1.7 Chapter Assignment
Let’s Talk About Death & Dying Assignment
This assignment challenges you to begin the process of sitting down and engaging in death-related conversations. There are several options to select from for this assignment. The options allow you to choose based on your comfort level going into the assignment, and how much you are ready to push that comfort level. There are two parts to the assignment (for all options), one part requires you to do something and the other to write about your experience. It is important to complete all chapter materials (chapter content, including all embedded links to readings and videos, and the required course materials) prior to starting the assignment.
Assignment Formatting & Style for Written Report
- Assignment formatting requirements: Arial 12-point font; 1 inch/2.54 centimeter margins; single spaced; APA in-text citation style, reference section and cover page.
- Use proper essay/paragraph style.
- Clearly indicate which Option you have chosen for your assignment.
- Proofread your submission to make sure it is clear, well written and intelligible.
Options for Assignment #1
Option 1
Attend a Death Café (in person or virtual). Find a local or virtual death café or do a Google search to find an in-person event in your local area, that is going to occur prior to the due date for the assignment.
Steps to completing the Option 1 assignment
- Watch the video on Death Cafés in Chapter 1.4 and read and watch the material from Chapter 1, including the Required Course Materials.
- Sign-up for the death café you have chosen.
- Attend the death café.
- Note certain details of the death café you attend, including date, time, location, a photo/picture or ad for the event you attend.
- In 750-1000 words, write about your experiences attending and participating in the death café. Examples could include: a brief synopsis of what it was like to attend a death café; a brief synopsis of what you talked about/contributed to the conversation; what surprised you the most about your death café experience; how you felt at the start of the café; how you felt at the end of the event, etc.
The following must be submitted as part of Option 1 assignments
- A proper APA style cover page.
- The details on the death café attended (date, time, location, photo of event ad).
- A written report.
Option 2
Plan a “Death over Dinner” event where you engage in conversations about death and end of life preferences with friends and/or family.
Steps to completing the Option 2 assignment
- Watch the video on Death over Dinner in Chapter 1.4 and read and watch the material from Chapter 1, including the Required Course Materials.
- Go to the Death over Dinner website and click “Get Started” to plan your dinner event. Once you have finalized the choices for your event (Note: you can redo this process until you are happy with the result. Each time you redo it, the website will send you a new plan).
- Plan your guest list (first names, last initial, relationship to you).
- Create your invitation. Revise the suggested outline for invitation wording in the email sent from the website so it is appropriate and accurate (including that you are doing this for a course assignment).
- Plan your menu (e.g., appetizer, main course, dessert, beverages), keeping in mind recommendations from the website.
- In 500-600 words, write about the experience of making your plan to host a Death over Dinner event.
The following must be submitted as part of Option 2 assignments
- A proper APA style cover page.
- A copy of your death over dinner plan sent to you from the Death over Dinner website.
- A brief explanation of your choices for your dinner plan (the choices you made on the website).
- Your guest list, with a brief explanation of your guest choices and the number you plan to invite.
- Your invitation that you will send out to guests.
- Your dinner menu, with a brief explanation of your meal choices.
- Your written report (in addition to the written components of 3-6 above).
Variation on Option 2: you have the option to actually host the Death over Dinner that you plan. If you decide to host a Death over Dinner event for this assignment, you will need to do so prior to the deadline. After you host your dinner, you are then required to write “your story”/your experience of planning, participating in and hosting a death over dinner event. “Your story” must be 350-600 words in length and would replace the written report detailed above for Option 2 (non-variation version). The Death over Dignity website asks people who host dinners to write “your story” pieces to post on their website. Your written submission should follow that format. Whether or not you submit “your story” to the website is up to you.
Option 3
Plan a conversation about death and end of life preferences with family and loved ones.
Steps to completing Option 3 assignment
- Watch the video on “The Conversation Project” in Chapter 1.4, and read and watch the material from Chapter 1, including the content within Required Course Materials.
- Read the Conversation Project’s Starter Guide.
- Fill in the Starter Guide. Be sure to do this on your computer and to save your responses, as you are required to submit this document as part of your assignment.
- In 500-600 words, write about the experience of completing the Starter Guide.
The following must be submitted as part of Option 3 assignments
- A proper APA style cover page.
- A completed/filled in copy of your Conversation Starter Guide.
- A copy of your 500-600 word report on what the experience was like thinking about and filling in your guide.
