Bioethics Unit: 5 Complete RE Lessons

**Bioethics Unit lessons: **

Lesson 1: The ethics of cloning
Topics Covered: The Ship of Theseus identity thought experiment, reproductive vs. therapeutic cloning, and the ethics of Saviour Siblings.
Core Content: Current UK Law (Human Reproductive Cloning Act 2001 and Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008) contrasted with Christian (Imago Dei) and Muslim viewpoints on playing God and altering DNA.**

Lesson 2: The ethcics of organ donation
Topics Covered: The UK’s Opt-Out system, the history of transplantation, and how NHS Blood and Transplant fairly allocates organs based on urgency and wait time without bias toward money or fame.
Core Content: Real-life emotional impacts (e.g., a mother hearing her late son’s heart) and the complex ethical debate surrounding lifestyle choices and organ allocation, featuring soccer star George Best.

Lesson 3: The ethics of xenotransplantation

Topics Covered: Cross-species transplantation (pigs/primates to humans) and the concept of Speciesism.

Core Content: A comprehensive timeline of scientific milestones including the 1960s Chimpanzee trials, the 2015 CRISPR gene-editing breakthrough, the landmark 2022/2024 pig heart/kidney human trials, and the groundbreaking 2025 pig-to-human liver transplant. Examines Islamic principles of necessity (Haram exemptions) vs. Christian stewardship.

Lesson 4: The ethics of blood transfusions
Topics Covered: The conflict between bodily autonomy, freedom of religion, and the right to life. Core Content: Current UK medical law on informed consent and emergency overrides. Explores the strict refusal of blood products by Jehovah’s Witnesses based on biblical scripture (abstain from blood), contrasted with the supportive viewpoints of the Church of England and mainstream Islam. Features a debate on The Children Act and whether courts should force treatment on minors.

Lesson 5: Application Lesson

Topics Covered: The ultimate synoptic mastery lesson designed to apply student knowledge to complex, real-world and hypothetical bioethical scenarios.Core Content: Features high-interest, controversial case studies including the IVF ethics of Octomom Natalie Suleman and the UK’s oldest IVF mother Elizabeth Adeney. It forces deep ethical evaluation through thought-provoking hypothetical dilemmas, such as the commercial cloning of celebrities like Usain Bolt or Michael Jackson, and the heartbreaking choices surrounding savior siblings.

Target Audience: Secondary RE Teachers, Philosophy and Ethics Coordinators, PSHE Leads.