Grade
© 2008 Committee for Children www.secondstep.org
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Lesson 6
Academic Integration Activities
Language Arts and Social Studies
How can stereotypes lead to violence?
During many historical conflicts, stereotypes were especially prevalent and problematic.
Have students think about historical situations in which stereotypes led to violence and the
mistreatment of innocent people (such as the Holocaust, the U.S. Civil Rights Movement,
immigration quotas based on racism in the early 1900s, Japanese-American internment
camps during WWII, or confiscation of Native American land by the government). Put
students in groups to discuss the following questions about the selected historical situation
and stereotypes: What is the difference between a positive and a negative stereotype? How
do you think it feels to be labeled negatively? What effects did labels and stereotypes have
in this situation? How did stereotypes “justify” the mistreatment of innocent people? How
can labeling and stereotyping others negatively be prevented?
Health and Science
How similar are we?
Biological classification is a method used to group species according to shared physical
characteristics. An estimate of the total number of living species is somewhere between
13 and 14 million. Humans are just one these species. Although humans have some
differences, they are approximately 99.5 percent genetically identical.
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Have students work
in groups. Have each group examine biological classification. You can find various versions
of biological classification on the Web and in science textbooks. Then have groups discuss
the following questions: How are humans classified? (You can have each group give the
kingdom, phylum, subphylum, class, and so on.) Which characteristics do all humans
share? Although the differences among humans are only .5 percent, what are some of these
tiny differences? How have these tiny differences led to stereotypes and prejudices? Have
groups discuss their responses with the class.
Media Literacy
What stereotypes do you see?
Preselect and show clips from the Disney movies Peter Pan or Aladdin. The Peter Pan
clip should include a scene with the Indians. The Aladdin clip should show the characters
Aladdin and Jafar and include the song “Arabian Nights.” Have small groups watch the
clip, then have each group discuss the following questions: What visual stereotypes do
you see? What verbal stereotypes do you hear? Why are these stereotypes? Have groups
come up with changes they could make to the movie that would make it not perpetuate
stereotypes. Have each group explain their changes to the class.