Packing Slip

item	A Market for Human Organs . . . ? (Webquest)
contact	Mary McGlasson (Chandler-Gilbert Community College) mary.mcglasson@cgcmail.maricopa.edu 1 of 42 packages by Mary McGlasson
credits	Mary McGlasson Nancy Short
college(s)	Chandler-Gilbert Community College
discipline(s)	Economics
summary	This webquest is designed to get students to consider the application of economic tools to nontraditional areas. I mean, supply and demand of basketball tickets is one thing, but kidneys . . . ?
details	Annual shortages of human kidneys for transplant are currently in excess of 40,000 kidneys per year. That's 40,000 people who are unable to get the necessary transplant, and will die if they wait too long. Is this an acceptable cost? Why is the shortage so great? What demand and supply issues come into play? Kidneys are interesting: we have two, but can survive with one. Hypothetically, a person could offer his/her "extra" kidney for sale to another person who is in need of a transplant. However, the U.S. government has essentially set a price ceiling of $0 on this market by making the sale of such organs illegal. What are the costs of such a policy? Would there be greater costs to allowing kidneys for sale in an open market? What would be the benefits? This exercise leads the students through a series of data sites to examine these questions, and asks the student to do some cost/benefit analysis of his/her own. Note! As a professional courtesy to the owner of this package, if you use some aspect of this package or have some thoughts about it, please share your feedback via the comments form below.
supplements	These items are licensed under a Creative Commons License Market for Organs (Webquest) () MarketforOrgans.html (12.1 kB) Beating Heart image (image) cartoonbeatingheart.gif (4.5 kB) Note! As a professional courtesy to the owner of this package, if you use some aspect of this package or have some thoughts about it, please share your feedback below.
comments [7 comment(s)]	Most recent comment about this package: On Tue Jun 27, 2006 at 1:34AM Dianna Phillips <much2knit@hotmail.com> said: Great lesson! Students can explore the economics of donation and transplantation, consider alternatives to the current distribution system and complete the lesson with opinions that can be discussed with knowledge.
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extra	Last modified: Jul-22-2003 Date created: Dec-09-2002 Visitor count: 8183 Dublin Core Metadata record This package is included in the following MLX special collection(s): Civic Responsibility Chandler-Gilbert Instructional Technology Packages