These two fun exercises areuseful starting points for many discussions about how we value different life-forms and how we decide which are better than others.
Theycan be used at the beginning of a teaching unit on the Sanctity of Life or a philosophical discussion about the value of human life over animal lifeif you were exploring animal rights, vegetarianism or vivisection. It could also be re-visited at the end of a unit of study:
"How might Christians/Muslims/Buddhists/Hindus complete this knockout table what key beliefs might underpin their choices?" You could also challenge pupils to make their own knockout table of life-forms for others to try out and explain the choices.