View unanswered posts | View active topics It is currently Fri Mar 29, 2024 12:28 am



Reply to topic  [ 10 posts ] 
 A Class Divided 
Author Message
All-star
All-star
User avatar

Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2006 5:52 pm
Posts: 43
I really enjoyed the video we watched in class on Thursday. It really made a point to those 3rd graders that will probably last a lifetime. Discrimination hurts! I was thinking though, would I used this lesson in my class? Since I teach first grade, I decided that I would not. I am afraid that these 6 and 7 year olds may not understand as well as third graders, and some feelings may get hurt. I spend so much time teaching manners, responsibility, respectfulness, values, and character that I would almost be "afraid" to do this activity. But I certainly see it's value. I would like to know how you feel about the Brown Eyes lesson and if you would use it with your students.

_________________
Elizabeth Lawson


Thu Aug 31, 2006 8:52 pm
Profile
Semi-pro
Semi-pro
User avatar

Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2006 5:23 pm
Posts: 26
Elizabeth, I would probably not do this with my second graders. For Martin Luther King Day I did a much smaller scale version of the exercise. I was calling students over to the carpet and I gave some a sticker and called them first and some I didn't give a sticker. The ones who didn't get a sticker were saying, "Hey why didn't I get a sticker." I stopped there and explained that is what it feels like to be left out or discriminated against. It was a good learning experience, but didn't damage their feelings and in the end they all got a sticker.

_________________
Lindsey Mehall


Sat Sep 02, 2006 7:39 am
Profile
All-star
All-star
User avatar

Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2006 5:52 pm
Posts: 43
Post 
Lindsey, what a great idea! Thank you for sharing your "sticker" idea for MLK Day. I would like to try that also, along with discussion and a story about MLK. Your idea to teach a small scale discrimination activiry seems to be so appropriate for K-2 students.

_________________
Elizabeth Lawson


Sat Sep 02, 2006 8:02 pm
Profile
Semi-pro
Semi-pro

Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2006 5:23 pm
Posts: 22
Location: Burke County
Post 
I teach first grade as well and must agree that there is potential for damage in trying to teach this lesson to kids that young. We discuss how to treat our "friends" as we call our classmates and do a lot of activities in teaching how to respect EVERYONE. I really like that sticker idea as well and may have to steal it from you :D !

_________________
Nora Vines


Mon Sep 04, 2006 4:28 pm
Profile
All-star
All-star
User avatar

Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2006 5:22 pm
Posts: 37
Post 
I feel like this lesson was a good experiment on the cognitive affects of discrimination, but I do feel that, at any grade level, it really could be damaging. Perhaps if it were done for a very short period of time just to spark discussion...but I guess the point is to really instill in the students a knowledge of what discrimination FEELS like. I do know of several educators who have used this experience to introduce the holocaust, and the holocaust council does feel that that is inappropriate, mainly because they feel that it trivalizes the experiences, and that we really shouldn't ask students to imagine what that was like. When I first heard of this activity, I thought it was great and really didn't understand why it was "condemned" as a classroom activity by this group of people. The video did make it seem really harsh though, but it's because she was so good at it!

_________________
Bobbi Faulkner


Mon Sep 04, 2006 11:05 pm
Profile
All-star
All-star
User avatar

Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2006 5:52 pm
Posts: 43
Post 
Bobbi, thanks for sharing the fact that the Holocaust Council feels that the discrimination activity was not appropriate because it trivializes what the victims really felt. I know we cannot possibly really imagine what "raw and regular" discrimination really feels like unless we have actually experienced it ourselves. I certainly see both sides of the coin, so to speak. The brown eyed discrimination activity sure seemed to help the students in Mrs. Elliott's class understand what discrimination feels like and how they should never discriminate against others, but I can also see how this activity could be damaging, at any age level, especially with primary students.

_________________
Elizabeth Lawson


Tue Sep 05, 2006 5:45 pm
Profile
Semi-pro
Semi-pro
User avatar

Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2006 5:23 pm
Posts: 28
Post 
I agree that the discrimination activity could be very damaging to our primary students. Lindsey, your sticker idea is a great appropriate activity for the younger students. Nora, respectfulness is such an important lesson we need to teach our students. Our counselor promotes a different character trait each month and during that month we have the opportunity to discuss and utilize the trait within the classroom. It's been great so far and at the end of each month our school assemblies usually reflect the character trait through skits, etc.

_________________
Tasha Sigmon


Tue Sep 05, 2006 6:01 pm
Profile
Semi-pro
Semi-pro

Joined: Mon Aug 28, 2006 7:36 pm
Posts: 15
I also enjoyed the movie A Class Divided. I teach first grade and did a similiar activiy except I used candy. I gave candy to all the blue eyed childern and gave nothing to the others. As first graders they were crushed. They all shouted, Why didn't we get candy?" As they were complaining I asked them how they felt when others received candy and they didn't. They all said sad and hurt. I agree discrimination is a terrible thing that our students should learn about early in life.


Tue Sep 05, 2006 6:53 pm
Profile
Semi-pro
Semi-pro
User avatar

Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2006 6:41 pm
Posts: 26
Post 
While watching the video on Thursday night, I thought it would be a good lesson for older children in third through fifth grades. But, I teach second grade and I am afraid that some of my students would be crushed. I'm just not sure how parents would feel about this activity. We also have a character trait posted each month. I like the idea of skits reflecting the character trait.

_________________
Barbara Stewart


Wed Sep 06, 2006 7:00 pm
Profile
Semi-pro
Semi-pro
User avatar

Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2006 5:23 pm
Posts: 24
In a class on Diversity and Leadership we took last fall, we watched a video regarding A Class Divided. It was a Nightline (or other news program) that had Peter Jennings talking to a panel of children about the Class Divided video. There were children of all ages. It was a very interesting video and through it we were able to see the perspective of a wide variety of children.

_________________
Melanie Huss


Sat Sep 09, 2006 7:45 pm
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Reply to topic   [ 10 posts ] 

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
Designed by ST Software for PTF.