Immortal Life Insights Worksheet

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Henrietta Lacks book cover and scientific cells

📚 Part 1: Vocabulary & Rhetoric Matching

Instructions: Match each term with its correct definition by writing the letter in the circle.

1. Propaganda (Hint: Think about advertisements or political messages that try to convince you of something)

A. Appeal to emotion

B. Information used to influence opinion, often biased

C. Appeal to logic or reason

2. Ethos (Hint: This is about trust and believability - why should readers believe the author?)

A. Appeal to ethics and credibility

B. The art of persuasion through language

C. Appeal to emotion

3. Complex sentence (Hint: Look for a complete thought + an incomplete thought that starts with words like "because," "when," or "although")

A. Contains one independent clause

B. Two independent clauses joined by a conjunction

C. Independent clause + dependent clause

4. Compound-complex sentence (Definition: Contains two or more independent clauses AND at least one dependent clause)

A. Contains only one independent clause

B. Two independent clauses joined by a conjunction

C. Two or more independent clauses + one or more dependent clauses

5. Pathos (Hint: Think about how authors make readers feel)

A. Appeal to logic and facts

B. Appeal to emotion and feelings

C. Appeal to authority and expertise

6. Logos (Hint: Think about logical reasoning and evidence)

A. Appeal to emotion

B. Appeal to character and credibility

C. Appeal to logic and reason

7. Compound sentence (Example: "I read the book, and I learned about ethics.")

A. Contains one independent clause

B. Two independent clauses joined by a conjunction

C. Independent clause + dependent clause

8. Which rhetorical appeals are present in this sentence? "As a doctor with 20 years of experience, I believe Henrietta's story will break your heart and show you the logical need for medical ethics reform."

Ethos (credibility)

Pathos (emotion)

Logos (logic)

📖 Part 2: Text Analysis Questions

Instructions: Use evidence from The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks excerpts to answer these questions.

9. How does the author use personal stories about Henrietta's family to build credibility and connect with readers? Provide one specific example.
Guiding Prompt: Think about how sharing family experiences makes the author seem trustworthy and helps readers care about the topic.
Sentence Starter: "The author builds credibility by sharing..."

10. Identify one rhetorical strategy from the text and explain its effect on the reader.
Guiding Prompt: Look for techniques like emotional stories, scientific facts, or expert opinions. How do these make you feel or think?
Sentence Starter: "One rhetorical strategy the author uses is... This makes readers feel..."

11. What ethical questions does the text raise about science and medicine? Use textual evidence to support your answer.
Guiding Prompt: Consider issues of consent, fairness, and who benefits from medical research. What problems or concerns are mentioned?
Sentence Starter: "The text raises ethical questions about... For example, the author states..."

12. Which literary device is the author using in this example: "Her cells became immortal, but her family remained in poverty"? (Hint: Look for contrasting ideas)

A. Metaphor

B. Irony

C. Alliteration

13. Identify the sentence type: "Although Henrietta died in 1951, her cells continue to help scientists today, and they have contributed to many medical breakthroughs." (Hint: Look for dependent clause + two independent clauses)

A. Complex sentence

B. Compound sentence

C. Compound-complex sentence

14. How does the author establish credibility when discussing scientific concepts? (Hint: Think about sources and expertise)

A. By using emotional language only

B. By citing scientists and including research

C. By avoiding technical terms completely

15. What is the primary purpose of including Henrietta's family's perspective in the narrative? (Hint: Consider multiple viewpoints)

A. To show only one side of the story

B. To humanize the scientific discovery and show its impact

C. To criticize all medical research

✏️ Part 3: Cloze Passage & Reflection

Instructions: Fill in the blanks using the word bank below. Then complete the reflection using complex sentences.

Word Bank: propaganda, rhetoric, ethical, credibility, although, however, because

16. Complete the passage:

The author uses powerful __________ to persuade readers that Henrietta's story matters. __________ some doctors initially dismissed the family's concerns, the book shows how important __________ considerations are in medical research. The author builds __________ by including scientific facts, __________ she also appeals to readers' emotions. This is not __________ because the author presents multiple perspectives on this complex issue.

17. Which sentence structure is demonstrated here: "Because Henrietta's cells were taken without consent, many people question the ethics of medical research"? (Hint: Look for dependent and independent clauses)

A. Simple sentence

B. Compound sentence

C. Complex sentence

18. Identify the compound-complex sentence: (Remember: 2+ independent clauses + 1+ dependent clause)

A. "When scientists discovered HeLa cells, they were amazed."

B. "Scientists were amazed by HeLa cells, and they began using them immediately."

C. "When scientists discovered HeLa cells, they were amazed, and they began using them for research."

19. What type of evidence is most effective for supporting claims about medical ethics? (Hint: Think about what makes arguments convincing)

A. Personal opinions only

B. Scientific facts combined with human stories

C. Emotional appeals without facts

20. Which example shows a compound-complex sentence structure? (Scaffolding: Independent clause = complete thought, Dependent clause = incomplete thought starting with words like "when," "because," "although")

A. "Although the family suffered, the cells helped millions."

B. "The family suffered, but the cells helped millions."

C. "Although the family suffered, the cells helped millions, and scientists continue to use them today."

21. Identify the rhetorical appeal: "The HeLa cells have contributed to countless medical breakthroughs, saving millions of lives worldwide." (Example of appeal to facts and reasoning)

A. Ethos

B. Pathos

C. Logos

22. Reflection: Write a compound-complex sentence explaining one insight you gained from studying The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. (Remember: compound-complex sentences have TWO independent clauses joined by a conjunction + at least ONE dependent clause starting with words like "although," "because," "when," "while," etc.)
Guiding Prompt: Think about what you learned about ethics, science, or human rights. What new understanding do you have?
Sentence Starter: "Although I initially thought..., I now understand that..., and this has changed..."

23. I Can Statement Check: Circle the statements you can now confidently say about yourself:

I can cite textual evidence to support my analysis

I can identify rhetorical strategies in nonfiction

I can recognize different sentence types including compound-complex

I can use key vocabulary terms confidently

I can analyze how authors build credibility

I can identify ethical issues in texts

Immortal Life Insights Worksheet

Immortal Life Insights Worksheet

📚 Part 1: Vocabulary & Rhetoric Matching

📖 Part 2: Text Analysis Questions

✏️ Part 3: Cloze Passage & Reflection

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