn.
• Egyptian Art and calligraphy, looking at afterlife and funerals.

Subject info - Geography

As part of population studies in Y8 and Y10, geography students naturally cover births and deaths, e.g:

• The reasons why the rates vary between countries.
• Elderly populations and the implications of this.

Subject info - English

• Shakespeare’s plays cover death a great deal, be it Mercutio or Romeo himself. This is a direct link into discussions about aspirations for life and death.

Subject info - RS

• GCSE: Matters of Life and Death, which deals with a range of beliefs about death and dying, the afterlife, sanctity of life.
• Year 9: Philosophy of Religion, which provides opportunities for discussion about death An introduction to Humanism may also involve questions about dealing with death.
• Year 9: atheism, life after death and legacies.
• Year 9: life of Dame Cicely Saunders, founder of the hospice movement.

Subject info - Music

• Discussions about music to play at funerals.
• Classical lessons on dance macabre - Watch the Day of the Dead film, which looks at Mexican death celebrations.

Subject info - Maths

• Probability: an example of certainty is that the probability that you will die = 1
• Exponential decay about populations of animals becoming extinct.  

Subject info - History

• Year 8: London as a world city; migration from former colonies - many students relate well to this and a discussion leading to where they are now and what they have achieved could lead to what they wish to have achieved before they die.
• GCSE: any topic on war can lead to discussion of death.

Subject info - Well-being

• How people would like to be remembered and priorities in life can be discussed, with students designing own gravestone or writing own epitath.

Visit the Well-being Curriculum page at www.personalwellbeingcentre.org. The Well-Being Curriculum is applicable for primary and secondary school pupils and for students in post-compulsory education. It can also be used in adult groups.