As you’ve probably heard, the amazing Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks has been made into a movie with Oprah Winfrey. This two-page reading from the New York Times provides short answers to questions such as:

• How did doctors get the cells?
• Was it illegal to take the cells without her permission?
• What are the rules now in the U.S.?
• If a specimen leads to a product, does the donor have a right to share in the profits?
• What was so special about Henrietta’s cells?
• How have researchers used the cells?
• What makes them grow so well?
• Did everybody always know the origin of the cells?

This reading would good after a  discussion based on a short video about Henrietta Lacks and before looking at a timeline of scientific discovery based on the Hela cells. You might teach the Bacteria Population Growth lesson before as well.

Have you taught Henrietta Lacks? Post your ideas and resources below.