Education Standards
2. ACA: Stereotyping - Elementary Lesson (doc)
3. Stereotyping PreTest
4. What is Stereotyping? - Slides with Audio
5a. Tip of the Iceberg Activity (pptx)
5b. Tip of the Iceberg Activity (pdf)
6a. Esther's Story, Elementary School (YouTube)
6b. Esther Story Elementary - transcript
7. CERS Worksheet
Animating Civic Action: Elementary Lesson - Stereotyping
Overview
In this Animating Civic Action lesson, from the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, students listen to the story of Esther, a student refugee, about her experience in school. Students are asked to examine what it means to stereotype others, and to consider ways they can act to make their community more welcoming and inclusive.
About Animating Civic Action
Animating Civic Action lessons are created to support civic engagement K-12. These lessons introduce real stories of individuals in our Washington community who have experienced challenges to civic participation. These lessons incorporate multimedia approaches and provide opportunities to connect civic education with social-emotional learning. These lessons are standards aligned and grade level appropriate.
Lesson Overview
Enduring Understanding
Stereotyping causes unfair beliefs and actions. To stop its harmful effects and be agents of change, students need to understand what stereotypes are, recognize stereotypical views, empathize with peers who experience(d) stereotyping, and take action to stop stereotyping in their own community.
Supporting Questions
Students consider these questions - finding and using evidence to support the Enduring Understanding.
- What is stereotyping?
- What stereotyping have my classmates and I experienced?
- What stereotyping did Esther experience?
Learning Targets
Students will be able to…
- define stereotyping.
- identify how stereotyping affects people.
- analyze how stereotyping is harmful.
- create an informational resource about taking action against stereotyping in the school community.
Student Launch
What is stereotyping?
Hooking students into the content of the inquiry.
- Distribute the Student handout: Stereotyping Pre-test
- Guide students in answering the question on the Stereotyping Pretest individually. There is no “correct” answer (3-5 minutes).
- When finished, place students in small groups. Have students record their stereotyping definitions on a post-It, so that their thinking is visible to their group members (3-5 minutes).
- They can further question their thinking about what is stereotyping. Students ask each other clarifying questions (questions with brief, factual answers) and probing questions (questions that push the presenter and group to think deeply about assumptions and perspectives). Post and share questions such as:
- “Can you say more about that?”
- “What do you mean by that?”
- Can you give an example?”
- “So let me see if I’ve got what you're saying. Are you saying…...?”
- “Why do you think that?”
(3-5 minutes)
- Bring students back to the whole group and show the What is Stereotying slide presentation.
- Have students as a class decide on a definition of “What is stereotyping?”
Focused Inquiry
A focused inquiry is a one-to-two-day lesson that will have students engaging in the C3 Framework’s Inquiry Arc.
In this focused inquiry, students identify stereotyping they have experienced as well as stereotyping their classmates have experienced. Students take it one step further to identify stereotyping a refugee has experienced. Students will develop an argument that includes a claim, evidence, and reason that address the compelling question of this inquiry.
Compelling Question
Is stereotyping harmful?
Standards
- SSS3.4.1 Draw on disciplinary concepts to explain the challenges people have faced and opportunities they have created in addressing local, regional, and global problems at various times and places.
- C4.4.1 Recognize that civic participation involves being informed about public issues, taking action, and voting in elections.
- C4.5.4 Describe ways in which people benefit from and are challenged by working together, including through government, workplaces, voluntary organizations, and families.
Learning Goals
- Students identify how I have experienced stereotyping.
- Students identify how others have experienced stereotyping.
Staging the Question: Student Tip of the Iceberg
- Display the following statements on the board:
- People from X group are less intelligent than Y group.
- People of Gender X are better at math than People of Gender Y.
- X types of people are weird.
- In small groups, have students discuss what makes the statements unfair.
- As a class, have students share and discuss what makes the statements unfair.
- Have students reflect on stereotyping they have experienced.
- Model how to complete the “Tip of the Iceberg” task. In this task, students will document stereotyping they experienced and what makes them great.
- On the tip of the iceberg, put what you think others see when they look at or hear you.
- Beneath the water, write and/or draw stereotypes you have faced.
- Beneath the water, write/or draw what makes you feel great. What makes you special? What do you wish others knew about you?
- For students willing to share their “Tip of the Iceberg” task, have them share with a peer. If students would like to share whole group, they may.
Supporting Question(s)
- What stereotyping have my classmates and I experienced?
- What stereotyping did Esther experience?
Formative Performance Task
- Play the audio or read the transcript from Esther.
- Discuss as a class stereotyping that Esther faced.
- Have students complete the “Tip of the Iceberg” Task about Esther.
- On the tip of iceberg, put what you think others see when they look at or hear Esther.
- Beneath the water, write and/or draw what stereotypes Esther faces.
- Beneath the water, write and/or draw what makes Esther great. What makes Esther special? What does Esther wish others knew about Esther?
Argument
After students analyze various sources to answer the supporting questions and discuss their thinking with the class, have them fill out the Is Stereotyping Harmful? - Claim, Evidence, Reasons, Sources document. Responses should cite specific information from sources, including a connection to a key ideal.
Taking Informed Action
Students create a product that communicates a solution to the compelling question, Is Stereotyping harmful? In the student-created product, students may create a poster, a slide presentation, prepare a school announcement, or a visible reminder (symbol) that responds to the following questions:
- How does stereotyping harm our school community?
- What steps can we take to make sure we don’t stereotype peers?
Attribution and License
Attribution
This lesson for Animating Civic Action lesson was developed by Barbara Bromley, Edmonds School District and Katharine Smith, Medical Lake School District.
Animating Civic Action lessons support civic engagement K–12. These lessons introduce real stories of individuals in our Washington community who have experienced challenges to civic participation.
The Animating Civic Action Project was conceived and developed by:
- Danielle Eidenberg, Senior Education Ombuds, Governor’s Office of the Education Ombuds
- Zac Murphy, Director of Multimedia and Information Strategy, Communications and Digital Media, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)
- Jerry Price, Associate Director, Social Studies Content, OSPI
Support for the Animating Civic Action project was provided by:
- Content media creation, filming, and editing:
Zac Murphy, Director of Multimedia and Information Strategy, Communications and Digital Media, OSPI - Media editing:
Stephanie Rexus Video Media Strategist, Communication and Digital Media. OSPI - Lesson formatting and publishing:
Barbara Soots, Open Educational Resources and Instructional Materials Program Manager, OSPI
We express our sincere gratitude to all the story contributors to the Animating Civic Action effort. Without their support and willingness to share their experiences, this resource would not be possible.
Animating Civics Action is a partnership between the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Washington State Governor's Office of the Education Ombuds.
License
Except where otherwise noted, this Animating Civic Action Lesson, copyright Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, is available under a Creative Commons Attribution License
Esther’s Story video, copyright Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, is availble under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License
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