Immortality

1
Immortality

• A Webquest

2
Introduction

• This quest challenges you to investigate the
  search for immortality. The search for
  immortality is as old as man. It goes from the
  search for the Holy Grail, to the Fountain of
  Youth, to pyramids, to cryogenic freezing and
  cloning.

3
The Task

• As a group you are going to prepare a virtual
  time capsule to be buried in the depths of the
  school server to be discovered by NMS students 50
  years from now. Each member of the group will
  include a video sequence of a three minute
  message to themselves which will show artifacts
  they consider significant which would give them
  some type of "immortality". In preparation for
  this task you will work in teams of 3 and visit a
  variety of sites analyzing different aspects of
  immortality.

4
The Process Step 1 (Group)

• Together with your group read the following poem
  by Percy Shelly.
• Look up any words you dont know.
• Discuss in your group what you think the poet is
  trying to say
• Write a 150 word paragragh to explain poem. What
  is it about? Who is it about? Is there a story?
  What are the themes? What is the message?
• Go to the following website and read what they
  say in sparks notes about the poem
  http//www.sparknotes.com/poetry/shelley/section2.
  rhtml
• Discuss in your group about your own attitudes
  and ideas about the theme of immortality. Then
  write a 150 word statement (or a poem) that
  reflects what the group thinks.

• OZYMANDIAS of EGYPT
• I met a traveller from an antique landWho
  saidTwo vast and trunkless legs of stoneStand
  in the desert. Near them on the sand,Half sunk,
  a shatter'd visage lies, whose frownAnd wrinkled
  lip and sneer of cold commandTell that its
  sculptor well those passions readWhich yet
  survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things,The
  hand that mock'd them and the heart that fed.And
  on the pedestal these words appear"My name is
  Ozymandias, king of kingsLook on my works, ye
  mighty, and despair!"Nothing beside remains
  round the decayOf that colossal wreck, boundless
  and bare,The lone and level sands stretch far
  away.

5
The Process Step 2 (Individual)

• Go to the following web site and take the Life
  Extension Values Clarification Survey
• http//www.benbest.com/lifeext/LE_Survey.php
• Then write a 150 word paragraph about how it was
  for you to do this survey. What did you learn?
  What went through your head while doing it?

6
The Process Step 3 (Individual)

• Watch at least 15 minutes of the film found at
  the following site
• http//video.google.com/videoplay?docid6581761732
  541483047
• Write a 100-150 word paragraph about what you
  were thinking while you were watching the film.

7
The Process Step 4 (Individual)

• In the next step you will do some web-research
  into one of the aspects of immortality.
• One of you will look at philosophical and
  religious aspects of the theme. A good place to
  start is http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immortalit
  y
• One of you will look at the general area of life
  extension and what is being done by scientists
  to prolong human life You can start at
  http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_extension
• One of you will look at the more specific theme
  of cryonics.Start here http//en.wikipedia.org/wi
  ki/Cryonics
• Each of you should read what wikipedia has to say
  about your theme. You should then follow at least
  5 of the external links at the bottom of the page
  and at least one of these should be to one of the
  organisations or institutes dedicated to your
  theme. Find out as much as you can about one
  organisation.
• Write a 500 word summary of what you learn in
  your research about your subject using as much of
  the new vocabulary you pick up while doing the
  research as comes naturally. (The summary as a
  whole should be in your own words. Do not copy
  paste.)

8
The Process Step 5 (Group)

• Get together and share what you learned during
  your individual research. Look back at the
  statement you made in step one. Do you still
  think the same way? Write another statement as a
  group. Say what has changed and why or explain
  why nothing has changed for you. Or write a
  completely new statement (or poem).
• Make a film of each other delivering your 3
  minute messages to yourselves in 50 years. During
  your message you should show and explain some
  artefacts that are important to you and you think
  including in your message will give you some kind
  of immortality. You should not read your
  message but speak freely (make some notes and
  organize your speech before). Cut and burn your
  film onto a CD/DVD.

9
The Process Step 6

• Turn in your work on the date assigned. You
  should have all the following elements neatly
  bound together in the following order
• Interpretation of Ozymandias (Group Work)
• 1st Statement of Group (Group Work)
• Then for each individual (Individual Work)
• Statement of Personal Reaction to Survey
• Statement of Personal Reaction to Film
• Summary of Individual Research
• 2nd Statement of Group (Group Work)
• CD/DVD with 3 minute messages