Exercise 4.3. – True and false

Living Democracy » Textbooks » Teaching Democracy » Chapter 4 – Perceiving others » Exercise 4.3. – True and false

Educational objectives	The students become aware of the stereotypes in their minds and reflect on them critically. They understand that simplifications and stereotypes help us cope with the complexity of the world in which we live. The students develop their abilities to make judgments and decisions. In doing so, they are encouraged to develop a critical attitude.
Resources	The classroom must be cleared of desks and chairs. A “true” and a “false” space are defined in opposite corners of the class.

Procedure

The students stand in the middle of the room. The teacher reads a series of true or false statements about women, men, various nationalities, etc.
Reacting to each statement, the students go to one corner or the other according to what they believe is true or false.
The students with no opinion stay in the middle.
The teacher invites the students to explain their choices.
The teacher provides the correct answer. It is essential that this step is never omitted.
The students respond to the teacher’s input. The teacher encourages them to explain how they have perceived others, particularly if these perceptions have been proved incorrect.

Extension

The students analyse the manner in which the media deal with issues related to minorities, gender, violence, etc. They identify examples of stereotypes, prejudice, superficiality or thorough and investigative journalism. The students try to correct Information that they believe is wrong or incomplete.

Exercise 4.2. - Difference

Exercise 4.4. - First impressions

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