Year 2

Home
Print this page. Printer friendly version

3.3: Stereotypes


In this activity students explore how over-generalising leads to stereotyping.

Tasks

  1. Introduce this activity by explaining that over-generalisations sometimes become fixed in our minds and even though we may discover facts to support the contrary, we still hold on to them. Explain that these fixed over-generalisations, typically when they are applied to people, are called stereotypes.
  2. Ask students to complete Handout 14: Stereotype/fact test and to identify which of the statements they think may be stereotypes. This may be done as a whole class, small group or individual activity.
  3. Ask students to form small groups of three or four. Distribute pictures of different people to groups giving each group a different picture. Ask students to write a brief description about what they think the people in the picture are like in real life. Then ask each group to report to the class what they thought about the people in their picture.
  4. When all groups have reported back, lead a class discussion on how we can decide what a person is like before we know them. Examples for discussion starters include:
    • Is a tough looking person always tough underneath?
    • Is a person who looks kind and good always so?
    • Are people who wear glasses always intelligent? etc.
    Conclude by discussing how stereotypes can lead us to pre-judge and even misjudge others.
Teacher Notes
  1. Where this activity is used in isolation, teachers will need to spend more time introducing the terms over-generalisation and stereotype.
  2. Note that by their very nature, the stereotypes in the handout may be offensive to some groups. Teachers may modify Handout 14 as required.
  3. Ensure that students use appropriate language when describing pictures of different groups of people.
Activity adapted from Stereotype and Fact in SHIMAN, David A. The Prejudice Book: Activities for the Classroom, Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, 1988
Downloads
Resources:
  • Pictures of different people e.g. young, old, people with disabilities, glamorous people, people from different cultural backgrounds, people with glasses etc.
  • Pictures of different people e.g. young, old, people with disabilities, glamorous people, people from different cultural backgrounds, people with glasses etc.