Activity 2
Topic/Concept: Prejudice.
Title: What is Prejudice?
Level: Primary (K-3).
Outcomes: to build an understanding of what prejudice means.
to develop strategies for dealing with prejudice.
to develop an appreciation for the variety of people they will encounter in their daily lives.
Curriculum Connections:
It is expected that students will:
Language Arts: speak and listen to explore, extend, clarify, and reflect on their thoughts, ideas, feelings, and experiences.
interact with sensitivity and respect, considering the situation, audience, and purpose.
communicate information and ideas effectively and clearly, and respond personally and critically.
select, read, and view with understanding a range of information, media, and verbal texts.
select, interpret, and combine information using a variety of strategies.
respond critically to a range of texts.
use writing and other forms of representation to explore, clarify, and reflect on their thoughts, feelings, experiences, and learning.
Art: apply visual communication skills and artistic attitudes to be discriminate users and consumers of visually conveyed information.
demonstrate an understanding of the relationship among perceiving, analyzing, and responding to visual art.
demonstrate, through analysis and practice, how the technology of production and the sensory qualities of media affect how we perceive and respond to art images.
Health: apply knowledge and practice skills which foster emotional well-being.
demonstrate knowledge, skills, and behaviours which contribute to reasoned decision making.
Strategies
Place a teddy bear in a box and wrap it with old newspaper and string. In a similar size box, place some dirt and wrap the box with beautifully colored paper and ribbon. Display the wrapped "gifts" in the classroom for the children to see. Bring children together for a group discussion relating to the two gifts. After some discussion regarding the appearance of the two gifts, encourage children to make predictions about the contents of the gifts. Following the discussion, invite the children to reflect upon the reasons for their predictions about the contents of the gifts. Following the discussion, invite the children to reflect upon the reasons for their predictions. Ask questions such as:
"How did the appearance of the gifts influence your predictions?"
"Did you think you could tell what was inside the gift by how it looked outside?"
"Which gift would you choose?"
The teacher will open the two gifts, showing the children the contents of each. Ask
questions such as:
"Were you surprised when you saw what was inside the boxes?"
"Would you make a different choice now that you know what is inside each box?"
"Is there a lesson to be learned from this experience?"
"Do we sometimes judge people by the way they look?"
"How can we be more careful when we see people and not judge them?"
Implications for Teaching/Learning:
Have a "Buddy for a Week" program. Children will be grouped in pairs. At the end of each day, provide an opportunity for children to say something positive about their buddies which they have learned through the experience.