The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

What kinds of ethical questions come up when writing nonfiction? What kinds of oversight or standards exist for nonfiction writers to follow? What are the consequences of not following these standards? How can nonfiction writers create engaging narratives within the parameters of these standards?

Teaching Suggestion: This question can be implemented in small groups or class discussion to activate prior knowledge before exploring the resources below or as a reading check or discussion prompt after students explore the resources.  

• This webpage outlines the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics to provide context for ethical standards in journalism, offering criteria by which students can evaluate Skloot’s book through the unit.
• Rebecca Skloot’s website offers several videos regarding her process and strategies for writing ethically from source material.

Short Activity

Interview an adult about what happened during a well-known news event they remember but for which you were not present, such as 9/11, the fall of the Berlin Wall, or Hurricane Katrina. Then, following the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics, do your best to ethically recreate a narrative of this event.