Standing Up Against Discrimination: Middle Grades (6-8)

Objectives
Activities will help students:

• identify acts of discrimination
• explore ways to stand up against discrimination
• encourage others to take action against discrimination

Essential Questions

• What does it mean to be discriminated against?
• Why do people discriminate?
• What can we do to stand up against discrimination?

Materials

• Don’t Discriminate [1]
• chart paper

Activities

1. Pretend your teacher made the decision that everyone who is wearing sneakers today will not be allowed to eat lunch in the cafeteria. Discuss your answers to the following questions with a partner:
   • In this situation, how would you feel if you were wearing sneakers?
   • Do you think it’s reasonable for your teacher to decide where people can eat lunch based on what they’re wearing?  What if your teacher decided that only students who were wearing boots could eat in the cafeteria?
   • How would you feel if you were wearing boots and were allowed to eat with everyone else when your best friend, who is wearing sneakers today, is not allowed to eat in the cafeteria?
2. As a class, discuss the following:
   • Who is being treated unfairly in this situation? These people are being discriminated against.
   • If you were the one being discriminated against, what would you do?
   • What would you do if you saw a classmate being discriminated against?
3. Now read Don’t Discriminate [1] to learn about real-life examples of discrimination and how people stood up against it. Answer the questions provided.
4. In a small group, use a piece of chart paper to silently record your reactions to what you just read. You can record thoughts, feelings or questions. More than one person may write on the paper at a time. Once everyone has had a chance to write, respond to one another’s comments and questions silently on the paper. You may draw lines to connect related comments and answers to questions.
5. Once you have finished your silent “discussion” on paper about discrimination, read other groups’ conversations, adding further comments or questions to their papers. Then go back to your own paper and read what other groups have written.
6. As a class, use the group papers to discuss Don’t Discriminate [1]. What are some reasons the people you read about were being discriminated against? Why else might people be discriminated against? (Note: Record student ideas, such as race, religion, appearance/attire, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disabilities, etc. on the board or chart paper.) How did these examples of discrimination make you feel?
7. List all the ways the people you read about safely stood up against discrimination. What are some other ways you could safely stand up against discrimination? (Note: Emphasize peaceful strategies like the ones included in Don’t Discriminate [1], such as telling an adult, contacting a civil liberties group or organizing a boycott or protest. Record student ideas on the board or chart paper.)
8. In small groups, take one of the examples from Don’t Discriminate [1], or come up with an example of discrimination on your own, and write a skit illustrating 1) an act of discrimination and 2) how people stand up against it.

Extension Activities

• Record your skits to be part of your school’s video announcements.
• Perform your skits at a local elementary school.