Surgery Ship, The - Series 2 (ATOM Study Guide)

One Ship. Thousands of patients. One year to help. A team of medics making life and death decisions. Mercy ships have been bringing hope and healing to the world's poor for over thirty-eight years. The Surgery Ship (2016) is an eight-part documentary series that follows the courageous volunteers on board the hospital ship Africa Mercy, providing life-saving surgery and medical treatment to the poorest of the poor in Benin in West Africa.

More than 70% of the world's population are unable to access essential surgery. As a result, many common, treatable illnesses become life-threatening. The Surgery Ship examines the provision of health care in developing countries through the example of Benin in West Africa. The series tells the stories of the everyday heroism of the volunteers and the patients and their families. In doing so, The Surgery Ship highlights the human drive to rise above circumstances, to survive, and to give the best of ourselves.

Curriculum Links:

This study guide to accompany The Surgery Ship has been written for secondary students at all year levels. It provides information and suggestions for learning activities in Geography, Health, Science and curriculum projects exploring the series' key ideas at Years 7 – 10.

For students in Years 11 and 12, the series is relevant to areas of study in:

• Biology
• Geography
• Health
• Human Development

Students undertaking vocational education courses and tertiary courses in Health Science may also benefit from viewing the series. Teachers are advised to consult the Australian Curriculum online at http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au and curriculum outlines relevant to their state or territory for more specific information.

The activities featured in this study guide promote student engagement and active participation of the key ideas of the series via individual reflection, class discussions and small group work. Multiple activities are provided to allow teachers to select those that will best suit the demands of the subject and the needs of the students. Each of the eight episodes can be viewed as stand-alone programs. The episode synopsis provide information about the content covered.