3-5 Grade Stereotypes Inquiry by Laine Dolan

Can we change the way

stereotypes affect society
and the individuals in
society?

Students will discover the meaning of stereotypes and explore the role they play in their everyday lives in hopes of answer the
essential question, How do stereotypes impact our lives? Students will first be introduced to stereotypes through an activity
that demonstrates how the assumptions we make lead to stereotyping. This information will allow students to fully engage in
an investigation about how society impacts the use and spread of stereotypes. Then students will utilize these important
societal impacts to analyze how stereotypes can be harmful to individuals as well as groups of people. Finally, this information
will lead students to understand the importance of multiple perspectives and how they have the power to make a change
through the bursting of stereotypes. The inquiry culminates in students creating a social media campaign that showcases
videos they create that demonstrate their understanding of how stereotypes affect an individual in society and how these
individuals defied these stereotypes.

Supporting Questions

1. How does society play a role in creating stereotypes?

2. How are stereotypes harmful?
3. How can we influence stereotypes?

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 3-5 Grade Stereotypes Inquiry by Laine Dolan

Can we change the way stereotypes affect society and the

individuals in society?
C3 Framework
D3.3.3-5. Identify evidence that draws information from multiple sources in response to
compelling questions.
D2.Civ.10.3-5. Identify the beliefs, experiences, perspectives, and values that underlie
their own and others points of view about civic issues.
D3.4.3-5. Use evidence to develop claims in response to compelling questions.
Inquiry Standard
Common Core
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or
events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-
on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts,
building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

Staging the
Compelling Students consider assumptions about genders to begin to explore concepts of stereotypes.
Question

Supporting Question 1 Supporting Question 2 Supporting Question 3

How does society play a role in How are stereotypes harmful? How can we influence stereotypes?
creating stereotypes?
Formative Performance Task Formative Performance Task Formative Performance Task

A written paper analyzing another
student being stereotyped and
explaining how society could have
influenced this stereotype.
Featured Sources
Finding examples of stereotyping Students will write a letter to any
and explaining why a particular company, business, or cooperation
stereotype is harmful to a group of suggesting change.
people or individual in the group
through the creation of a skit and
script.
Featured Sources Featured Sources

Source A: Pepsi Max Commercial -
Real Meant Dont Cry! Source B:
Negative Disney Stereotypes Source
C: Intel Advertisement
Source A: Marisol McDonald
Doesn't Match Source B: Teenagers
from the MKE LGBTQ Community
Center Source C: Symbaloo Page
Source A: Kids assumptions toward
gender roles Source B: Like a girl
Source C: Venn Diagram Source D:
Laundry Day Commercial Source E:
Stop Stereotypes Source F: Rubric
Source G: A Tale of Two Beasts

ARGUMENT
Can we change the way stereotypes affect society and the individuals in society? In partners
students will find an individual in their life, community, or the world who has defied a stereotype
Summative and will create a video to post on social media in contribution to the class movement for change.
Performance Task
EXTENSION
Students can take their learning and opportunity for change further by focusing on their school.

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 UNDERSTAND
Explain how society takes a role in creating stereotypes, how stereotypes are harmful, and how
understanding different perspective can change the way society participates in stereotyping.
ASSESS
Students will explain the harmfulness of stereotypes as well how specific individuals have
overcome these stereotypes to demonstrate their understanding of how stereotypes affect
Taking Informed people's lives as well as their own. Through the campaign, students will begin to see that their
Action voices and actions make a difference in the lives of individuals as well as society as a whole. As
the campaign, hopefully, continues to grow, students will use their experience in taking social
action to make a difference in other social issues.
ACTION
Through a social media campaign, students will share their films with members of the social
media community.

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Overview

Inquiry Description
Students will discover the meaning of stereotypes and explore the role they play in their everyday lives in
hopes of answer the essential question, How do stereotypes impact our lives? Students will first be
introduced to stereotypes through an activity that demonstrates how the assumptions we make lead to
stereotyping. This information will allow students to fully engage in an investigation about how society
impacts the use and spread of stereotypes. Then students will utilize these important societal impacts to
analyze how stereotypes can be harmful to individuals as well as groups of people. Finally, this information
will lead students to understand the importance of multiple perspectives and how they have the power to
make a change through the bursting of stereotypes. The inquiry culminates in students creating a social
media campaign that showcases videos they create that demonstrate their understanding of how stereotypes
affect an individual in society and how these individuals defied these stereotypes.

Structure
This inquiry progresses from students gaining a basic understanding of what a stereotype is to how
stereotypes impact individuals, finally leading students to realize that they can change the way society views
differences.

1. How does society play a role in creating stereotypes? Students investigate stereotypes of certain
groups in society and how society influences stereotyping through media (advertisement, commercial,
movies).

2. How are stereotypes harmful? Students consider the harmfulness of stereotyping through the
exploration of a story character (Marisol McDonald) and real world examples of the impact
stereotyping has on the individuals within a group.

3. Why do we stereotype? Finally, students recognize how perspectives play a role in stereotyping
through a story (A Tale of Two Beasts) and examples in the media..

The inquiry culminates in the creation of a video -- in the form of a movie, documentary, interview, silent
film, picture collage video -- that shares the experiences of individuals in the community or society, and
answers the compelling question of how stereotypes affect peoples lives.

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 Staging the Compelling Question
Compelling Can we change the way stereotypes affect society and the individuals in society?
Question

Staging the compelling question

The teacher will write on one side of the board boys and on the other side of the board girls. Students will
then create a list under each title of adjectives that describe them. Some of the examples might be tough and
athletic for the boys and artistic and soft-spoken for the girls. After creating the two lists, students will
have a class discussion about the word assumption. Once the students have a clear understanding of
assumptions the teacher will ask if they think any of their adjectives are assumptions. This will then lead into
how unfair assumptions can be stereotypes.

(ideas inspired by: https://www.livestrong.com/article/562468-activiti..)

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 Supporting Question 1
Supporting How does society play a role in creating stereotypes?
Question
Formative A written paper analyzing another student being stereotyped and explaining how society could
Performance Task have influenced this stereotype.

Source A: Pepsi Max Commercial - Real Meant Dont Cry!

Featured Sources Source B: Negative Disney Stereotypes
Source C: Intel Advertisement

Screen Shot 2017-12-04 at 2.22.19 PM.png (https://s3.amazonaws.com/idm-

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The class will brainstorm groups of people that are frequently stereotyped and the list will be written on the
board. The teacher will choose 5 of these groups of people varying in the type of stereotype such as religion,
race, gender etc. An example of a variety of 5 groups would be poor people, Asians, old people, gays, and Jews.
These will then be written at the top of 5 posters. The class will split into 5 groups and each group will
receive one of the posters and a different colored marker. They will have 2 minutes to write down as many
stereotypes they know of this group of people. After two minutes the posters will be passed clockwise and the
next group will add to the list already created. This will continue until all groups have had on all posters. Once
everyone finishes the posters will be put on the board for the class to see. The teacher will then facilitate a
class discussion about the posters. Students will be able to express their feelings and opinions about
everything written. The teacher might ask some questions to get students to start thinking such as: where
have we come up with these stereotypes? how has society influenced our opinions of people? how did we
learn these stereotypes? or were we born with them? After this discussion that will get the students thinking
about stereotypes influence, I will show the students 3 examples in media of stereotyping. After each
example of stereotypes in media, we will talk about what the stereotype being displayed is and how seeing
this might affect our views on that group of people. In addition to discussion, the students will have a Venn
digram to fill out while we look at each source. They will write down the differences and similarities between
the stereotypical sources. The first source is a Pepsi Max Commercial which shows gender stereotyping. The
second source is a video describing gender stereotypes in Disney movies. The last source is a racial
stereotypical Intel advertisement. After we go through all of the sources students will discuss in small groups
about their Venn diagrams and what they noticed in the media. There will then be a final class discussion
bringing the lesson back to the question: how society plays a role in creating stereotypes?

Formative Performance Task

Students will have 10 minutes to write an anonymous personal story about a time they have been
stereotyped before. They will turn in these anonymous stories and they will then be redistributed to the class.
Students will then read one of their classmates stories and write a one page paper on how this stereotype
affected them and how society might have influenced the stereotype. These will be assessed using the rubric
in the materials.(Formative Task ideas taken from: http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teachers/free-le..)

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 Supporting Question 1
Featured Source A Pepsi Max Commercial - Real Meant Dont Cry!

Excerpt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRopX1-iz8M&pbjrel..

Source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRopX1-iz8M&pbjrel..

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 Supporting Question 1
Featured Source B Negative Disney Stereotypes

Excerpt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqzrY1aRwZ4

Source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqzrY1aRwZ4

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 Supporting Question 1
Featured Source C Intel Advertisement

http://s3.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/9/2/6/4..

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 Supporting Question 2
Supporting How are stereotypes harmful?
Question
Formative Finding examples of stereotyping and explaining why a particular stereotype is harmful to a
Performance Task group of people or individual in the group through the creation of a skit and script.

Source A: Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match

Featured Sources Source B: Teenagers from the MKE LGBTQ Community Center
Source C: Symbaloo Page

Matching People and Careers Sheet.png (https://s3.amazonaws.com/idm-

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People frequently engage in stereotyping whether they are aware of their actions and thoughts or not.
Unfortunately, regardless of the consciousness or unconsciousness of their actions, when people make
unsupported judgments toward groups, the individuals within these groups are often the ones who are most
effected. Therefore, students will use a variety of sources and engage in several activities to grow in their
understanding of the harmfulness of stereotypes.

Students will first be provided with the Matching People and Careers sheet (Found in Additional Materials).
The six people found in the pictures are Jennifer Welter, Shirley Chisholm, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Mary Kom,
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and Misty Copeland. Students will then be tasked with matching each person to
one of the careers listed including, astrophysicist, ballet dancer, president, football player, presidential
candidate, and boxer. After matching the pictures and the jobs, students will complete the reflection guide
(Found in Additional Materials) that asks students to reflect on the strategy they used to create there matches
as well as what information they used to decide which jobs/professions matched each person. Through this
reflection, students will begin to engage in metacognition and think deeper about the categories they use to
assign people to particular roles. After each individual has reflected on their matching process, the students
will break up into groups. Each group will choose one of the people found in the pictures and research
information about the person. Groups can choose the information they want to share but each group must
tell which profession matched with their particular person. After each group has presented their information
to the class, the students will compare their original matches with the correct matches found throughout the
group presentations. Then the class will discuss whether or not stereotypes played a role in their matching
process as well as how these stereotypes might be harmful. During this discussion, students ideas about how
the stereotypes they used or stereotypes that related to the matching activity might be harmful will be
recorded on a large post-it paper on the board. Students ideas will be continuously added to this paper as
their learning progresses.

After adding ideas about harmful stereotypes to the post-it on the board, students will listen to a reading of
Marisol McDonald Doesnt Match (Source A). Students will first listen to the book and view the pictures.
During the second reading, students will complete the graphic organizer (Found in Additional Materials). The

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graphic organizer well help students focus on and provide evidence for the stereotypes used during the story
and how the stereotypes they find hurt Marisol or other characters in the story. Once students have
completed the graphic organizer, they will share their ideas with their group members, adding new ideas to
their sheet. Students will then share their ideas about the ways stereotypes were harmful to Marisol as a
whole class and these thoughts will be added to the post-it on the board which looks to address to the
supporting question, How are stereotypes harmful?

The next day students will welcome several classroom visitors from the MKE LGBTQ Community Center
(Source B). These visitors will be teenagers from the Proud Theatre, which is designed for youth 13-18 years
old and has a goal of changing the world through arts as well as helping LGBTQ youth overcome bullying and
stereotyping through performance and activism. These individuals will share their personal stories and
experiences dealing with harmful stereotypes. These personal experiences will help students see that harmful
stereotypes impact real children/people, not just characters in a book. Once the speakers are finished sharing
their stories, students will have time to engage in a dialogue with the speakers, asking any questions or
sharing any comments they have for the guests. Then students will reflect on the speakers with their group
mates, particularly discussing how harmful stereotypes impacted each individual, and generating ideas about
what information the class could add to the post-it. Students will then share ideas during a whole class
discussion, continuing to see the extensive list of the ways stereotypes can hurt groups and individuals.

Formative Performance Task

Students will then use the Symbaloo link (Source C) which has several links to specific articles as well as
general research engines to find additional information about harmful stereotypes. Students will work with
their group members to complete the stereotypes chart (Found in Additional Materials) that asks them to find
a group that is being stereotyped, describe the example story, and explain why the stereotype is harmful to
the group or individual in the story. After groups have completed the Stereotype Chart, students will continue
to work with their group members to create a skit and script, showcasing how stereotypes can be harmful to
groups or individuals. Student groups can use any of the examples they found through their research or the
classroom post-it or they can create a new example. Each group will have time to write and practice their skit
before presenting to the class. Additionally, students will collectively decide a situation where a stereotype is
harmful to a group or individual; however, each group member must write a short reflection explaining, in
their own words, why the example demonstrates how stereotypes are harmful. After each group presents, the
class will have an open discussion about the stereotype the group addressed and identify why that stereotype
was so harmful to the group or individual being stereotyped. Through these live action examples and class
discussion, students should be able to see and understand how stereotypes are incredibly harmful for groups
and the individuals in those groups.

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 Supporting Question 2
Featured Source A Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match

Excerpt
Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match is a book about a young girl who does not fit any of the stereotypes people
try to place on her. Instead, she is a biracial, orange haired girl who enjoys wearing mismatched clothing and
eating peanut butter and jelly burritos. During the story, her classmates attempt to make her match but she
eventually realizes that she does not want to conform and enjoys being different.

Source:
Brown, Monica, 1969-. Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match. San Francisco :Children's Book Press: Distributed to
the Book trade by Publishers Group West, 2011. Print.

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 Supporting Question 2
Featured Source B Teenagers from the MKE LGBTQ Community Center

Excerpt
The MKE LGBTQ Community Center aims to provide education and community-building services for Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender people in Milwaukee. On of the programs provided by the center is the Proud
Theater. The theater is designed for youth 13-18 years old and has a goal of changing the world through arts.
The performances allow LGBTQ youth to share their story about being a LGBTQ youth as well as the many
stereotypes and biases they face each day.

Source:
http://www.mkelgbt.org

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 Supporting Question 2
Featured Source C Symbaloo Page

Excerpt
This website was created specifically for the students as they investigate how stereotypes are harmful to
groups and the individuals that are members of those groups. The website includes articles from USA
TODAY, Los Angeles Times, Teen Vogue, and Newsela as well as TedTalks and a radio interview. Additionally,
there are several other general news sources included for students to dive deeper into their investigation.

Source:
https://www.symbaloo.com/mix/stereotypes

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 Supporting Question 3
Supporting How can we influence stereotypes?
Question
Formative Students will write a letter to any company, business, or cooperation suggesting change.
Performance Task

Source A: Kids assumptions toward gender roles

Source B: Like a girl
Source C: Venn Diagram
Featured Sources Source D: Laundry Day Commercial
Source E: Stop Stereotypes
Source F: Rubric
Source G: A Tale of Two Beasts

Teacher will start by reading A Tale of Two Beasts by Fiona Roberton to students. After finishing the book,
teacher will start a discussion about perspectives. Teacher will ask students questions such as "What did the
little girl think happened to the beast?" , "What did the beast think of the little girl?" "How are the stories
different?" etc. After the discussion, students will head back to their desk. Then, students will brainstorm,
individually, at least 5 stereotypes that they are familiar with. After about 10 minutes of brainstorming,
teacher will bring the class back together and start the bursting stereotypes activity. Teacher will start by
asking students to share the stereotypes that they wrote down. As each student shares a stereotype of theirs,
teacher will hand them a slip of paper. With this slip of paper, student will write down their stereotype and
teacher will remind them to write big and neat so it's readable for their peers. Teacher will assure that every
student has a slip of paper, trying to stay away from repetitive ones. After each student has written their
stereotype down, then students will form a circle. In the middle of this circle, there will be a desk with a
toothpick on top. One student will start by going to the middle and reading their slip to the class. Once student
has finished, they will pick up the toothpick and burst the stereotype. Student will then head back to original
place, and then the next student will go following the same steps. This will keep going until all students have
bursted a stereotype. After this, teacher can wrap up the class with a discussion on the question: how can we
influence stereotypes? At the end of the lesson, teacher can end by showing students a inspirational video
about stopping stereotypes.

Formative Performance Task

Student will research a stereotype that is evident within a company, or business and then write a letter to
that chosen group. In the letter, student will include their reason for the letter as well as any suggestions of
how the stereotype can be changed. Teacher will guide students to search the stereotypes by providing
students with examples. After students have finished their letters, teacher will mail it out and will keep a copy
of their letter for themselves and grade their letter using the rubric.

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 Supporting Question 3
Featured Source A Kids assumptions toward gender roles

Excerpt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3Aweo-74kY

Source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3Aweo-74kY.

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 Supporting Question 3
Featured Source B Like a girl

Excerpt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs

Source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs

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 Supporting Question 3
Featured Source C Venn Diagram

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 Supporting Question 3
Featured Source D Laundry Day Commercial

Excerpt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg1oGO4jk4U

Source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg1oGO4jk4U

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 Supporting Question 3
Featured Source E Stop Stereotypes

Excerpt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8-UPE-x-ko

Source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8-UPE-x-ko

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 Supporting Question 3
Featured Source F Rubric

Rubric

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 Supporting Question 3
Featured Source G A Tale of Two Beasts

Excerpt
A Tale of Two Beasts by Fiona Roberton tells a story through two different perspectives. This book will be
used to introduce this supporting question.

Source:
Robertson, Fiona. A tale of two beasts. Hodder Childrens Books, 2016.

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 Summative Performance Task
Compelling
Can we change the way stereotypes affect society and the individuals in society?
Question
Can we change the way stereotypes affect society and the individuals in society? In partners
students will find an individual in their life, community, or the world who has defied a stereotype
Argument and will create a video to post on social media in contribution to the class movement for change.

Extension Students can take their learning and opportunity for change further by focusing on their school.

Additional Summative Performance Task Rubric.png (https://s3.amazonaws.com/idm-

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Argument
Students will work with another classmate to choose an individual in their life, community, or the world who
has overcome harmful stereotypes. The students will interview and/or research the person of their choice to
learn about their experiences with stereotypes. Students can demonstrate their learning through a video
which will be used to launch a class social media campaign for change. In the videos students will show their
learning by providing information about how the individual defied harmful societal stereotypes and is
changing the way the world thinks.

Below is an example video of an interview with Misty Copeland, the first African America Female Principal
dancer. This type of video is one possible version of this summative task.

https://www.nbcnews.com/video/misty-copeland-break..

Extension
Rather than only addressing individuals defying stereotypes, students will investigate stereotypical policies in
place at their school (i.e.mandatory uniforms that dont let girls wear pants). The student will create a video
about how someone has been affected by this stereotype and propose a plan for change to the administration.

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 Taking Informed Action
Explain how society takes a role in creating stereotypes, how stereotypes are harmful, and how
Understand understanding different perspective can change the way society participates in stereotyping.
Students will explain the harmfulness of stereotypes as well how specific individuals have
overcome these stereotypes to demonstrate their understanding of how stereotypes affect
people's lives as well as their own. Through the campaign, students will begin to see that their
Assess
voices and actions make a difference in the lives of individuals as well as society as a whole. As
the campaign, hopefully, continues to grow, students will use their experience in taking social
action to make a difference in other social issues.
Through a social media campaign, students will share their films with members of the social
Action media community.

The class will work together to create a hashtag that will be used in part to start the campaign for change. The
hashtag will relate to changing stereotypes similarly to the brand Always campaign #LikeAGirl which
students will watch for inspiration. Students will share their video (through the teacher) on a class made
(teacher run) twitter account. The twitter account will explain our movement and will encourage others to
join in on the conversation to spread light on harmful societal stereotypes. In addition to encouraging people
to share their stories of being stereotyped or defying stereotypes, each day the class will tag one person of
power in a tweet. The class will challenge them to share their story in order to make the campaign grow.

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