Overview
This section contains resources to guide students in exploring the concept of bias and stereotypes, and their impact on how they treat others, how others treat them, and how they view themselves. Activities provide opportunities for students to examine biases and also reflect on their own identities, values, and life experiences.
Objectives
Students should be able to:
- Understand the origins and effects of stereotypes;
- Understand biases and deconstruct single stories, and
- Reflect on the ways in which their own lives intersect with those of others.
Introductory Questions
- How would you define bias?
- Think of a stereotype that is common in your community
- How might a person’s race, gender, class, or religion impact how they view the world and themselves? How might these factors impact how they are treated by others?
Suggested Class Sequence(s)
Class sequences are connected topics with activities, worksheets, and readings which take two or more days of class to complete.
Understanding Biases
This is a two-class sequence exploring and addressing biases. The sequence will start with an introductory activity on framing difference and a discussion of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED talk “The Danger of the Single Story” and a class discussing Ted Schoepflin’s “Thinking about Stereotypes.”
Videos
Short videos help tap into multiple modes of learning and can provide a good introduction to a topic. Use captioning when possible.
- Chimanda Ngozi Adichie, The Danger of a Single Story (19:16,cc)
Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice, and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.
Readings
All readings should be paired with a structure or protocol, especially if any reading will be completed in class.
- Thinking About Stereotypes
Todd Schoepflin reflects on the pervasiveness of stereotypes and the importance of identifying and resisting them when encountered in our own behavior. - “How Othering Contributes to Discrimination and Prejudice”
Kendra Cherry describes othering as a concept, as well as potential causes and impacts.
Activities
Activities include individual or group tasks that can be completed in less than one class period; some activities may be repeated in a sequence and are re-listed here for ease of access.
- Valuing Differences
Students reflect on their values, life experiences, and culture and how these factors contribute to how they understand who they are and how they perceive situations.
Resources
- Can You Beat Cognitive Bias?
Full lesson plan from KQED in which students define and analyze common types of cognitive biases and evaluate and reflect on ways to identify and respond to them.
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