Thinking about Death
Help the students to think about death in terms of the near future as typically teens assume they have plenty of time to better themselves and to reach unlimited goals. Setting a limit on life often brings our true values into sharper focus. Print out the following activity and have the students follow complete each step. Note that Step 3 involves a group discussion. Step 1 Suppose you have a terminal illness. You have only three months more of life. The doctor says that you will feel little pain until the final week, so you can continue doing whatever you would like to do until then. What are ten things you would most like to do? Write them down. Step 2 Now rank your “last things to do list in order of importance to you with “1” b3eing most important, “2” being second most important, and so on. Step 3 Meet in a group with four to five classmates. Compare your top three rankings with the group. Then broaden the discussion with the following questions: Would you want to know when you were going to die? Why or why not? What is the best way for a person your age to prepare for the death that will someday befall you? How does your belief in the afterlife affect the way you live your daily life? Explain.
