5.2 A Class Divided
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The day after Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed, Jane Elliott, a teacher in a small, all-white Iowa town, divided her third-grade class into blue-eyed and brown-eyed groups and gave them a daring lesson in discrimination. This is the story of that lesson, its lasting impact on the children, and its enduring power 30 years later.
Watch the video below and then complete the assignment that follows. Warning, the video is 53 minutes long, so ensure that you have ample time to watch it.
And the assignment: write a 2 paragraph minimum journal entry taking into consideration the following questions:
What are your feelings/thoughts about the case study you just watched?
- Are there any negative attitudes/stereotypes that you hold toward particular groups or individuals in society?
- Why do you think people hold negative views or stereotypes about others?
- How do you think people acquire these views?
- What are the basic values underlying such views?
- How is society affected when such views are held by a large number of people?
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