• Social Studies (Year 10 Option): Welfare and Social Exclusion
  • I can explain and analyse different forms of social exclusion.
• Ethics (Year 7) – Contemporary Moral Language and its Central Concepts and Metaphors
  • I can explain what rights mean referring to the UN Charter of Children’s Rights and the UN Charter of Human Rights.
  • I can articulate the rule of justice that equally recognises the same rights for others that one claims for oneself.
• PSCD (Level 6) – Citizenship
  • I can explain what is meant by ‘putting oneself in someone else’s shoes’ e.g. people who are less fortunate than me, people who are suffering, people who are going through difficulties in their lives.
  • I can identify ways in which we can all make a positive contribution to individuals and the local community.
• PSCD (Level 7) – Citizenship
  • I can recognise bias and misrepresentation in the media and advertising.
  • I can recognise and challenge stereotypes.
• Cross-curricular themes
  • Learning to learn
  • Education for Diversity

The apprentice (15min.):

The educator explains that the session will start by playing a game (prejudice stereotype discrimination inclusion ILB.pptx). The educator asks if the students are familiar with reality shows where each episode, a participant is eliminated until there is only one standing. The game will be like that.

There are 7 individuals competing and the students are entrepreneurs that need to recruit an engineer to go into space and set up life on the moon.

Of course, as each episode passes by, we get to know more about each character. Each time the educator reveals a layer of information on the slides, they have to ‘fire’ someone by removing them from their line up until they have one left who is ‘hired’. The final slide reveals each person’s qualifications which if hiring for a job, should have been the first.

For this game, the students should write on their own papers the names of the 7 participants and cross out a name for each round. During the game PowerPoint there are some terms that it is best they are explained such as heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual, physically fit and mentally fit. 

*Heterosexual is called ‘straight’ in everyday language. It’s a person that is attracted to a gender that is not their own eg a woman attracted to a man or vice versa.

*Gay is an umbrella term, meaning that it covers a wide range of concepts belonging to the same category. It usually means someone that is attracted to their same gender (please note, it’s gender, not sex as they mean different things) eg. a man attracted to another man

*Lesbian – a gay woman. a woman attracted to another woman

*Bisexual – a person that is attracted to two or more genders (but not necessarily all genders, that is pansexual).

*Physically fit -Physically fit means being healthy and well, more specifically, having the ability to perform aspects of sports, occupations and daily activities.

*Mentally fit – Mental fit is being in a state of well-being and having a positive sense of how we feel, think, and act.

Note to educators: Alternatively, the educator can prepare a document with a table of the names of the job seekers and the names of the students. At the end, their final choice is marked so there is a visual representation of who chose who.

At the end of the activity, their choices can be discussed and any prejudice, stereotype or discrimination highlighted. eg. ‘On what basis did you choose to cross out someone?’ ‘Why should the person’s sexual orientation or ethnicity matter?’ Based on the student’s answers, more questions should be asked.

The educator will start by asking the students to give examples of a stereotype, prejudice and discrimination based on the game or not. Students will then be asked what they think is the difference between the three concepts.

Participants will be introduced to stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination (also in prejudice stereotype discrimination inclusion ILB.pptx) by linking stereotypes to boxes, prejudice to feelings (heart) and discrimination to action (hand).

Note for educators: A stereotype is a box because we group people together based on their group and give them certain attributes. A prejudice is a heart because it is about having certain feelings and attitudes towards the stereotypes (eg. All Pakistanis are Muslim (Stereotype) and I don’t like that (Prejudice)). Discrimination is a hand because it involves action(s) either verbal or physical (eg. I insult Pakistanis or if there is a Pakistani student at school I trip them, ignore them etc because they are Pakistani). S,P and D don’t necessarily have to be negative, they can be positive like positive discrimination or even simply having positive feelings about a certain group of people (eg. I like Italians because they are good cooks, I think Brazilians are great football players etc)

Insider/Outside (25min.):

The next activity will follow. The educator explains that now that the group has an idea what the three concepts mean, the class will get to experience how it feels to be either included or excluded, accepted or discriminated against.

One objective of this activity is to ensure that all students realise that everyone has experienced being both an “insider” and being an “outsider.”  Another objective is to encourage students to take the perspective of those who are excluded and discriminated and to consider how those negative feelings affect others’ behavior in social situations

The educator writes „excluded/eżklużi“ on one side and „included/inklużi“ on the other (or makes use of a copy of the ‘Insider Outsider’. This can be done on an (interactive)whiteboard or on a google doc/excel spreadsheet) and screen shared/projected.  Each side will then be divided into „feelings/sentimenti/kif tħossok“ and „behaviours/mġieba“. Such as:

Excluded                             Included

Feelings

Behaviours

The educator will then ask students to think of a time when they were in a team or a group and they were different from others in the group (they should not share the experience, just the feeling). Students then think of one or two words that describes how they felt at that time. After students have had time to think of the words, the words will be written down.

Optional: Before the list is made, the students can introduce themselves to the class using those words.  Provide an example (e.g., Hi! I’m awkward and confused.) 

Note to educators: Should the students be shy, the students can share their feelings with their ‘neighbour’ even from a distance they can swap the feeling(s).

Record feelings under the “Excluded Feelings” column.

The students should be encouraged to think of a time when they were in a team or group and felt included. Have them call out (or type) words that describe how they felt in that situation, no need to introduce themselves to others this time. List those words.

The educator then asks students to list their behaviours aka how they would act, when they felt they were excluded by the group.  an example (e.g., I would not participate in the discussion if I felt excluded).

The educator repeats this procedure for the times they felt included.  an example (e.g., I might talk to the person next to me if I felt included).

Note to educators: Make sure that they actually use behavioral words; participants have a tendency to use feeling words again. For example, if someone says “I would act angry,” ask them how they would act when they felt angry. What they would do.

After the grid is filled out, a discussion can take place.

1. Why do we have more answers in the negative columns? (Usually people remember more when they are/were different than when they assimilate).
2. What is the link between feeling included and excluded and people’s behavior? (For example, people who feel included participate more and are more likely to take on a leadership role.)
3. Is it possible that when we label someone as ‘strange’ ‘not fitting’ ‘not from this culture’ we are helping in making them behave in a certain way?
4. Why is it important to include people?
5. Do people have to look like, act like, dress like, and sound like others in order to feel included? Is this right? ( If they are part of groups that value differences, they can feel like insiders regardless of differences. )

The educator rounds up the students’ thoughts, making an emphasis on why it is important to include people.

Educators Activity Notes

Insider Outsider Excel File

PowerPoint Presentation

https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/secondary-education-resources/lesson-plan-ideas/lesson-5-prejudice-and-stereotypes
http://www.apadiv2.org/Resources/Documents/otrp/resources/kite13.pdf