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"Why dying matters to me"

Why is the way we die so important to us?

Watch the film

In the words of others...

‘How people die remains in the memory of those who live on.’

Dame Cicely Saunders (founder of the modern hospice movement)

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Home » Resources » School lesson plan » Lesson plan curriculum links

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.

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