Heart transplant allocation debate
Students will debate how donor hearts should be allocated among competing patients.
Written ranking of transplant allocation criteria with a one-sentence justification for the top criterion and acknowledgment of one tradeoff.
- 1Do thisStudents will debate how donor hearts should be allocated among competing patients.
- 2Use this resource
- 3Submit thisExit ticket: Written ranking of transplant allocation criteria with a one-sentence justification for the top criterion and acknowledgment of one tradeoff.
- 4Submit it here
- 1CMSD website. Go to clevelandmetroschools.org and click the Clever button.
- 2Clever. Clever opens. Sign in if it asks.
- 3Microsoft (district) login. Use your district Microsoft account (the one for school).
- 4Schoology. Open Schoology, then your class, then Assignments, and find the file named below.
The file to submit is named: Human Anatomy & Physiology (Human Body Systems) › Unit 3.1 Cardiopulmonary Connection: Cardiovascular and respiratory systems, blood vessels, heart structure, EKG interpretation. › Exit ticketOpen Schoology
Read to prepare for today
Vetted sources picked for today's question. Skim these before you take a position or start the work, so your argument and evidence are grounded.
- CER:
- Claim, Evidence, Reasoning — make a claim, back it with evidence, explain your reasoning.
- SOP:
- Standard Operating Procedure — the exact steps to follow (especially in a lab).
- Tracker:
- Your PLTW progress log where you record completed evidence.
- myPLTW:
- The PLTW course site where you do the online activities — you open it through Schoology.
Minute-by-minute · 80-minute block
💡 Big idea: Organ allocation decisions expose real tradeoffs between medical urgency, equity, and resource scarcity.
- 0-8Read patient profiles; assign committee groups
- 8-22Group prep: list 2 allocation criteria from your committee's perspective
- 22-40Debate round 1: each group presents its top criterion with justification
- 40-55Challenge round: each group defends ranking against one opposing criterion
- 55-70Individual writing: final ranking with one-sentence justification per criterion
- 70-80Share rankings; submit exit ticket
- • Right now, thousands of patients in the United States are waiting for a donor heart.
- • Today you will sit on the committee that decides who gets the next one.
- • There is no perfect answer, but your reasoning must be defensible and consistent.
- • Leave with a written ranking and a justification for your top criterion.
- 1Read short profiles of patients awaiting a transplant.
- 2Form groups representing the transplant committee.
- 3List two criteria you would use to allocate the heart.
- 4Defend your ranking against one opposing group.
- 5Write your final ranking with one justification.
- • Each student defends an allocation criterion.
- • Groups acknowledge one tradeoff in their ranking.
- • Transplant allocation criteria typically include medical urgency, compatibility, wait time, and likelihood of success.
- • Scarcity of donor organs means every allocation decision involves tradeoffs that affect patient outcomes.
- • Bioethics in cardiology is a component of the Anatomy/Physiology/Pathophysiology WebXam domain.
Your PLTW work today
Unit 3.1 Cardiopulmonary Connection: Cardiovascular and respiratory systems, blood vessels, heart structure, EKG interpretation. · Heart transplant allocation debate
Day 1 of this lesson. Open this exact section in myPLTW (reached through Schoology), then do the work below.
Do this: Open Lesson 3.1 Cardiopulmonary Connection in myPLTW and complete the ethics or debate reflection prompt for today's heart-transplant allocation activity.
Mark the activity complete in myPLTW after submitting your allocation exit ticket.
You finished Lesson 2.3 investigation content; this begins Lesson 3.1, and the task should be checked off today.
Note or screenshot of completion status for your tracker.
All PLTW activities are completed inside the PLTW course environment — this page only gives direction. Submit producibles on Schoology.
Today's PLTW tracker
Check things off as you work, then submit. This tells Mr. Mendoza how you're doing so he can help the class. It does not replace turning in your producible on Schoology.
Use the code Mr. Mendoza gave you, not your name. Saved on this device.
Unit 3.1 Cardiopulmonary Connection: Cardiovascular and respiratory systems, blood vessels, heart structure, EKG interpretation. · Heart transplant allocation debate
Open Lesson 3.1 Cardiopulmonary Connection in myPLTW and complete the ethics or debate reflection prompt for today's heart-transplant allocation activity.
You finished Lesson 2.3 investigation content; this begins Lesson 3.1, and the task should be checked off today.
This is how Mr. Mendoza sees the class keeping pace with PLTW. Be honest, it only helps if it is accurate.
🎯 Students will debate how donor hearts should be allocated among competing patients.
- Read short profiles of patients awaiting a transplant.
- Form groups representing the transplant committee.
- List two criteria you would use to allocate the heart.
- Defend your ranking against one opposing group.
- Write your final ranking with one justification.
Exit ticket: Written ranking of transplant allocation criteria with a one-sentence justification for the top criterion and acknowledgment of one tradeoff.
Submit on SchoologyUpload by 11:29 PM for full credit.
| Task | Who |
|---|---|
| Read short profiles of patients awaiting a transplant. | _______ |
| Form groups representing the transplant committee. | _______ |
| List two criteria you would use to allocate the heart. | _______ |
| Defend your ranking against one opposing group. | _______ |
| Write your final ranking with one justification. | _______ |
Working solo? Put your own name in "Who" for every row.
- Each student defends an allocation criterion.
- Groups acknowledge one tradeoff in their ranking.
Resources & readings
Vetted readings and references for this unit. Use them to prepare, to catch up if you were absent, or to go deeper on today's target.
Lab & supplies
WebXam practice
Cumulative WebXam review
A quick mixed-review pulling questions from earlier units plus today, so the WebXam material stays fresh.
Where this leads — careers
What today's skills lead to. These are real health-science careers this course builds toward. Tap one to see, on the US Department of Labor's O*NET site, what the job actually involves, what it pays, and how fast it is growing.
What to do if you were absent
Debate whether donor hearts should prioritize urgency, likelihood of success, or wait-time; record two points per side.
Then submit your Exit ticket on Schoology.
Class still runs. Complete the online activity above (it's self-guided). Need the concept taught without a teacher? Use this authoritative explainer:
MedlinePlus: Electrocardiogram (EKG/ECG)Optional extra credit (async)
You've passed Unit 2, so the optional extra-credit track is open. Complete reserved-unit work from home (virtual labs included) for extra credit, all submitted on Schoology.
Open the extra-credit track- CompleteEvery required part of the artifact is present, nothing left blank.
- AccurateThe science and the data are correct and match the evidence.
- Scientific reasoningYou explain your claim with evidence and reasoning (CER), not just an answer.
- Professional communicationClear, organized, labeled, and written the way a clinician or scientist would.
- SubmittedTurned in the right way (Schoology for routine work) and confirmed.
Drop your Mon, Nov 16, 2026 · Heart transplant allocation debate here. Use a clear file name (your initials + project). Routine work still goes to Schoology (via the CMSD portal).
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