STEREOTYPING AND

DISCRIMINATION IN By Kimberly Hall

LITERATURE
STEREOTY Overview:

PING AND During the remaining portion of this lesson, students

will start thinking about how their attitudes and
DISCRIMIN opinions are influenced. They will learn and be able to
give examples of how the media can influence
ATION IN someone's image of others that may have differences
from them. They discuss how this can impact on our
LITERATU own attitudes our society. Lastly, we will all consider
the importance of developing our own perceptions of
RE people without influences from others.
STEREOTY Learning objectives:
PING AND  Comprehend how our attitudes may be influenced by outside
influences.
DISCRIMIN  Be able to recognize the many ways in which individuals may
be subjected to discrimination or being stereotyped.
ATION IN  Last, provide a 5-page analytical research paper demonstrating
individuals in our society that have differences from them, their
LITERATU history of discrimination in America, and how these issues can
be addressed from a societal standpoint in regard to combatted

RE the issue.
STEREOTY
PING AND Resources:

DISCRIMIN
 Students assigned textbooks
 Notebooks

ATION IN  Pencils/pens/ highlighters

 Assigned novel for Reading Assignment

LITERATU  Video clips

RE
 Me: “Hello class, glad to see everyone in class today.
I have completed your reading assignments over the
STEREOTY weekend. Everyone should have completed the novel.
Today, we will continue with the lesson plan
PING AND regarding stereotyping and discrimination in not only
literature, but in our society in general. The novel we
DISCRIMIN read was about a writer, long before our time, that was
considered less than a writer because she was a
ATION IN female….let’s begin our class with watching a short
clip I found on YouTube, that will give you more
LITERATU information on the author and her personal
background.”
RE (Plays clip)
 Charles: “I see discrimination daily in my
neighborhood. All different types, from the color of a
person's skin, to the religion they choose to live by.”
STEREOTY Me: “There are many reasons why people are
PING AND discriminated against, race, religion are great
examples Charles, sexual orientation and gender are
DISCRIMIN just a few as well.”

ATION IN Me: “Now class, listen to me read from the author’s

biography that was discriminated against, but
LITERATU remember, her accounts from a different era in time,
and think of some reasons you believe this individual
RE was subjected to this treatment.”
(reads excerpts from novel by female.)
 Me: Now that I’ve read to you guys, were you able to
STEREOTY pick up any reasons she encountered discrimination?
One example I can give is her living in an American
PING AND era when women were treated as second rate citizens,
so can one person tell me an additional reason you
DISCRIMIN feel, or others may feel she encountered
discrimination?
ATION IN Karen: “From the clips it stated she was gay; I know
LITERATU she had to be discriminated against during those times
because people are still discriminated against because
RE of it in today’s era.”
 Me: “Excellent example Karen, I want you guys to
think outside of the box and think of what was
happening in America during the time when she wrote
STEREOTY her novel.”

PING AND Me: “Can someone tell me what being stereotyped

means?”
DISCRIMIN (hands raised)
ATION IN Karen: “Believing someone is something before
LITERATU you’ve gotten to know them.”
Me: “Good definition, but I have a question for you,
RE does being stereotyped always mean something
negative?”
 Karen: “I believe so.”

STEREOTY Me: “That would be incorrect. There are several ways

you can stereotype someone's character even in a
PING AND positive light. For example, some races are thought to
be smarter than other races, but this is an incorrect
DISCRIMIN assumption.”

ATION IN James: “I never really thought of it in that manner,

but I see your point teacher.”
LITERATU Me: “Good James, now can you give me an example
RE where you felt you were stereotyped or discriminated
against?”
 James: “Yes, actually a lot of my friends assume I am
STEREOTY from Mexico, and I speak Spanish. My parents are
American citizens, and I don’t speak Spanish.”
PING AND Chief: “I have an example, many people assume I’m
DISCRIMIN good at basketball because I’m so tall, but I’m a
football player that stinks at Basketball.”
ATION IN (Class laughs)
LITERATU Me: “Sorry to hear that Chief, (chuckle), but great
example. We assume stereotyping is always negative,
RE but frankly, stereotyping is the result of assumptions
individuals have for other individuals who
 may be different from them. Chief’s example of
himself being thought of as being great at sports just
because of his height, as well as James's account of
STEREOTY stereotyping him because of his race, are the
assumptions of individuals thinking something of
PING AND someone before knowing.”

DISCRIMIN Me: “ Now can someone give me accounts where an

individual may be stereotyped in a negative manner.”
ATION IN Chelsea: “ Thinking someone is a criminal because of
their skin color or being a terrorist because of their
LITERATU Muslim faith.”
RE Me: Great Examples Chelsea, those are some typical
examples that are experienced in America today by
many individuals.”
 Me: “What do you guys believe are some of the
reasons behind stereotyping behavior and
discrimination directed towards certain individuals in
STEREOTY our society?”

PING AND Terrence: “Movies.” I always see black people

playing drug dealers and criminals”
DISCRIMIN Me: “Good example, media and how individuals are
portrayed, has a huge impact of how we see ourselves
ATION IN and others.”
LITERATU Jesse: “Music is a great example, people always
assume because I moved here from Texas, that I only
RE like country music.”
 Me: “I definitely understand your point, Jesse. People
STEREOTY don’t believe I love listening to classical music, but
instead music genres such as hip hop or the blues.”
PING AND Me: “OK class, now that we all have a clear idea or
DISCRIMIN concept of what different ways individuals can
express and be effected by discrimination and being
ATION IN stereotyped, I’m going to break you guys up into six
groups with six students in each group. First, each of
LITERATU you will need a sheet of paper because I would like
each one of you to discuss your personal experiences
RE with discrimination and write them down. Second, I
would like all of you as a group to
 choose an entity such as race, religion or gender, that
you see are affected by discrimination. Give
examples and solution to combat it educationally.
STEREOTY Maybe you weren’t the one who was being
stereotyped or discriminated against but instead
PING AND witnessed it. How were they discriminated against?
Why do feel that person or you, were treated in that
DISCRIMIN manner by that individual or group? These are some
of the questions I would like you guys to be thinking
ATION IN of during your group discussions. After each of you
LITERATU have an example as a group, you will present your
findings and examples of solutions that can be done
RE in a positive manner to help stop this type of treatment
(i.e.. Protests and peaceful marches), Does anyone
have any questions?”
 Jerri: “Yes ma’am, how many examples of each do
we have to provide?

STEREOTY Me: “Good question Jerri, I want each group to

provide at least 3 examples of discrimination they
PING AND have seen or been affected by, one example of
stereotypic behavior you have experienced or
DISCRIMIN expressed, and three solutions you guys believe will
end this type of behavior. Are there any more
ATION IN question?”

LITERATU (class is silent)

RE Me: “Each of your groups will have 20 minutes to

complete this assignment and be ready to present your
findings to the class.
 Chief: “I'm afraid my findings will make someone feel
uncomfortable.”
STEREOTY Me: It is okay. We all have been affected by this type
PING AND of behavior, and we also might feel bad by this, but
that is the reason behind this lesson. If we learn more
DISCRIMIN about each other, and what makes us feel the way we
do when we are treated or thought of as something
ATION IN different, then maybe all the hate would stop in
America that we see on television. As I says earlier,
LITERATU not all discrimination or stereotyping manners are
negative, you can use those examples as well.”
RE
STEREOTY Chief: “Thank you Miss Hall, I understand.”

PING AND Me: “No problem Chief, anything else guys before I
let you get in your groups?
DISCRIMIN (Silence in classroom)

ATION IN Me: Ok class, you guys have 20 minutes, if you need

any help or direction, just let me know.”
LITERATU Class: “Yes ma’am
RE
STEREOTY Me: “ You guys have around 10 more minutes if
you're not aware of the time.”
PING AND Me: “Ok class, is everyone about done, you have
DISCRIMIN around 5 more minutes, you should be wrapping up
your final thoughts for the presentation.”
ATION IN Class: “Ok, yes ma’am, thank you.”
LITERATU Me: “Ok class, time is up, is everyone done?”
RE Class: “Yes”
STEREOTY Me: “Ok Class, since I put you guys in different groups, I
PING AND will ask groups to volunteer to go first or next. Which
group would like to go first?”
DISCRIMIN Chief: “Our group would.”
ATION IN Me: “Ok Chief, give me the three examples from your
group of discrimination, 1 example of stereotyping and 2
LITERATU solutions for the experiences you guys have encountered or
seen?
RE Chief: “ Ok, for discrimination we have, 1. Being racially
profiled like by the police, 2. Being treated like a terrorist
because of your Muslim descent and 3. Being mistreated
because I come from a financially lower class of society.”
 Chief continues: “As far as stereotyping, we all thought a great example we
have all experienced in the group is that of being a criminal. Most of our
group is males and of minority race and it is prevalent in the more affluent
parts of our city. The solution we all produced, is to provide community
outreach services directed towards educating everyone about the affects

STEREOTY discrimination can do to a society, like the lesson you taught us today Miss
Hall.”

PING AND Me: “Excellent job gentleman, as you may have noticed, I assigned you to
specific groups to enhance the educational experience for you guys.”

DISCRIMIN (All students have shared their results)

Me: “Great job you guys, now that I know you guys fully understood the
ATION IN lesson and what it is trying to convey, the 5-page essay will be due on
Monday. Please follow the directions provided, and if anyone has any

LITERATU questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact me. Any questions?”

)Class is silent)

RE Me: “Well, you guys, we have about 5 more minutes of class so you can
stay in your discussion groups until the bell rings for dismissal.”
(Bell rings)
“Class is dismissed!”