A model syllabus for children and death courses

Abstract

Abstract The subject of children and death is usually introduced, at least briefly, in courses on Death and Dying. It is a subject with many interesting facets, one that is important both for children and for adults, and one that attracts attention from a wide variety of audiences. Yet this subject can only be raised in passing in the crowded schedule of a Death and Dying course, though it surely deserves fuller attention in its own right. As a consequence, I believe faculty members and curriculum planners at the college and university level should develop regular, full-scale courses on Children and Death. In the following article, that conviction is defended by setting forth a model syllabus for such courses. This syllabus surveys the topical scope, organization, and rich resources currently available for courses on Children and Death. My aim is to show that such courses are both feasible and desirable in the present state of development of the death-awareness movement.