Name: __________________________ ( ) Class: _________ Date: ______

Term 1 English Language

Crime and Punishment – Capital Punishment

Summary Log (Date each statement that you make on this page)

Why might Capital Punishment (the Death Penalty) be justified?

Why might Capital Punishment be unjustified?

Adapted from Amnesty International and deathpenalty.org (2013)

Discussion Questions for ‘Dead Man Walking’

1. Did you find yourself supporting Matthew Poncelot’s execution, or hoping that his life would be spared?

2. If the alternative punishment to the death penalty in Louisiana is life imprisonment without parole, would you support the death penalty for Matthew Poncelot or the alternative?

3. Many death penalty abolitionists believe that capital punishment denies the humanity of the individual and the possibility of rehabilitation. How do you feel about a convicted murderer’s capacity for rehabilitation?

4. What new understandings about the experiences and needs of murder victims’ families did you gain from viewing the film?

5. “All of us are worth more than our worst act.” – Sister Helen Prejean, author of ‘Dead Man Walking’What are your views about this quote?

Adapted from Amnesty International and deathpenalty.org (2013)