Goals:
· To define stereotypes.
· To allow students to discuss the causes and effects of differences.
· To understand the concept of ethnocentrism.
Materials
q Stereotypin’ Game cards
q “Body Rituals Among the Nacirema” worksheet
Methods:
I. Review of last week.
II. Opener: Stand Up/Sit Down
III. Introduction to Difference
IV. Typecast! The Stereotypin’ Game
V. Discussion
VI. “Body Rituals Among the Nacerima”
Note to teachers: Be cognizant that stereotypical notions may sometimes be ingrained through television, classmates, parents, teachers etc. You will be asking very provocative and controversial questions, so be prepared to hear honest, if painful or uncomfortable, answers. The purpose of this lesson is to help people to discuss these issues honestly. Most of the kids probably know that stereotyping is “wrong” or “bad” but may not have been given the chance to think about why they are “bad” or where they come from. Try to anticipate certain answers to the above questions, and your answers to them. It is important to be patient, to listen VERY CAREFULLY to what kids are saying, to keep the discussion going by summarizing what you’ve heard and asking for feedback on it, and by trying to include everyone in the class.
PEACE PHRASE #5: When people have fought, don’t ask what
happened.
People will answer with their own version of what happened. The better question is, “What did you do?” This elicits facts.
Remind the students of their discussion on communication. Ask them to recall what they
learned.
During the following game, you will read
a series of statements out loud. Ask
the students to stand if they feel a particular statement applies to them. After reading each statement, give the
students a few minutes to reflect before taking their seats. Feel free to participate in the activity
yourself.
Statements
to be read out loud:
“Stand
Up If You…”
· Take the bus to school
· Have more than three brothers or sisters
· Are left-handed
· Speak a language other than English
· Like N’Sync
· Were born outside of New Haven
· Regularly attend religious services
· Have flown on a plane
· Play a musical instrument
After
the game, take a couple minutes to define what a stereotype is (no, not a
radio!). It is a category that we put
people in based on one, two, or a few obvious characteristics when we don’t
know the person. If all the people who
took the bus to school were considered stupid… you can explain why stereotypes
are no good. Explain to the students
that everyone will have stereotypes, but that we need to learn to recognize
what our stereotypes are and try to correct them. (You’ll talk more about this
in the discussion, later).
A. Tell the class that you are going to be dealing with issues of difference today and you would like their help in thinking of ways that people are different. Try to get both general and specific examples of things that make people diverse.
B. Ask the students about difference, relating back to the Stand Up/Sit Down game.
1. Is there anything inherently bad about any of the differences?
2. What can be good about people being different?
IV.
Quiz
A. Have the students take out a piece of paper.
B. Ask them to write down the answers to each of the following questions. Explain to them their answers will be anonymous and they should feel free to write what really comes to their mind.
1. Write the first thing that comes to your mind when someone says:
a) Girl
b) Boy
c) Someone who wears glasses
d) Yale student
C. Collect the quizzes and read a few sample answers for each question.
D. Discuss the answers to the questions.
1. Why do people often have the same reaction to a “type” of person?
2. How are these associations formed?
3. Are these associations necessarily true? If they are, how do they know that they are true?
4. Define what a generalization is. How can “innocent” generalizations become dangerous stereotypes?
V.
Typecast! The Stereotypin’ Game:
A. Introduce the students to "Ridgemont Middle School." Tell the students that Ridgemont Middle School students are treated according to certain stereotypes. The stereotypes are as follows (do not tell the students what the stereotypes are.)
A. Jock—joke around with me.
B. Leader—follow and agree with me
C. Nerd—ignore and exclude me
D. Cheerleader—flirt with me
E. Class clown—laugh at me
B. Write the stereotypes on five index
cards. Tape an index card to each of
the volunteers, either on their forehead or on their back. The volunteers can look to see what the
other volunteers have, but PREVENT VOLUNTEERS FROM PEEKING AT THEIR OWN
CARD.
C. Explain that you will pretend to teach a simple arithmetic lesson to the five students. Ask the pretend class a question (like, what’s 2+2?), then have students without cards taped to them raise their hand and suggest how to treat whichever pretend student has raised his/her hand, according to the stereotype taped to their back. For example, if the jock wants to answer, ignore him, etc. Each of the volunteers should try and figure out what stereotype they were.
D. Discuss with the entire class how the stereotypes affected the math class. Did the attitudes or behaviors of certain volunteers change during the demonstration after being treated a certain way by the other members of the group? Does this game reveal anything about real-life stereotyping? (A point you can make is that people begin to act like their stereotypes when they are treated like that.)
II.
Discussion
A. Break up into two groups, with one teacher per group. If you have a large class, you might prefer to stay in one group.
B. Ask students to relate any personal experiences they have had or stories they have heard related to prejudice with the group.
C. Ask students to share any stereotypes they may be familiar with. Ask questions:
1. Why do people think this way?
2. Where do you think they might learn this type of behavior?
3. What are some ways we can deal with prejudiced behavior?
4. [A point for you to make: if someone is, say, afraid of spiders, they never go near the spiders and so they never realize that spiders aren’t so scary after all. A way to end stereotypes is to get to know someone that you stereotype – you will realize that there is much more to them than the stereotype, and once you get to know them, they won’t be so scary. This is key.]
D. Remaining in your small group, discuss the students’ personal contact with racial stereotypes. (Use your own judgement as to whether or not to discuss this).
1. Discuss similar situations the students have personally been in or that they’ve heard about from parents, relatives, neighbors or friends.
2. Ask students to come up with stereotypes of girls and boys. Ask how these stereotypes fit in with facts they know about boys and girls.
3. Discuss racial stereotypes more specifically by asking what the students have heard: “What are common stereotypes about _________ (Blacks, Puerto Ricans, Chinese…?)” Then ask whether they think stereotypes are true. Follow this question up with a discussion of where stereotypes come from: “Why do you think people say/think things like this about other people?”
Optional, if you have time:
III.
“Body Rituals Among
the Nacirema”
A. Either take turns reading the passage or read the passage out loud.
B. Discussion
1. Ask and discuss the following questions with class:
a) What do you think about Nacirema rituals?
b) What rituals performed by the Nacirema seem most outlandish to you? Why?
c) Enlighten students as to the moral of the lesson (that this is actually an interpretation of the American culture. Nacirema=American spelled backwards )
d) Ask students to identify Nacireman rituals with their own.
e) Explain the meaning of the word ethnocentrism (the idea that your race and culture are superior to others).
BEFORE
YOU GO:
Þ Tell the class when you will be visiting next.
Þ Remind students about the upcoming Peace by PEACE at Yale Festival.
Þ Discuss with the teacher how your group handled the students and ask for his or her critique.