Scenario
Our group focused on a small town, middle to lower class, rural setting. The students would be of average intelligence and physical ability. We based our presentation on the small town, because there are little ethnic variations within school districts. This can present a problem, because children don’t know how to respond to different ethnic groups, therefore, causing unintentional discrimination/segregation. Our teaching strategy of student centered role playing will be used during a 4th grade social studies lesson, in which we are discussing discrimination and segregation. The children are at the tender age of 9 and 10, and they can relate this activity to things that are happening in their everyday lives. School shooting and bombings are examples of things that are happening often, and many people start to focus on what ethnicity the person is, rather than the person themselves. By doing this, children are learning to look at a person’s skin color or ethnicity, rather than who the person is. In short, this could result in children forming an unknown discrimination against a certain ethnic group. We are focusing on the macro-system by expanding their knowledge about the world around them. The students will also practice perspective taking to help them develop prosocial attitudes. As a result of this, their understanding of themselves will further mature as well, by learning more about who they are and the person they want to become. This type of higher level thinking strengthens the child’s theory of mind. At this stage of development it is important for kids to recognize other’s interpretations and beliefs.
Domains in Relationship to Scenario
Through our scenario, students will be affected by all three domains. In regards to the physical domain, 98% of the students in our hypothetical school are Caucasian. They have little experience dealing with other races and ethnicities other than their own. They have also had limited exposure to people with physical and emotional disabilities. Because the fourth graders haven’t had opportunities to develop an understanding of the limitations that other ethnicities face or have faced, they have a limited macro system. Since these students are on track physically, their motor skills are becoming more fine-tuned. Their improved fine motor skills allow them to have better control of their handwriting. They can now write in cursive, so our students practice these skills on a daily basis. In regards to the social/emotional domain, students’ limited exposure to minorities create a narrow sense of understanding for diversity. They are surrounded by familiarity, which keeps them sheltered and unaware of the bigger world around them.
Our students are developing self-understanding and perspective taking. Many of the students have formed unintentional judgments against minorities. Since children are trying to find their niche at this age, it is good for them to understand how minorities felt while dealing with self-discovery and discrimination. According to Kohlberg’s theory, 4th graders adopt the moral standards of their parents, which are students have done. Our students are learning to develop an inner voice, or a voice of morality, that is true to them. In regards to the cognitive aspects within our scenario, the students are able to think critically and more conceptually. They can process and communicate information more effectively than in early childhood. The cognitive advances they experience help them sit for longer periods of time and improve their reasoning.
Brief Description of Activity
Students will be participating in an experiment to understand the effect that discrimination has on a minority population. Unknowingly to them, the class will be divided into two groups, the minority and majority. The majority group will be given more privileges and opportunities. Students will be reminded this is only acting. Students will be able to experience what it is like being part of the both groups. Following the experiments, the class will discuss their feelings about the experience, allowing for different perspectives to be heard. They will then be completing a personal reflection in their journals about the experience.
Before we begin the activity, a letter will be sent home in order to get the parent’s permission to have their child participate in the activity. It will have to be signed and returned a couple of days before the activity. We came up with an idea in which we formulated a system, where half of the children wore white and the other half wore blue for one day. For the first half of the day, the children wearing white will be the majority, and blue will be the minority. Then they switch, and white is the minority, and blue is the majority. Some privileges that the majority would experience would be: a longer recess, easier work, studying together, treats, and an all-around simpler day. The minority would have to work by themselves, stay in from recess, not get snack, and receive harder work. Through this activity the students will learn the concepts of understanding stereotypes, unfair judgments, discrimination, and segregation. They will develop an understanding of how majority and minority groups are treated differently.
Teaching Strategies in Relationship to the Domains
The three domains are each taken into account according to the age of the children, and each domain corresponds well with our teaching strategy. The physical domain focuses on their gross and fine motor skills. In 4th grade, children can use their hands independently, with more precision and ease, and they can write in legible cursive. They will be asked to write a reflection is cursive explaining how they felt, what they thought, and how do they think the problem should be solved. This reflection will help with the advancement of their fine motor skills. Also, the children will have to sit and participate in a verbal discussion.
The social/emotional domain will promote their self-understanding and understanding of others. While the children are either receiving special treatment or not, they will start to recognize social aspects of themselves. They will look around and see how they are being treated and they will start to wonder where they belong. Are the friends they had still their friends? Will they always be the minority or majority? Many different thoughts will go through their minds, and it will encourage them to reflect and start to compare themselves to those who are being discriminated against. During their time as the minority they will start to increase their perspective. Their understanding and sympathy for others will start to further develop as they put themselves in the shoes of another. In turn, they will begin to become emotionally reactive.
Students will start to think critically and reflectively during the assessment portion. When using critical thinking they are expanding their cognitive growth or domain. By looking at the big picture and having an open mind they start to realize how discrimination affects those around them. Middle age students need to be able to develop a deeper understanding of discrimination and segregation. An effective way to develop those understandings is to have the children reflect on previous ideas and experiences.
Assessment
To see how much the children learned with this activity, an assessment will be held. There will be an oral response and a written response. The oral response will be held in class with an open discussion. Questions will be asked, and responses will be expected. Some of the questions that will be asked are: 1) How did this activity make you feel? 2) When you were the minority, how did you feel towards the majority? 3) Did you feel like you were superior to the minority when you were the majority? 4) Why was the minority treated differently? 5) Was it fair to treat someone different because of a stereotype? These questions will hopefully open up the children to really express how they felt and what they would do differently if the problem was really presented to them. The written response would be a homework assignment. It would be written in cursive handwriting, and they would answer a few questions referring to the activity. A few of the questions would be: 1) Have you experienced or observed discrimination in your life? 2) How does this experience change your mind set during a negative stereotype scenario involving another ethnicity? The students will reflect on these questions and put their thoughts to paper. There will be no right or wrong answer. It is their opinion and a way to see if they truly understood the lesson and the point of the activity.
It is our hope that while the activity is going on, the students who were part of the minority start to question the unfairness. We want them to become passionate about how they are being treated. It would help them to further their knowledge and understanding of discrimination and segregation and how it makes people feel.

Teaching Strategy Outline
Concepts:
-Through oral response, students will show understanding that stereotypes can lead people to make unfair judgments about individuals and groups.
-Through written reflection, students will show understanding of how segregation can be hurtful and painful to those who are discriminated against.
Activity:
Prior knowledge:
-Stereotype, prejudice, discrimination, minority and majority groups.
-Discrimination in history: African Americans (slavery and segregation) and Native Americans (forced out of homeland)
I. Role playing-simulating a real world event to engage students to become deeply involved with the topic.
A. Divide the students into two groups. Do not let the students become aware of what group they belong to, as far as minority and majority. The groups will be based on the color of their shirts. B. The minority will not be given the same privileges as the majority:
1. Majority will be allowed to sit at the tables and the minority will have to sit on the floor.
2. Majority will be given an easy worksheet while the minority has to complete a very difficult one. The majority would not be allowed to help the minority.
3. Majority will be provided with candy and allowed to eat it in front of the minority, and not allowed to share. .
4. When going over the worksheet, the majority will get called on first and the minority, last.
5. The majority will be praised for their answers and asked to elaborate on their comments. The minority will be told they are wrong and put down for trying.
II. Discussion: allow an open forum for the students to share their reactions.
A. Teacher will direct student discussion using pre-established questions as a guide. The discussion should promote students to understand the other person’s feelings and viewpoints. 1. How did the majority feel about getting special treatment? 2. How did the majority feel about the minority not getting equal treatment? 3. How did the minority feel about being treated unequal? 4. How did the minority feel towards the majority? 5. What was the reason the minority was treated unfairly? (Color of shirt)
6. Was it fair to treat the minority unfairly based on this stereotype?
III. Integrating disciplines: social studies and writing
Students will complete a reflection of the experience. Students will include how they felt being in the minority group and their feelings towards the majority, then describe their reactions from being in the majority group and how they felt for the minority students. It is a requirement that the reflection be completed in cursive.
A. Students will be responsible for journaling about the experience. This is a time they can reflect on their thoughts as well as the reactions and opinions of others from the discussion. They can use what they have discovered about discrimination to answer the following questions: 1. How were you effected by discrimination?
2. How did this experience change the way you feel about discriminating against others based on assumptions and stereotypes?