Ethics in the Science Classroom
Are they fair?
Are they fair?
Kidney Pools is a unit in which students examine the scientific and ethical issues surrounding
Middle School Life Science
Students would have learned the functions of kidneys and perhaps have performed a lab
dissection of a sheep kidney.
Students would have discussed the differences between values, morals and ethical
principles. Perhaps a poster is in the classroom that defines each of the ethical principles.
After the end of the unit, students will be able to:
• understand the impact of organ donation/transplantation,
• practice logical arguments and rational discourse,
• Demonstrate a respect for diverse perspectives.
Washington State EALR’s:
2. The students knows and applies the skills and processes of science and technology.
To meet this standard, the student will:
2.1 develop abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
2.2 apply science knowledge and skills to solve problems or meet challenges
3. The student understands the nature and contexts of science and technology.
To meet this standard, the student will:
3.1 understand the nature of scientific inquiry
3.2 know that science and technology are human endeavors, interrelated to each other, to
society, and to the workplace
1. The student uses listening and observation skills to gain understanding.
To meet this standard, the student will:
1.1 focus attention
1.2 listen and observe to gain and interpret information
1.check for understanding by asking questions and paraphrasing
2. The student communicates ideas clearly and effectively.
To meet this standard, the student will:
2.1 communicate clearly to a range of audiences for different purposes
2.2 develop content and ideas
3. The student uses communication strategies and skills to work effectively with
To meet this standard, the student will:
3.1 use language to interact effectively and responsibly with others
3.2 work cooperatively as a member of a group
3.3 seek agreement and solutions through discussion
Lesson Activity Materials Required
1a Starter Activity • Printed scenarios for each student
• Starter Activity Worksheet for each
Get students to start thinking about kidney student
1b Search & Find • Articles on kidney transplant
Get student to research current facts about
kidney donation process.
2 Case Study Part 1 • Printed case study for each student
• Case Study Part 1 Worksheet for
Introduce students to single stakeholder group each student
• Person in need of transplant, not in pool
• Transplant Coordinator
• Family member of person who died because
no kidney was available
3 Case Study Part 2 • Printed case study for each student
• Case Study Part 2 Worksheet for
Students work in mixed stakeholder groups to each student
come to an answer to ethical question presented
in case study.
A group spokesperson will share their decision
with the class.
Each student writes a paragraph on their groups’
decision and their reasoning.
4 Assessment • Printed handout on case study
Apply ethical skills to new case study involving
Lesson 1a: Starter Activity
Copy for each student: Ethical Decision Making worksheet
Copy for each group: Scenarios
1. Move students into groups of 4-5.
2. Choose one student to read the scenarios out loud.
3. Have the students discuss and decide on the person who will receive the kidney.
4. Have the students complete the response worksheet and hand it in.
Lesson 1b: Search and Find
Copy for each student: Search and Find worksheet
Copy for each group: set of three articles (“Donate a kidney to a stranger, move your
loved one up on the list,” “Medical Encyclopedia: Kidney Transplant”-MedlinePlus,
“Transplantation”- Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford)
1. Distribute materials to students and allow them time to ‘search and find’ the
answers to the questions to provide a background in kidney transplantation.
Lesson 2: Case Study Part 1
Copy for each student: Case Study, Case Study Part 1 worksheet
Copy one set for each group: Stakeholder Cards, cut apart
1. Distribute the Case Study for students to read (aloud or independently).
2. Ask students to identify the relevant facts from the case study—list on the board
or overhead for viewing.
3. Ask students to try to identify the ethical question. (Recall background
information from earlier lessons regarding transplantation). If students do not
come up with the ethical question, prompt them by asking how this particular case
study influences John. (“How would John be affected if his dad was not willing to
Ethical Question— Should kidney pools be used to increase an individual’s
chance of receiving a kidney?
4. After reading the case study, students shall identify the stakeholders in the
5. Stakeholders are those who are affected by or have a vested interest in the given
Stakeholders include: donor, direct recipient, family of direct recipient,
indirect recipient, family of indirect recipient, family of donor, (not
mentioned in case study, but important to consider) person in need of
transplant NOT IN POOL, transplant coordinator, family member of person
who died because of not receiving a kidney. . .
6. Divide students into groups of five to discuss the ethical question. Each group will
include the organ donor (the father), the indirect recipient (John), person in need
of transplant that is NOT IN POOL, transplant coordinator, family member of
person who died because of not receiving a kidney. Add or remove stakeholders
to adjust for group size (see above/student generated lists).
7. Distribute Case Study Part 1 worksheet to students which will guide their
discussions in the single stakeholder group. Remind students of the discussion
guidelines in the Primer, page 32. Each student will be responsible for
understanding the values and perspective of an individual stakeholder.
8. Move all of the same stakeholders into a group, i.e. all donors are in one group,
and all indirect recipients are in another group, etc. Distribute stakeholder cards to
each group to use as reference. Students will spend approximately 10 minutes
discussing the role of their stakeholder in the case study to ensure understanding.
9. Collect worksheets from students to determine any gaps in understanding before
moving on to part 2.
Lesson 3: Case Study Part 2
Copy for each student: Case Study Part 2 worksheet
1. Student will reconvene in multiple stakeholder groups, which include one
representative from each single stakeholder group.
2. This group will now share the information that was collected from the single
stakeholder group. Students should have their Case Study Part 1 worksheet to
guide their discussion.
3. Distribute Case Study Part 2 worksheet to all students which includes a place to
record the values and perspective from all of the other stakeholders in the case
4. Each group shall try to determine an answer to the ethical question, now that they
have all the stakeholder values recorded. Groups should consider which ethical
principle guides their thinking, and be prepared to share a short summary of their
decision with the class.
5. After each group has shared their decision, provide an opportunity for whole
group discussion regarding the ethical “answer.”
6. Assign concluding paragraph task for individual students (found on the back of
Case Study Part 2 worksheet). Collect.
Scenarios for Start Activity
For the purpose of this activity, assume that all participants are a perfect match for
the available kidney, and that they all have sufficient medical coverage.
Jane is a fun loving 15-year old who enjoyed being a cheerleader for her school. She has
a hereditary kidney disease. The conditions of her kidneys are now getting worse and
there is only one functional kidney left that is barely working. Jane has been waiting for
a kidney transplant since she was 13 years old, and now has only two weeks to live. This
has been a very difficult time for her mother, who is single. Jane has one younger brother
who is healthy at this time.
Jennifer is 24 years old and recently married her best friend, Heath. Heath and Jennifer
have trained together for the past 3 years and are now a famous ice-skating pair. During
the past few years, Jennifer struggled with high blood pressure that has led to kidney
failure. Recently, her condition worsened and she needs dialysis 4 times a week. Upset
that this is affecting her training for the Spokane Ice Skating Championship, Jennifer
hopes to get a transplant soon.
Bill is a retired farmer in Washington. He is 70 years old, with 6 children and 20
grandchildren. He has kidney failure due to diabetes just after celebrating his 50th
wedding anniversary. He wants to travel but has not been able to because he is on
dialysis. This has limited his activities for the past 6 years.
Jim has always wanted to be a professional football player. Although he is a smoker, he
is healthy enough to be the quarterback for UW. He likes to spend time with his friends
and ride motorcycle. Recently, he fainted during one of the football practice sessions and
was later diagnosed with kidney failure. He has only 3 months to live if a transplant is
Tami is a 39 year old mother who home schools her 5 children. She lives in a rural area,
about 2 hours from the nearest hospital. She has nephritic syndrome where high levels of
proteins are leaked from her blood. This results in kidney failure. She needs dialysis 3
times a week and spends much time traveling to and from the hospital. With 5 children,
it is hard for her husband to keep his job as a farm veterinarian.
Student Handout: Decision Making Model
Directions: Based on the information given, you are to select only 1 patient to receive a
1. To make this decision, what is the most important information?
2. Why did you identify this as important? (Values)
3. Who was selected as the recipient? Why?
4. If you were to make a policy to determine who gets a kidney, what would you
Search and Find Questions
Directions: Read the associated articles about kidney transplants and answer the following
questions to gain background knowledge about kidney transplants and pools.
1. What is a kidney transplant?
2. How common are kidney transplants?
3. Who might need a kidney transplant?
4. Where do donated kidneys come from? (List 3)
5. How many children in the United States need a kidney transplant? How many adults
in the United States need a kidney transplant?
6. What tests are performed to determine if a donor matches a recipient?
7. How are transplanted organs allocated?
8. How long does it take to get a new kidney?
9. Explain the “Hope Through Sharing” program (kidney pool).
10. What is a benefit of kidney pools?
Kidney Transplant Case Study
John Stevens was 7 years old when he was diagnosed with Alport’s
Syndrome, an inherited kidney disease he received from his mother's side of
the family. This rare disorder (2 in 10,000) causes kidney failure and usually
develops in people between adolescence and age 40.
Of those diagnosed with Alport's, fewer still develop kidney problems as a
result. His mother, Terri, and sister, Allison, also have Alport's, but
chances are, because they are women, they will not develop symptoms of
the disease. His grandfather died at age 39 from kidney failure related to
Alport's. It struck John in 2002 when he was just 13.
Around Christmas, John began to have problems seeing. He went to an eye
doctor and after several tests, they discovered his blood pressure was at an
extremely dangerous level -- 260/140. Because of this, capillaries in his
retina were bleeding, causing blurred vision. An hour later, he was in the
intensive care unit at a local hospital.
His doctor explained that the high blood pressure was a direct result of
kidney failure and not reversible; he would eventually need dialysis and/or a
transplant. John’s creatinine, a measure of kidney function, was now at 4.6.
-- the normal range is .8 to 1.4 -- but with blood pressure control, the
decline could be slowed or even stalled.
In addition, as kidney function declines, the kidneys produce less and less
erythropoietin, a hormone that aids in the production of red blood cells
(RBC). As the level of RBC declines, fatigue and anemia set in, leaving one
constantly tired. John began receiving injections to stabilize the RBC levels.
The doctor, John, and his family began to discuss transplant options. The
long-term survival rate for kidney donation from a living person is much
higher than from that of a cadaveric kidney, therefore, John’s family
insisted on a live donor. John’s mother and sister were not suitable donors
because they were also diagnosed with Alport’s Syndrome. John’s father,
Scott, was the perfect candidate for the transplant. However, after the
blood test it was found that he was not a suitable donor due to a different
Although John’s father was not a suitable donor for John he gave one of his
kidneys to a stranger through the living donor program. In exchange, John
will get the next compatible kidney received by the donor program. John’s
wait is being estimated at weeks instead of years. Without a transplant,
John might live only four years and would be facing dialysis for four hours a
day, four days a week the rest of that time.
Stakeholder - “John” Indirect Recipient:
You are a 13 year old boy, John Stevens, who has been diagnosed with Alport’s
Syndrome. Your father wanted to donate his kidney to you, however, he was not a
match and therefore the transplant could not take place. Your father graciously
donated one of his kidneys to a stranger which moved you to the top of the kidney
donation list. You are expecting your kidney within a few weeks rather than years.
Stakeholder - “Scott” Donor:
Your 13 year old son, John, needs a kidney because he has been diagnosed with
Alport’s Syndrome. You wanted to donate your kidney directly to him, but
unfortunately you were not a match. However, you have graciously donate your kidney
to a stranger and with that act have moved your son John to the top of the donor list.
He will be the next to receive a matched kidney, which is estimated to be within the
next couple of weeks.
Stakeholder - Person needing a transplant who is not in the pool:
You are a 47 year old woman, with 12 year old twin girls. Your kidneys are failing and
are required to go into dialysis 3 days a week for 3-4 hours at a time. You have
been on the national transplant list for the past 2 years and are currently expected to
have a kidney within 5 months. However, you get bumped lower on the list because
John has priority due to his dad’s kidney donation.
Stakeholder – Transplant Coordinator:
You are responsible for the national transplant waiting list. With the aid of computer
matching you decide who will receive the next available organ. Everyday you are able
to match donors and recipients to save lives. This includes cadaveric donors, living
donors, recipients from the waiting list, and recipients from a donor pool. On average
17 patients die everyday while awaiting an organ, simply because the organ they
needed did not become available in time.
Stakeholder – Family member of person who died due to not receiving a kidney?
Your father just recently passed away from kidney failure. He was on the national
transplant waiting list for 3 years. Although he was towards the top of the national
waiting list a matched donor never came available. There was hope for a transplant a
year ago but the matched kidney went to a public figure who was given priority.
Case Study Part 1 Single Stakeholder Group
1. What is important to this stakeholder? (values)
2. Is the situation described in the case study positive or negative for this
stakeholder? Provide evidence*.
*You may also identify concerns you have.
3. Questions that remain about the case study, stakeholder. . .
Case Study Part 2 Multiple Stakeholder Group
• What is your answer to the ethical question?
• Which ethical principle is represented by this answer? Explain.
Autonomy— ‘respect the individual’
Nonmaleficence—‘do no harm’
Beneficence—‘do good’ ‘help others’
Justice – ‘be fair’
Write a paragraph that explains your position or answer to the ethical question. Include
evidence to support your answer, as well as explain which ethical principle your position
supports. Find evidence from your stakeholder group work.
Ethical Decision Making Assessment
Directions: Read the following case study below and answer the following questions in
Ethical Question: Should people who participate in flashy publicity campaigns get priority
Consider the story of the California couple who appeared on the Phil Donahue show to plea
for a heart for their dying baby son. Part way through the show, a call came from a
spokesperson from a hospital in Michigan: “We are donating a heart to the baby in Loma
Linda, California.” After tears and embraces and a disclaimer that the donation had not
been arranged ahead of time, the couple left the show to head back to California, where
subsequently the heart transplant took place. On closer inspection, it turned out that a
baby in Kentucky was at the top of the transplant list and should have received the Michigan
The need for organs is great, but the supply is small. By mid 1999, some 63,000 people in
the United States were awaiting organs, but most would not get them. How should the
choice be made as to who gets available organs? Is it really fair that media-savvy,
celebrities, or powerful people seem to be able to “jump the queue?”
1. Who are the stakeholders in the above case study?
2. Based on the information given, what do you think the values of each stakeholder
3. How are each of the stakeholders affected due to the heart donation?
4. End–stage heart disease differs from end-stage kidney disease. Heart disease
patients will die without a transplant, whereas patients with kidney failure can stay
alive for years with dialysis. How would the attitudes and outlooks of patients with
end-stage heart disease differ from those with end-stage kidney disease?
5. What is your answer to the ethical question - Should people who participate in
flashy publicity campaigns get priority for transplants?
6. Which ethical principle is represented by your answer, Autonomy, Nonmaleficence,
Beneficence, or Justice? Explain your answer.
7. What other questions would you need to know before you could make an ethical
decision about giving a heart to the baby in California vs. the baby in Michigan?
Reference: Kennedy Institute
Additional Teacher Hints and Resources
Possible Questions to pose during stakeholder discussions
• Could someone be coerced into a paired donation situation?
• Do we have a shortage of organs?
• Who should get priority for available kidneys? Should lifestyle, age, previously
transplanted organs matter?
• How should organs be allocated?
• What about a person who is in need of a kidney that cannot enter the pool?
• Should transplants be allowed between non-related people, or limited to blood
• Explore the issue of organ selling, organ farming (Coma by Robin Cook).
• The Urban Myth of organ stealing (print copy attached).
• www.me2international, provides a paired donation searching/matching service for
$96.00 a month. Hmm. .. .
• Explore other means (besides pools) that may be used to bump a person in need of a
transplant to the top of the list, e.g. celebrity status,
Other Helpful Resources:
www.unos.org United Network for Organ Sharing