Lesson plan:

This episode draws upon the controversial issue of cloning but treats it in a humorous manner. The children discover a cloning machine and show their awareness of the issues involved in the concept of cloning. However they cannot resist the temptation and start making copies with some disastrous results.

As a whole class

Before viewing explain the idea behind the episode - that one could perhaps copy anything that existed in the world.

Ask the students about the things they would copy if they could and have them write on a piece of paper the one thing that they would copy. Do not let them tell each other what they have written.

View the episode and discuss the types of things which Pete, Linda and Bronson copy. Their choices can be read as a form of characterisation.

Class discussion

Discuss the differences between what each character copies and what it reveals about the individual. Discuss whether or not the students would change what they had written earlier (their one thing to copy) now they have seen the episode. The point of the discussion is not to make judgements about their choices but to reflect upon the ways that values are suggested and sometimes criticised within the narrative.

Science fiction genre

This episode draws on some conventions of the science fiction genre by using the motif of the invention based on a good idea but which has a fatal flaw.

As a whole class

View the episode then discuss this concept with students, asking them to suggest other examples from their own reading and viewing (see for example Honey I Shrunk the Kids, The Fly). The convention is drawn from mythology, eg. Midas and the Golden Touch.

Individual activity

Ask students to produce in writing, or as a play, a story of their own invention based on the same concept, eg. a machine which enables people to work faster but ages them more quickly, a potion which makes people look younger but gradually sends them back to childhood.

Convention of overturned expectatons

This episode also draws on the convention of overturned expectations. Linda wants to go out with Hugh Townsend but finds he's a real "dipstick".

Class discussion

Discuss the early hints that Hugh is a dipstick. When do students first begin to realise this? What cues are provided to the audience? What is the effect of the audience having a better understanding than the character (Linda) of the situation?

For older students: The idea of cloning has had a fair amount of press coverage and raised many interesting ethical issues. A feature film has been premised on this idea (see Jurassic Park - the plot depends upon the idea that cells can be cloned) although many scientists dismissed the idea. The extract below is from an article in The West Australian Saturday September 23 1995 (page 3) and could be used as a stimulus for writing and discussion about cloning, the function of newspaper "fillers" and not-so-subtle editorial comment. The article was headlined with "Elvis alive - by a whisker" and sourced simply as 'New York'. Some of the more interesting excerpts were:

Being an individual

Class discussion

If copying people were a possibility then we would all lose our individuality. Discuss the importance of individuality and what it means to be an individual.

Gender relations

Class discussion

This episode provides the opportunity to examine the portrayal of gender relations. Discuss why Linda is initially attracted to Hugh? Why is she eventually turned off him? What does the episode suggests makes a male attractive?