2 Achieving Equality
blackboard, news clippings, charts, dictionary
Understand, appreciate, accommodate and not discriminate against physical features, gender,
economic conditions, race and religion.
At the end of the lesson, students will be able to
 understand the meaning of prejudices and how that would
result in discrimination and inequalities
 recognize the steps taken by the government in
guaranteeing the right to equality and freedom as the
fundamental rights in the constitution
 appreciate the work done by great persons in removing
discrimination and inequality in the Indian society
 think of their role in removing prejudices and appreciate
the importance of bringing a positive change in the
classroom and school
Warm up and introduction
Warm up can be done through recall questions related
to the previous lesson (Understanding diversity).
 What is diversity?
 Why do you think there is such a difference?
 Mention the types of diversities we see around us.
 Are differences good or bad?
 Are there some differences that are created by us
in our minds?
00:15
Through the course of the lesson, students will be
able to
 describe the terms such as prejudices,
discrimination, stereotypes, and so on
 recognize the prejudices leading to unequal
treatment
 examine the real time advertisements, news, and
films to find how stereotypes are depicted in them
 analyze discriminatory actions and point out
measures to remove such practices
 argue about the social beliefs that lead to such
discriminatory practices
Introduction
 Students are expected to provide answers such as
the differences in age, gender, ethnicity, religion,
social/economic status and others.
 Students are expected to remember the idea from
the last lesson, 'we are different; we are same'.
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Guided learning of concepts
 Besides language, gender and religion, what other
social/economic differences/inequalities do we see
in our society?
 Ask students to give an example of how one boy/
girl is isolated even among the students of his/her
age due to poverty/speaking different language/any
other such differences.
Visual support to learn new ideas/concepts
 Get charts with big cut out pictures of
advertisements showing stereotypes such as
boys/men who are aggressive and taking up bike
riding and girls/women who are worried about
their skin colour or any other reason.
 Show them the charts and ask what is depicted
and whether that is correct depiction (girls with
dark complexion cannot be happy/boys can be
aggressive while riding).
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 Should we treat people who are different from us
without equal respect?
 Lead a discussion to probe and find out their ideas,
00:30 attitude towards differences; teacher to guide the
following point:
People who are different from us physically/economically/
gender wise or any other way are not inferior or superior
to us; we are all equal and we should treat others with
dignity and respect.
(It is crucial to be informed as this is a formative period/
age to form right opinions.)
 Ask them to tell small sentences with adjectives such
as ‘He is a tall man/She is a plump woman/Vinu is a
poor boy and so on;
Question: Why does such isolation take place?
 Focus on our notions without any reason for such
00:30 behaviour (some children can point this out on their
own); give some pause to get the answer.
 Write the word, 'prejudice' on the board.
 Ask the students to find the meaning.
 Ask them what would be the causes for prejudice.
 Causes for prejudice on page 218 should be explained
by the teacher.
Example: Socialization means tendency to categorize
people into groups and special treatment to people of
the same group.
00:20
Ask students to write an article on any discrimination and
prejudice faced by them or the people they know.
Further questions can be asked to lead them to new ideas
and concepts such as equality and freedom, fundamental
rights and constitution.
 How do you think prejudices can lead to inequalities?
 What will be the result of stereotyping a person?
 When you think the other person is not your equal,
how would you treat her/him?
00:25
 What will you do if a fellow classmate is made fun of or
left out?
 Tell them that each and every one of us should be
treated equally and thereby introduce the terms
'equality' and 'freedom'.
 Who can assure/guarantee that we are all equal?
Student learning
 Ask the students to read aloud in class and stop
wherever it is appropriate to give an explanation.
 Support and guidance is needed in explaining the
context.
 Direct the students to read the information in the
boxes in the textbook and discuss.
 Ask them to analyze the tables on page 220 about
00:20
literacy rate and sex ratio and ask the following
questions.
• What does the reading/data indicate?
• Does it show discrimination?
• On what basis?
• Is the sex ratio affected by the literacy rate?
 Ask them to read about the achievers (page 221).
 Give them time to catch the implication of a wrong
idea/approach.
 They may like to provide quite a few examples
themselves.
 Write the word 'stereotype' on the board and
explain that it is,
'A set idea that people have about what someone or
something is like, especially an idea that is wrong.'
 What you will say if all are not given same
opportunities and respect in the society?
 Treating bad or not equally may be the students’
response.
 Write the word 'discrimination' on the board and
explain.
Students can be asked to debate on the topic, 'What is
the most prevalent and worst discrimination? (caste,
gender, religious, or socio-economic)
The class can be divided into four groups and each
group can give their opinions.
Explain how Constitution is a great guide of Indian
Democracy.
 how the government should be formed;
 how the laws are made;
 what are the rights of people that are to be
protected by the government;
For a better comprehension, additional reading on the
fundamental rights such as the right to equality, right
to freedom and right against exploitation can be done
in class with explanation by the teacher.
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Extra Reading
Please check the following story and see if you can use it Textual exercise
without any problem.
 Discussion of the exercises among students to find the
How These Inspiring Child-Brides Are Challenging The answers with guidance from the teacher.
Tradition
 The answers are to be written as home assignments.
Jhilli and other girls in Kandhamal district in Odisha have
come together and formed the Kishori Kalyan Samiti, which
helps raise awareness about the ill-effects of child marriage.
Find out how these girls are challenging this regressive social
practice.
Watch this story onYouTube (oxfamIndia). Please check the
following link for stories of women.

https://matadornetwork.com/read/8-everyday-indian-women-challenging-stereotypes-india/

Recommended activities
For a better tomorrow
Group Activity
1. Students to collect items of news/stories from magazines
about incidents of discrimination/practice of certain
prejudices under the guidance of the teacher (the incident/
news should be age appropriate); Understand the event,
analyze the reasons for such a discrimination, make
conclusions and suggest ways to get rid of such practices.
Ask them to present the observations, analysis and
suggestions in their own words as an article with suitable
pictures.
2. Another team work:
Listen to advertisements that are telecast and read the ones 00:40
which come in print media and pick the ones which show
stereotypes, pick movies as well which often show such
stereotypes. Students can make a critical review, share it in
class, and send it to newspapers/magazines or any other
social media forum.
(OR)
Present alternate ideas by removing stereotypes from the
advertisements and doing it in a different way. Prepare a
dialogue/speech to present in the assembly of your class on
the topic — the challenge of being left out in class activities
(when one does not conform to the general behaviour/pattern,
when one is completely from another social/cultural/religious
group) and how to practise ‘inclusion’ (the teacher should give
a short explanation of 'inclusion' in the system of education.)

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 Achieving Equality

Prejudice Stereotypes Discrimination Methods to

Causes for prejudice • Strong prejudice • Caste achieve equality
• Socialization develops into a discrimination • Remedial
• Conforming stereotype • Gender measures
behaviours • False view or idea discrimination • Constitutional
• Economic benefits about something • Socio- Economic measures
• Authoritarian discrimination
personality
• Ethno-centrism
• Group closure
• Conflicts