The dangers of bias and “single stories”

CHALLENGING THE SINGLE STORY

Objective: Students explore various bias and stereotypes they are confronted with in daily l i fe. Project culminates in producing a performance, video, or zine for the school’s bullying prevention week.

Prior to project students will have had experience with - summary writ ing, supporting an opinion in writ ing and speaking, step out and speak tableau, creating a performance

Students will need lessons on - research, creating a meaningful survey, language choices, connotations and social meanings

When working in groups students wil l have assigned roles and regular check-ins on individual progress - any member not fulfill ing their duties wil l receive warnings/ possibly be removed from the group (Edutopia 2014)

Benchmark dates can be chosen by groups, but culminating product has fixed date during a school event (bullying prevention assembly). Project will last approximately one month.

CHALLENGING THE “SINGLE STORY” – AN ESL PROJECT

Learners- Intermediate ELLs in China, grade 10

Classes are largely homogenous, most diversity is among foreign teaching staff

Many students have not been asked to think critically about social issues – sexism, racism, classism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia etc

Many students do not have the language to respectfully discuss differences

THE STUDENTS

Ontario ESL Level 3 Curriculum standards:

Research Skills- 4.1 Locating Information, 4.2 Extracting and Organizing Information, 4.3 Critical Thinking

Writing for Different Purposes- 1.1 Academic Purposes, 1.2 Personal Purposes

Writing Process- 4.1 – prewriting strategies, 4.2 producing drafts, 4.3 revising and editing

Media Knowledge and Skills- 4.1 Understanding Media Texts, 4.2 Interpreting Media Texts, 4.3 Creating Media Texts

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/secondary/esl912currb.pdf

CURRICULUM

Students are asked for a definition of stereotype, come up with examples in groups, and write a l ist on the whiteboard

View the TED talk “the danger of a single story” Ask if any more examples can be added to our list The concept of “the single story” wil l be used throughout the

project

h t tps: / /www. ted .com/ ta lks / ch imamanda_ad i ch ie_ the_danger_o f _a_s ing le_ sto ry

MINDS ON…

individual-bring in an image that shows a single story (ie. Ad in the subway, image from magazine, newspaper, social media feed).

Image should be encountered in usual surroundings rather than specifically searched for on the internet . Examples will be modeled in class using magazines, newspapers, community advertisements, etc.

What is the single story presented? How do you know? Who is the intended audience? What are possible consequences of believing the single story?

Student choice of assessment- presentation to whole class with Q&A, or write up for gallery walk with Q&A

PART ONE- INDIVIDUAL

Real world context- selecting an image from normal daily surrounding encourages connection to real world and critical thinking of issues outside the classroom

Student choice- free to choose any image that they can argue represents a stereotype, rather than teacher assigning a category such as gender role

Student choice in assessment- content and skills can be assessed the same in different formats- those comfortable with speaking can deliver a presentation, those more confident with writing and small group interaction can be part of gallery walk

(BIE n.d.)

PBL CHARACTERISTICS

Students fill out survey with top three choices for what type of issue they would like to analyze further. Groups are made based on interests.

Beauty and body expectations?Gender roles and gender identity?Sexual identity? Culture/ Countries?Race?Wealth and Poverty? Mental Health? Disabilities?Other?

PART TWO- COLLABORATE

KWL chartGroup fills out chart with what they know about their

topic, encouraged to list any and all assumptions What do they want to know?After research, what did they learn?

Using newspapers, magazines, social media, internet searching, compile instances of the stories surrounding their chosen topic- how do people talk about the issue, what images are used, are any single stories being presented? (Chinese and English sources encouraged)

RESEARCH

Group creates either online survey (VPN access needed) or paper survey relating to their issue, aim is to collect opinions for a general snapshot of school and their families. All group members responsible for generating questions, one member should type up and create survey l ink/ type up survey to be photocopied.

Students deliver questions to at least 4 family members or community members each

Students collect responses from at least 15 peers outside the class

Group responsibil it ies- all students conduct family/community survey, peer interviews are divided as evenly as possible among group members, date/time checklist given to each student to check off their contribution.

RESEARCH- FAMILY AND PEER SURVEYS

Half the group writes summary of family research. How does it compare to what they found in the news, on the internet, etc?

Half the group writes summary of peer interviews

Group compares findings together- are any single stories emerging from family group? Peer group? Both? What are the similarities and differences of opinions? Was there anything surprising?

What are the words and phrases used (both Chinese and English) in these contexts? Are there any words or phrases that are obviously or possibly disrespectful? (teacher helps check and explain English choices- dictionary meaning and social meaning/use are not the same thing)

ANALYZING RESEARCH

Driving Question- Day-to-day what single stories do we receive, what are the possible consequences, and how can we challenge these biases and create more respect?

21st Century skills: collaboration- working in groups with assigned roles, regular reflection on individual contributioncommunication- using both written and oral skills critical thinking- challenging preconceived notions

(Larmer and Mergendoller 2010)

PBL CHARACTERISTICS

Students synthesize images, research, and opinions into character voices

Students may model a tableau after a found image or create their own (everyone must have a role- can add or take away from found image)

One by one each student steps out of the tableau and in character delivers a short monologue about the scene

Post show audience discussion- peer feedback and Q&A- was content clear? Character voices? Was topic approached with respect? Were single stories challenged?

PART 3- STEP OUT AND SPEAK TABLEAU

Feedback and Revision- Students receive feedback from other groups and share their findings on their single story. Was the performance surface and basic, or did the group really delve into the issues surrounding their single story? What were their research findings? What do they mean?

(Larmer and Mergendoller 2010)

PBL CHARACTERISTICS

Groups will choose to create a performance, video, or zine outlining the single story and its consequences, offering ways for peers to challenge and think critically about it, and offering suggestions to move past the single story to a more inclusive viewpoint

Performances and videos will take place during the school’s bullying prevention assembly. Zine will be distributed after assembly as reading material for the students and material for teachers to spark further discussions during the school’s bullying prevention week

Post-project reflection- Do you think your work had a positive impact on the school? What would you change if you were to do it again? What can the teacher change? Etc.

PERFORMANCES, VIDEOS, OR ZINE

Student voice and choice- students have a choice to create live performances, video performances, or a combination or written/illustrated pieces for a zine

Publicly presented product- product will be available to the whole school (grades 10-12) during bullying prevention week

(Larmer and Mergendoller 2010)

Reflection- students and teachers have an opportunity to reflect on the project- what went well, what needs to change, impact in the school community (BIE n.d.)

PBL CHARACTERISTICS

BIE (n.d.). What is Project Based Learning (PBL)? Retrieved June 18, 2016, from http://bie.org/about/what_pbl

Edutopia (2014, June 25). 5 Keys to Rigorous Project-Based Learning Retrieved June 18, 2016, from http://www.edutopia.org/video/5-keys-rigorous-project-based-learning

Larmer, J., & Mergendoller, J. R. (2010, September). Seven Essentials for Project-Based Learning. Retrieved June 18, 2016, from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/sept10/vol68/num01/Seven_Essentials_for_Project-Based_Learning.aspx

WORKS CITED