Understanding Surrogacy

Lesson Overview

• Subject: Religious Education
• Year Group: Year 9
• Lesson Duration: 60 minutes
• Curriculum Area: AQA GCSE Religious Studies A – Theme B (Religion and Families)
• Learning Objectives:
  • Identify what surrogacy is and its purpose.
  • Compare and contrast different perspectives on surrogacy.
  • Analyse religious and ethical viewpoints on surrogacy.

Lesson Structure

1. Do Now Activity (5 minutes)

Task: Display the following scenario on the board:

"A couple is unable to conceive a child due to medical reasons. They decide to seek help from a woman who agrees to carry and give birth to a baby for them. This is called surrogacy."

Discussion Questions:

• What do you already know about surrogacy?
• Why might people choose surrogacy?
• Can you think of any ethical or religious concerns that might arise?

(Students discuss in pairs for 2 minutes, then share their thoughts in class discussion.)

---

2. Date, Title & Learning Objective (5 minutes)

• Date: [Teacher to input today's date]
• Title: Religious Views on Surrogacy
• Learning Objective:
  • Identify what surrogacy is.
  • Compare and contrast different perspectives on surrogacy.
  • Analyse the ethical and religious debates surrounding surrogacy.

Students write this in their books.

---

3. Definition Challenge (10 minutes)

Task: Display the following definition with misspellings on the board:

"Surrgacy is a arragment were a women agrees to carry and give birht to a child fo another person or couple."

Student Task: Correct the spelling mistakes in their books before discussing the correct version.

✅ Correct AQA GCSE Definition:
"Surrogacy is an arrangement where a woman agrees to carry and give birth to a child for another person or couple."

---

4. Case Studies (15 minutes)

Task: Students work in small groups and receive different case studies of individuals who have used surrogacy. Examples include:

1. The Smith Family – A couple unable to conceive due to medical reasons.
2. Amelia’s Story – A single woman using surrogacy.
3. International Surrogacy (India) – A couple using a surrogate from another country.
4. Religious Conflict – A Christian couple struggling with ethical dilemmas over surrogacy.

Student Task:

• Identify key facts about their assigned case.
• Discuss whether they think surrogacy was appropriate in their case.
• Share findings with the class in a brief discussion.

---

5. Religious Teachings on Surrogacy (15 minutes)

Task: Provide students with an information sheet containing religious views on surrogacy including quotations.

Christianity

• Catholic View: Surrogacy is generally not accepted as it interferes with God's natural plan.
  • "Children are a gift from the Lord" (Psalm 127:3)
• Protestant View: Some denominations may accept surrogacy if it helps a loving family.
  • "Love your neighbour as yourself" (Mark 12:31)

Islam

• Traditional Islamic View: Surrogacy is not generally permitted as it may break lineage rules.
  • "Allah is the Creator of all things" (Qur’an 39:62)
• Some Modern Views: Some scholars believe gestational surrogacy (using the couple’s own embryo) may be acceptable in certain circumstances.

Student Task:
Fill in the table below using the information provided.

Religion	View on Surrogacy	Supporting Quote
Catholicism
Protestantism
Islam

---

6. Extended Writing Task (15 minutes)

Task: Students write an extended response comparing different opinions on surrogacy. They must use religious teachings, ethical concerns, and different perspectives.

Sentence Starters:

• One perspective on surrogacy is…
• Some Christians believe… because…
• Muslims may believe… due to the teaching…
• A possible ethical concern is…
• In my opinion, surrogacy is… because…

Success Criteria:
✅ Clear comparison of viewpoints
✅ At least two religious teachings included
✅ Justification of personal opinion

---

Plenary & Reflection (5 minutes)

Task: Quick-fire class debate. Pose the question:
"Should surrogacy be fully accepted in society?"

• Stand on one side of the room if you agree, other side if you disagree.
• Nominate 2-3 students to explain their reasoning.

---

Assessment & Homework

• Assessment: Mark extended writing tasks formatively, giving feedback on strength of arguments.
• Homework: Research one real-life surrogacy case (modern or historical) and summarise religious and ethical perspectives surrounding it.

Teacher Notes:

• Ensure students handle sensitive topics respectfully.
• Adapt complexity of case studies depending on ability levels.
• Use questioning to challenge critical thinking effectively.

---

Final Thoughts

This lesson balances knowledge recall, analysis, and ethical debate, aligning with AQA Religious Studies standards and preparing students for evaluative questions in GCSE exams. The combination of direct instruction, case studies, and debate keeps the lesson engaging, interactive, and reflective.

⭐ Wow Factor: Having students ‘correct’ an authority definition with intentional errors encourages engagement and reinforces literacy skills while subtly reinforcing key definitions.