Illness as Metaphor?
In this activity, students will debate the advantages and disadvantages of metaphoric thinking about illness.
ILLNESS LESSON 1: CLASS DEBATE
1-2 class periods (60-90 min)
VIDEOS:
Illness as Metaphor Video and Transcript (as needed)
HANDOUTS:
Handout 1 (as needed),
Handout 2 (as needed)
WORKSHEET:
Class Debate Worksheet
TEACHING PLAN:
Class Debate Activity
- Art and Culture
Subject Matter > Philosophy
- History and Social Studies
Themes > Culture
Themes > History of Science and Technology
Themes > Modern World
Themes > War and Foreign Policy
- Literature and Language Arts
Place > Modern World
Place > American
- Analysis
- Compare and contrast
- Critical thinking
- Cultural analysis
- Debate skills
- Discussion
- Evaluating arguments
- Historical analysis
- Interpretation
- Logical reasoning
- Making inferences and drawing conclusions
- Oral communication
- Oral presentation skills
- Persuasive writing and speaking
- Representing ideas and information orally
- Summarizing
- Synthesis
- Textual analysis
- ELA Reading: 1, 4, 7
- ELA Speaking & Listening: 1-2, 4-6
- ELA Language: 5
- HSS Reading: 2, 4, 7-9
Complete the lesson now with one of our Student Activity Options
- Allow additional time for Preparation of Arguments (in-class or as an assignment), asking students to research a few specific cancers or illnesses and reference their historical myths and metaphors in their response (see Illness Unit Research handout for related texts and resources), or to incorporate digital media into their presentation.
- Arguments may also be turned in as written summaries, response papers, or media presentations.