Objectives

• Analyse how Skloot constructs Henrietta Lacks as a three-dimensional individual in Chapters 1–3, identifying the specific narrative and linguistic choices that resist reducing her to a medical specimen.
• Explain how Chapters 4, 6 and 11 use structural juxtaposition to argue that scientific progress was built on racial and economic exploitation.
• Evaluate how Deborah Lacks is characterised across Chapters 7, 9 and 13 as both a victim of systemic injustice and an agent of her own story.
• Write an evidenced analytical paragraph using the PEEL structure that embeds at least two quotations from the text and comments on the effect of specific word choices.
• Construct a sustained essay argument that connects at least three chapters and addresses how Skloot positions the reader to feel moral discomfort about the HeLa story.

The sequence

1. Lesson 1: Who Was Henrietta? Constructing a Person Before a Patient

   60 min · ch. 1, 2, 3

   Do now

   The opening sentence of Chapter 1 states, "Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa." This structure emphasizes her personal identity first before highlighting her scientific significance, suggesting that the book will explore the tension between individual humanity and the broader implications of scientific research.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the paragraph in Chapter 2 ('Clover') where Skloot describes Henrietta's childhood home on Lacks Town Road — the tobacco fields, the log cabin she shared with her cousins, and the red dirt. Illustrate how the buildup of vivid sensory details, like the smell of tobacco and the specific names of her cousins, supports the idea that Henrietta is deeply connected to her community and history long before she becomes a patient. Teach students how to identify this technique (the accumulation of specific proper nouns and sensory imagery), quote accurately, and discuss the impact this has on the reader's understanding of Henrietta.

   Independent task

   Students should craft a complete PEEL paragraph (at least 120 words) addressing the question: "How does Skloot use the beginning of Chapter 3 — particularly the scene where Henrietta arrives at Johns Hopkins and observes the 'colored' and 'white' waiting rooms — to set the racial context for the taking of her cells?" In their responses, students need to include at least two quotes from Chapter 3, identify one language or structural technique, and clarify what Skloot aims for the reader to grasp about power before the biopsy occurs.

   Exit ticket

   In one sentence, state the single most important technique Skloot uses in Chapters 1–3 to ensure the reader knows Henrietta as a person rather than a specimen, and give the exact word or phrase from the text that best demonstrates it.

2. Lesson 2: HeLa Goes Global: Science, Profit and the Family Who Knew Nothing

   60 min · ch. 4, 5, 6

   Do now

   Read the two sentences from Chapter 4 that capture George Gey's excitement as HeLa cells divide in culture: find them and copy them. Then, write one sentence explaining whose perspective is missing from Gey's excitement and why that absence is significant.

   Teacher input

   Model a structural analysis of the contrast Skloot creates between Chapter 4 ('The Birth of HeLa') and Chapter 5 ('Henrietta's Death'): while Gey captures images of thriving cells and calls his colleagues, Henrietta suffers in pain on Ward 2 of Johns Hopkins. Teach students to write about structural juxtaposition by clearly naming it, pinpointing the exact moment when the narrative shifts from the lab to the ward, and arguing that Skloot's choice to place these chapters together serves as a moral commentary on whose story medicine has prioritized.

   Independent task

   Students are tasked with crafting a comparative analytical paragraph of at least 130 words that addresses the following question: "In what ways does Skloot utilize the structural connection between Chapters 4 and 6 to suggest that the Lacks family's poverty and their lack of awareness regarding HeLa's commercial worth is not merely coincidental but rather a result of the same racial hierarchy that permitted the cells to be taken without consent?" In their responses, students should reference at least one specific incident from Chapter 4 (pertaining to the laboratory) and one from Chapter 6 (focused on the polio vaccine factories). They must identify the structural technique used and discuss its cumulative impact on the reader's perception of the scientists involved.

   Exit ticket

   Write one sentence completing this claim: 'By placing Chapter 5 immediately after Chapter 4, Skloot forces the reader to feel _______ because _______,' using your own words rather than copying from any notes.

3. Lesson 3: Deborah's Quest: Voice, Trauma and the Ethics of Knowledge

   60 min · ch. 7, 8, 9

   Do now

   Sure! Here's a humanized version of your text:

   > Without referencing your notes, jot down three things you know about Deborah Lacks based on the chapters you've read so far. Next, craft one question that remains unanswered about her in the book — try to be specific about what you're curious about and explain why it's important to the book's overall argument.

   Teacher input

   Model a character analysis of Deborah in Chapter 7, focusing on the moment when she asks Skloot: "I want to know, does she have a soul? Do the cells know they're her cells?" Explore how to interpret Deborah's question not as a sign of naivety but as a complex theological and philosophical challenge to the scientific perspective that has commodified her mother. Guide students on how to quote dialogue, analyze the choice of words like "soul" and "know," and argue that Deborah's voice in Chapter 7 presents a counter-narrative to the medical establishment's terminology used in Chapters 4 and 6.

   Independent task

   Students are tasked with writing an analytical paragraph of at least 120 words that addresses the question: "How does Skloot depict Deborah in Chapter 9, particularly during their first meeting at the Lacks family home, as someone whose distrust of Skloot is both personally understandable and historically justified?" In their response, students should include at least one direct quote from Deborah and one observation about her physical behavior or the environment as described by Skloot. They need to explain what these elements reveal about Deborah's connection to the HeLa story. Finally, students should wrap up their paragraph with a sentence discussing what Deborah's skepticism indicates about Skloot's narrative ethics.

   Exit ticket

   In two sentences, explain how Deborah's dialogue in Chapter 7 challenges the language used by scientists in Chapters 4 and 6 — name one word from each chapter to support your answer.

4. Lesson 4: Crownsville and Elsie: What the Family Was Never Told

   60 min · ch. 8, 10, 11, 12, 14

   Do now

   Read the paragraph in Chapter 14 where Deborah first sees the photograph of Elsie in the Crownsville hospital records. Copy the sentence that captures Deborah's physical reaction. Then, write two sentences discussing what this moment shows about the connection between institutional power and the Lacks family's ability to access their own history.

   Teacher input

   Here's a humanized version of the provided analysis prompt:

   ---

   Analyze the passage in Chapter 14 where Skloot details the conditions at Crownsville State Hospital during the 1950s, highlighting issues like overcrowding and the experimental procedures carried out on Black patients without their consent. Also, include the moment when Deborah reads Elsie's file. Explore how Skloot employs free indirect discourse to blend Deborah's emotional reactions with her own narrative voice, suggesting that this technique allows the reader to view Deborah's grief as a moral lesson rather than just a personal experience. Identify the technique, quote the relevant passage, and illustrate how the sentence structure (with short, straightforward sentences alternating with longer, more fragmented ones) captures Deborah's shock.

   ---

   Summary of Changes Made:

   • Reworded phrases to enhance clarity and flow while maintaining the original meaning and intent.
   • Simplified sentence structures for a more natural reading experience.
   • Retained all original components, including length and markdown/JSON structure.

   Independent task

   Students are tasked with writing two connected analytical paragraphs (with a combined minimum of 200 words) addressing the following question: "How do Chapters 8 and 14 together illustrate the theme of institutional racism through the experiences of Elsie Lacks, and in what way does Skloot utilize Deborah's discovery of Elsie's records to demonstrate that the Lacks family's pain goes far beyond Henrietta's cells?" In the first paragraph, students need to analyze at least one specific detail from Chapter 8 regarding Elsie's life or her institutionalization. In the second paragraph, they should focus on Deborah's reaction in Chapter 14 and discuss how Skloot's narrative choices in that moment enhance the reader's comprehension of the book's message concerning race, power, and knowledge.

   Exit ticket

   Write one sentence explaining what free indirect discourse is and one sentence identifying exactly where Skloot uses it in Chapter 14 and what emotional effect it creates for the reader at that moment.

5. Lesson 5: The Essay: Arguing Skloot's Moral Case Across the Whole Book

   60 min · ch. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16

   Do now

   Revisit the last two paragraphs of Chapter 16 (the Epilogue). In one sentence, describe the final image Skloot presents to the reader, and in another, share your thoughts on why she opted to conclude there instead of wrapping up with a scientific overview of HeLa's continued applications in research.

   Teacher input

   To construct a compelling thesis statement and essay introduction, we can refer to Chapter 15, titled "The Immortal Woman." In this section, Skloot illustrates how HeLa cells continue to replicate in laboratories around the globe, while the Lacks family struggles to afford health insurance. A strong thesis goes beyond simply stating a topic, such as "Skloot writes about race and medicine." Instead, it should present a debatable, specific claim: "Skloot uses the irony of HeLa's global immortality juxtaposed with the Lacks family's poverty to argue that American medical advancements in the twentieth century relied on the exploitation of Black bodies, highlighting that this is not merely a historical oversight but an ongoing injustice." When introducing this topic, the first three sentences should clearly identify the technique, mention the chapter, and articulate the claim.

   Independent task

   Write a detailed analytical essay of 500–700 words in response to the following question: “How does Skloot use narrative structure and language to argue that the story of HeLa cells cannot be told as a triumph of science without also being told as a story of racial injustice?” Your essay must: begin with a thesis that presents a specific, debatable claim about Skloot's argument; include at least three body paragraphs, each focused on a different chapter (make sure to name the chapters by their titles or numbers); incorporate at least four quotations from the text, with at least one being a moment of dialogue from Deborah Lacks; analyze the impact of specific word choices or structural decisions in each paragraph instead of merely summarizing the plot; and conclude with a final sentence that revisits your thesis and expands on it — avoid simply restating what has already been discussed. You may select any chapters from the book, but Chapters 3, 5, 6, 14, and 15 offer particularly rich material for this topic.

   Exit ticket

   Read back your thesis sentence and write one sentence explaining what a reader who disagreed with your thesis might argue — then write one sentence explaining why the evidence in the text makes your thesis more persuasive than the counter-argument.

Activities

Assessment

• Lesson 1 exit ticket checks whether students can identify and name a specific technique in Chapters 1–3 and anchor it to an exact quotation, rather than making a general thematic observation.
• Lesson 1 PEEL paragraph checks whether students can move beyond plot summary to analyse how the 'colored' and 'white' waiting-room moment in Chapter 3 functions as an argument about power.
• Lesson 2 exit ticket checks whether students can complete a structural claim about Chapters 4 and 5 using their own words, demonstrating understanding of juxtaposition as an authorial choice rather than a coincidence of plot.
• Lesson 3 exit ticket checks whether students can connect Deborah's theological language in Chapter 7 to the scientific register of Chapters 4 and 6, naming specific words from each chapter.
• Lesson 4 exit ticket checks whether students can define free indirect discourse and locate a specific instance of it in Chapter 14, demonstrating that they understand technique as distinct from content.
• Lesson 5 exit ticket checks whether students can articulate a counter-argument to their own thesis and explain why the textual evidence makes their position more persuasive — a marker of genuine argumentative thinking rather than assertion.

Standards covered

Common Core 11 12

• RL.11-12.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• RL.11-12.3 — Analyse the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama.
• RL.11-12.5 — Analyse how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning.
• RL.11-12.6 — Analyse a case in which grasping point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated from what is really meant.
• W.11-12.1 — Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

AP Literature

• Literary Argumentation (LAN-1) — Develop a thesis that makes a defensible claim about an interpretation of literature and defend it with evidence.
• Explaining and Supporting (LAN-1.C) — Develop commentary that establishes and explains relationships among textual evidence, line of reasoning, and thesis.
• Complexity (LAN-1.D) — Demonstrate sophistication of thought by explaining the significance or relevance of the argument within a broader context.
• Character (CHR-1) — Explain the function of a character, including how character choices and development contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole.
• Narrator and Narrative (NAR-1) — Explain the function of point of view, including the effect of a chosen narrative perspective on meaning.

AQA

• AO1 — Read, understand and respond to texts, maintaining a critical style and developing an informed personal response.
• AO2 — Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology.
• AO3 — Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written and received.
• AO4 — Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures for clarity, purpose and effect, with accurate spelling and punctuation.

Edexcel

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts.
• AO3 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received.
• AO5 — Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, selecting and adapting tone, style and register for different forms, purposes and audiences.

IB Lit

• Criterion A — Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the text, including how meaning is constructed through language and literary technique.
• Criterion B — Develop and sustain a literary analysis that addresses how the author's choices of form, structure and language shape meaning.
• Criterion C — Organise ideas in a coherent and logical manner, with a clear line of argument supported by well-chosen textual evidence.