Need "hook" for 7th grade lesson
April 7, 2012 7:23 AM Subscribe
I am a technology specialist and I am designing a lesson for 7th graders on stereotypes, racism, getting along, choices and I need a "hook".
Interactive game type activity or short video would work. It must not be reading intensive, they are not grade level readers. Must not be childish (like, for example, PBS It's My Life website).
They are mostly Native American and have been studying history, treaties, etc.
Interactive game type activity or short video would work. It must not be reading intensive, they are not grade level readers. Must not be childish (like, for example, PBS It's My Life website).
They are mostly Native American and have been studying history, treaties, etc.
Perhaps you could show a clip from the TV show "What Would You Do?". It's a hidden-camera show where they set up situations, often involving race or gender, and see how people respond. Might inspire a good discussion.
Videos are available on the ABC website and on Hulu.
posted by kayram at 7:41 AM on April 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
Videos are available on the ABC website and on Hulu.
posted by kayram at 7:41 AM on April 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
Video for you online: A class divided. In 1968, a 3rd grade teacher divided her class in half by blue eyes and brown eyes; they started treating one another differently. This was recorded by the teacher. I still remember watching this video as a middle school student and you get the idea immediately.You can find it on PBS (Frontline) and it is available in short clips.
On preview Foci is discussing the same experiment
If there is a way that you can encourage discussion (and get them around people/kids with other backgrounds) that may be powerful too. I still remember a classmate talking about how his family (older relatives) had been locked away during WWII in the US and had their property taken. Hearing this from a classmate was 10X more powerful than anything that I would have seen online --I'm sure there are stories like this out there right now.I'd wonder if you could find other classes/students from other backgrounds online--it may be interesting for them to share stories.
posted by Wolfster at 7:55 AM on April 7, 2012 [2 favorites]
On preview Foci is discussing the same experiment
If there is a way that you can encourage discussion (and get them around people/kids with other backgrounds) that may be powerful too. I still remember a classmate talking about how his family (older relatives) had been locked away during WWII in the US and had their property taken. Hearing this from a classmate was 10X more powerful than anything that I would have seen online --I'm sure there are stories like this out there right now.I'd wonder if you could find other classes/students from other backgrounds online--it may be interesting for them to share stories.
posted by Wolfster at 7:55 AM on April 7, 2012 [2 favorites]
When I was in school and about 12 - 13 I remember having a lesson on inequality in society. The teacher gave out crossword puzzles; some had all the clues on and some letters filled in, some had some of the clues and no letters filled in and some had no clues or letters. Everyone had to complete their puzzle and obviously there were varying degrees of success. I think the aim of the lesson was to make the students think about inequalities giving people different starting points in life.
posted by Laura_J at 8:04 AM on April 7, 2012
posted by Laura_J at 8:04 AM on April 7, 2012
Sorry, my point being that maybe this could be recreated by using online games of varying difficulty.
posted by Laura_J at 8:06 AM on April 7, 2012
posted by Laura_J at 8:06 AM on April 7, 2012
You might check out the website for the exhibit RACE: Are We So Different? There are a lot of resources there, including some video ones.
posted by gudrun at 8:51 AM on April 7, 2012
posted by gudrun at 8:51 AM on April 7, 2012
Yep, when I was in eighth grade, we did what they do in "A class divided," mentioned above, where the class was divided arbitrarily on the basis of some trait and encouraged to compete and promulgate artificial "stereotypes" about the other side for a week or two. It was a pretty amazing exercise.
posted by limeonaire at 10:06 AM on April 7, 2012
posted by limeonaire at 10:06 AM on April 7, 2012
There's a YA book that fictionalizes the Class Divided idea - the teacher assigns the students to random color groups unrelated to their fictional attributes. The greens, the purples, etc. I'm sorry I can't remember the name of it, but if you think it might be helpful then the school librarian might know.
posted by bunderful at 10:34 AM on April 7, 2012
posted by bunderful at 10:34 AM on April 7, 2012
This teaching activity aimed at grades 6-8 suggests first showing the 5-minute YouTube video How Hollywood Stereotyped the Native Americans and then having students read Sherman Alexie's essay I Hated Tonto (Still Do). Even if the essay is too high for these students' reading level, the video is very good and would be an effective intro to a discussion on stereotypes.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 12:49 PM on April 7, 2012
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 12:49 PM on April 7, 2012
When I was in 7th grade, our teacher asked us the following:
First -- What stereotypes do you think about (insert race here) for each race in our class. He didn't divide the list between good or bad, he just wrote them down. We even stereotyped our own races.
Second -- He had at least two members of each of the races stand up before class. He then asked questions based on the stereotype and checked them off whether they were true or not. None of them seemed to be true.
That was that. It was over 15 years ago, but still stands out in my mind.
posted by Ms. Moonlight at 12:20 AM on April 8, 2012
First -- What stereotypes do you think about (insert race here) for each race in our class. He didn't divide the list between good or bad, he just wrote them down. We even stereotyped our own races.
Second -- He had at least two members of each of the races stand up before class. He then asked questions based on the stereotype and checked them off whether they were true or not. None of them seemed to be true.
That was that. It was over 15 years ago, but still stands out in my mind.
posted by Ms. Moonlight at 12:20 AM on April 8, 2012
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A quick search resulted in this PDF on teaching about racism.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 7:35 AM on April 7, 2012