lesson plan Vivien Thomas Alfred Blaclock blue baby operation Vivien Thomas Alfred Blalock

Something the Lord Made Partners of the Heart blue baby operation Vivien Thomas
Alfred Blalock

Create Lesson Plans Based on Movies and Film

"Something the Lord Made"   and
"Partners of the Heart"


SUBJECTS --- Medicine; U.S./1917 - 1991, Diversity, Tennessee
        & Maryland;
SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING --- Teamwork; Education;
        Friendship;
ETHICAL EMPHASIS --- Caring.

"Something the Lord Made": Age: 10+; MPAA Rating: PG; Drama; 1976; 135 minutes; Color;

"Partners of the Heart": Age: 10+; Not rated but suitable for any age; Documentary; 2003; 60 minutes; Color;





"Something the Lord Made" is a fictionalized account that accurately conveys the sense of the actual events. "Partners of the Heart" is an excellent PBS documentary.

These films describe the unique and productive association between Vivien Thomas, a black high school graduate, and his white mentor and employer, Dr. Alfred Blalock. For more than 30 years the two men pursued a variety of medical research projects. In 1944, in association with Dr. Helen Taussig, they designed and carried out the first blue baby operations. These procedures have saved tens of thousands of lives world-wide. The success of the blue baby operations confirmed that surgeons could operate on a living human heart. Afterwards, Mr. Thomas trained young doctors at Johns Hopkins Medical School in the methods of heart surgery.

While a mid-20th century interracial partnership in the field of medical research and an important medical breakthrough are each worthy of note, there is much more to this story. Vivien Thomas fully participated in developing the blue baby operations, but he was not given credit for his contribution nor was he acknowledged to be a leading instructor of surgery for more than three decades.

The TeachWithMovies.com Learning Guide to these films shows parents and teachers how to use the relationship between these two men and the recognition that Vivien Thomas received only late in life as a unique window on race relations in America during the 20th century. The Guide provides historical background, discussion questions, links to the Internet, class projects, and a comprehension test with an answer key to help parents and teachers confirm and expand upon the lessons of these films.



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"Something the Lord Made" and "Partners of the Heart" are inspiring look at the distorting effects of racism, the belated acknowledgment of accomplishments made, and the triumph of the human spirit.

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"Learning Guides" help educators create lesson plans by providing background, discussion questions, projects, and vocabulary lists. "Movie Lesson Plans" are more formal with lectures, student handouts, comprehension tests and answer keys.

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Lesson Plan Excerpt

To give teachers and parents an idea of what the lesson plan contains we have set out the Benefits section of the Learning Guide.

Benefits of the Movies: The story of Vivien Thomas and Alfred Blalock is an excellent paradigm with which to study racism in the United States during the period 1930 - 1980. It provides a graphic example of the interplay between altruism and self-interest in race relations. It shows doctors from different disciplines cooperating to make an important medical breakthrough and describes a pivotal time in the development of heart surgery. The story of the blue baby operations introduces three important medical researchers of the 20th century: Vivien Thomas and Drs. Alfred Blalock and Helen Taussig.

Each movie has its own particular strengths. "Something the Lord Made" is excellent in every respect: acting, screen writing, directing, set design, music, and in its ability to use drama to convey a realistic view of what actually occurred. It shows more of Vivien Thomas' family than the documentary. "Partners of the Heart" is also very interesting. It contains sections on Nashville and its black community. The special features are excellent. Both films are enriching....



The Learning Guide to "Something the Lord Made" and "Partners of the Heart" contain sections on Benefits of the Movie, Possible Problems, Helpful Background, Discussion Questions, Links to the Internet, and Bridges to Reading. The Discussion Questions are divided into three categories: Subject Matter, Social-Emotional Learning, and Moral-Ethical Emphasis.

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