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Stand and Deliver for Justice and Diversity: King Day (10th)
Lesson 1:
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Lesson
Handouts
Academic Standards
Philanthropy Framework

Focus Question(s):

What is a world citizen's responsibility to promote and advocate for justice and kindness?

NOTE: Prior to this lesson, use the Blue Sky Activity in which students envision a better world.  If you already have a Blue Sky display, revisit it before beginning this lesson.

LEAGUE Coaches: After teaching this lesson, please complete a short evaluation.
LEAGUE Learning Link(s)
Post Service Reflection

Purpose:

The learners define the concepts of stereotype, intolerance, discrimination, and prejudice. They explore and share their attitudes about diversity and issues of justice and kindness. The learners brainstorm ways that they can promote the common good in their own school, community and/or world by working to eliminate stereotyping, intolerance, discrimination, and prejudice.

Duration:

One 50 Minute Class Period

Objectives:

The learners will:

  • define stereotyping, intolerance, discrimination, and prejudice.
  • explore personal and group attitudes about diversity as related to stereotyping, intolerance, discrimination, and prejudice.
  • gain awareness about the value of diversity in making a stronger community.
  • share ideas about how to reduce stereotyping, intolerance, discrimination, and prejudice in their school, community, and world.
  • develop a personal action plan for promoting the common good by working for justice and kindness.

Materials:

  • A copy of The Herman Grid http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/hermangrid.html for each learner 
  • Student copies of Attachment One: What's the Attitude? (Attitude Survey)
  • Teacher Copy of Attachment  Two: Stand and Deliver Activity
  • Copies of Attachment Three: Respect for Diversity Action Plan for each learner
  • (Optional Extension) Copies of Attachment Four: Racial Identity Journal Reflection for each learner

 

Handout 1
What's the Attitude? (Attitude Survey)
Handout 2
Stand and Deliver
Handout 3
Respect for Diversity Action Plan
Handout 4
Racial Identity Journal Reflection

Instructional Procedure(s):

Teacher Note: Prior to class, write the following quote on the display board: "Let us rise up tonight with a great readiness. Let us stand with a greater determination. And let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge, to make America what it ought to be." --Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Anticipatory Set:
Give each student a copy of The Herman Grid (see Materials list) and have them share their impressions of what they see. Most people can see gray dots at the white intersections between the boxes. Ask them if the gray dots are actually there or if the appearance is deceiving. Challenge the learners to apply this activity to other areas in life. Ask some of the following discussion starters: Are there times when we think we see something but it's not really there or when we deceive ourselves by failing to see a situation or a person and/or a group of people as they truly are? Why is it easy to get trapped in our own little boxes and fail to see that other possibilities/realities exist? How might the Herman Grid be an example of the way individuals, schools, and /or communities perceive and/or are perceived?

  • Place the following words on the display board: stereotype, intolerance, discrimination, and prejudice. Have the learners share their prior knowledge of these words, and then give clarification of the definitions, if needed. (Definitions: A stereotype is a generalized interpretation of a whole set based on information about a small subset. Intolerance is an unwillingness to accept individuals/groups or situations other than those one already has chosen to accept. Discrimination is a prejudicial outlook, action, or treatment of another. Prejudice is a preconceived judgment formed without sufficient knowledge.) Discuss the relationships between these concepts. Ask students to give examples of each concept, and antonyms for each concept.
  • To gather an initial understanding of students' attitudes and raise awareness of the judgments people make about others who have different characteristics than their own, distribute a copy of Attachment One: What's the Attitude? (Attitude Survey) to each learner and have them take about ten minutes to complete. Ask students to reflect for a couple minutes on their personal attitudes about these different questions, and then choose how they think most people judge these diverse characteristics.
  • Make a chart on the display board with each question number listed and a column for Yes and No. Tally student responses so there is a whole-class number for each question. Discuss what these responses say about the class and the world. Discuss how these questions relate to the terms discussed earlier.
  • Following the attitudes discussion, involve the learners in the awareness activity on Attachment Two: Stand and Deliver. (Teacher Note: In order for this activity to be effective, it is important to stress that what they are about to do requires silence, honesty, and respect for others.)
  • Following the group activity, debrief student reactions by asking the following questions: What are some feelings that came up for you during this activity? What was the hardest part for you? What did you learn about yourself? About others? What was your biggest surprise during this experience? What did this activity show you about discrimination? How does a diverse group add strength to a community?
  • Now direct the learners' attention to the quote written on the display board. Read the quote aloud and tell the learners that Dr. Martin Luther King made this statement on the night before his assassination. Ask the learners to consider why this quote might have been spoken by Dr. King and what was he hoping to accomplish by making this statement? (The Civil Rights Movement was gaining momentum as African Americans rally behind this quote in their struggles to promote the common good by peaceful means).
  • Conclude this lesson by having the learners share what they have learned or have been reminded of in this lesson. Ask the learners to participate in developing an action plan using Attachment Three: Respect for Diversity Action Plan.
  • Brainstorm ways to get involved in the LEAGUE's King Day Event, working to promote and advocate for justice and kindness in their school, community, and/or world. 

Assessment:

Assessment is based on teacher observation of students in class discussions.

LEAGUE Learning Link(s): (click to view)

School/Home Connection:

  • Give the following URL to students to look up at home with their families. If the World Were a Village of 100 People http://www.familycare.org/news/if_the_world.htm. This provides families with an opportunity to share perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes about the diversity of the world's people.
  • Learners may "survey" their family members using Attachment One: What's the Attitude? (Attitude Survey). Encourage students to discuss this survey with their families and then write about their family's perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes.

Extension:

  • As an extension activity  have the learners re-take the survey Attachment One: What's the Attitude? (Attitude Survey) This time have them respond to the questions from their own perspective. Challenge them to make a comparison between what they think others might do and what they think they would do, and draw any conclusions they can from this comparison. It is recommended that the results from this extension activity not be openly discussed, rather each learner reflects on and writes about it in a journal.
  • Attachment Four: Racial Identity Journal Reflection could be used as a means of helping each learner articulate where they feel they fit into the racial picture.
  • Read the Rosa Parks quote: “Each person must live their life as a model for others.” Briefly explain that egoism is a theory that self-interest is the motivation behind all action. Define altruism as an unselfish regard for the welfare of others. Review the Rosa Parks story and have the learners reflect on whether they think Rosa Parks was motivated by egoism or altruism. This may be extended into a debate topic.  
  • Download a copy of If the World Were a Village of 100 People http://www.familycare.org/news/if_the_world.htm. This document brings statistics about hunger, privilege, and available resources to a more concrete level. Before showing the document to students, ask them to make some predictions about the numbers. Then show them the document and study the statistics. This may raise awareness of needs around the globe.
  • Students may use their artistic talents to create a poster or write a poem or letter to speak out against intolerance and prejudice and to advocate for justice for the common good in their school and or community.

Post Service Reflection: (click to view)

Bibliographical References:

Teacher References:

Lesson Developed and Piloted by:

Lydia Alvarez
University High
Newark, NJ 77108

Dennis VanHaitsma
Curriculum Consultant
Learning to Give

Handouts:

Handout 1Print Handout 1

What's the Attitude? (Attitude Survey)

1.    Do you think most people would feel that it’s OK to marry outside one's race?

___Yes     __ No

 

2.    Do you think most people would feel comfortable dating someone in a wheelchair?

___Yes     __ No

 

3.    Do you think most people would vote for a women president if she was equally qualified with the other candidate(s)?

___Yes     __ No
 

4.    Do you think most people would feel comfortable working alongside someone with HIV?

___Yes     __ No

 

5.    Do you think most people would treat an obese person in the same way that they would treat anyone else who is not obese?

___Yes     __ No

 

6.    Do you think most people would feel comfortable having a gay person as their boss?

 ___Yes     __ No

 

7.    Do you think most people feel comfortable around teenagers?

___Yes     __ No
 

8.    Do you think most people would prefer a young doctor as opposed to an older one?

___Yes     __ No

 

9.    Do you think most people who have strong religious beliefs are intolerant of other faiths?

___Yes     __ No

 

10. Do you think most people would prefer to see a handsome/beautiful person used in advertising than one who looks more “average”?

___Yes     __ No

Handout 2Print Handout 2

Stand and Deliver

Teacher Directions: Ask participants to sit in a circle (in chairs or on the floor) so that they can see everyone. Explain that you will be reading statements that indicate the diversity and experience of this group. Ask that as each statement is read, those who identify with that statement should stand. Allow time for participants to observe those who stand up, and encourage them to consider the following questions:

  • Who is standing or sitting with you?
  • How you are feeling?


After a group has stood, thank the participants and ask them to be seated again. Then read another statement. The entire activity should be done in total silence until the debriefing segment.

“Stand and deliver if you are (or have) …”

  1. a male.
     
  2. a female.
     
  3. born in the U.S.
     
  4. born in another country
     
  5. an only child
     
  6. the youngest child
     
  7. the oldest child?
     
  8. the middle child?
     
  9. lived away from home?
     
  10. African American?
     
  11. Hispanic?
     
  12. Arab American?
     
  13. Native American?
     
  14. Asian-American/Pacific Islander?
     
  15. Middle Eastern.
     
  16. associated with an ethnic group that was not mentioned previously.
     
  17. been raised in a lower-income family.
     
  18. been raised in an upper-income family.
     
  19. been raised in a middle-income family.
     
  20. able to speak a language other than English.
     
  21. spiritual, but not religious.
     
  22. spiritual.
     
  23. seriously questioned your religious beliefs.
     
  24. been teased about your accent or your voice, or told that you could not sing.
     
  25. a family member or a friend who has a disability that you can or cannot see.
     
  26. been raised in a single-parent household.

"Stand and deliver if you have ..."

  1. been raised in a household with extended family, such as aunts, uncles, and/or grandparents.
     
  2. parents who have been divorced from one another.
     
  3. parents who have been married only to each other for 20 years or more.
     
  4. had a close family member/friend die.
     
  5. both parents still living.
     
  6. felt alone, unwelcome or afraid at some time in your life.
     
  7. been teased or made fun of for wearing glasses, braces, a hearing aid or because of the clothes you wear, your height, weight, complexion, or size or shape of your body.
     
  8. felt pressure from friends or an adult to do something that you did not want to do and felt sorry or shame afterwards.
     
  9. been discriminated against because of your age.
     
  10. been discriminated against because of your gender.
     
  11. been discriminated against because of your race.
     
  12. broken a law and gotten caught.
     
  13. broken a law and not gotten caught.
     
  14. stood by and watched while someone was emotionally or physically hurt and said or did nothing because you were too afraid.
     
  15. plan to speak out and do something from now on when you see someone being pressured to do something that they do not want to do.
     
  16. feel that one person can make a difference.
     
  17. Finally, stand and deliver if you feel that tolerance of diversity is a must if we are to survive as a global community.

 

Handout 3Print Handout 3

Respect for Diversity Action Plan

Today we focused on increasing respect for diversity. The next step is to make plans so that you can apply your new knowledge to different aspects of your life. Take a few minutes to think about what action steps you can take, and then complete the following statements.

In my personal life I can ______________________________________
_________________________________________________________
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At my school I can ___________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
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_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

In my community I can _______________________________________
_________________________________________________________
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_________________________________________________________

Handout 4Print Handout 4

Racial Identity Journal Reflection

Directions: Write a journal reflection focusing on your racial identity. Include your thoughts on the following questions in any order in your reflection.

  • What is your racial identity?
     
  • When and how did you become aware of this identity?
     
  • What role has it played in your life?
     
  • How does it affect you in your social activities?
     
  • How does it affect you in your school?
     
  • How does it affect you in your community?
     
  • In what ways do you benefit from this identity?
     
  • In what ways do you suffer or miss out because of this identity?

Philanthropy Framework:

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Unit Contents:

Overview:Stand and Deliver for Justice and Diversity: King Day (10th) Summary

Lessons:

1.
Stand and Deliver for Justice and Diversity: King Day (10th)

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