Lesson 5

General Reactions

Describe your initial reaction to this video. What did you learn?

After watching the video I gained basic knowledge on how to approach discrimination to a group of students. This video shows examples on everyday discrimination. Giving me many ideas on how to talk to my students. I learned that every child is different on taking this in. Watching the video you had some students engaging and you had some not.

What scene or scenes do you think you'll still remember a month from now and why those scenes?

The scene that I think I’ll still remember a month from now is when she was talking to the two boys that got into a fight on the playground. I would remember that scene because of the questions she asked. Basically trying to figure out if violence was the right way to handle the situation.

Did any part of the film surprise you? Do you think someone of a different race, ethnicity, or religion would also find it surprising?

Watching the film I was surprise by the fact that the children were so engage in what was being taught. This topic was something very serious and needed to be taught. Many students do not take in everything very well. If someone with a different race, ethnicity, or religion seen the same film I feel that they would be surprise in the amount of involvement.

What was the exercise that Elliott designed a response to the children's question, "Why would anyone want to murder Martin Luther King?" Did the film provide an answer to the question? Can you answer the question?

During the exercise that Elliott designed a response to the children’s question, "Why would anyone want to murder Martin Luther King?” Viewing the film the video did provide an answer to the question. By her giving different stereotypes to the students I feel as if they were giving proven examples on why he was murder.

Impact of discrimination

What did the children's body language indicate about the impact of discrimination?

As a child you wonder way people do what they do to others and to you. The children’s body language indicates about the impact of discrimination shows that the children were uncomfortable at what was been said and taught to them. Some of them were confused about what was said. Others were really not interested in what was said.

How did the negative and positive labels placed on a group become self-fulfilling prophecies?

The negative and positive labels placed on a group become self-fulfilling prophecies because if you say or confess something enough, you will eventually think it to be true. Each group of people always claims that their group is better or they can provide the general population with more than the next group or they perform better than their peers; we are very receptive to the labels placed on us either by society or another person. This can be both positive and negative. In the positive realm, when a group does all of what it says it can do , enhances our community and create opportunities for the people , it will most likely gain favor over a group that does the same thing but not as well. Negatively, the favored groups starts to feel superior, puffed up with pride and eventually lose focus of its missions and goals, becoming very competitive and losing sight of how it’s affecting the organization and the people. It becomes a self-fulfilled prophecy when we allow the labels placed on us guide our decisions, behaviors and beliefs. It gives the people a false perception of who you really are and make others question the group sincerity.

In the prison seminar, one of the white women asserts that all people face some kind of discrimination. Another woman challenges her, claiming that whites can't really know what it's like to face discrimination every minute of every day. What do you think?

During the prison seminar, one of the white women asserts that all people face some kind of discrimination. Another woman challenges her, claiming that whites can’t really know what it’s like to discrimination every minute of every day. By hearing and taking in what was said I would have to say that I agree with the other woman. Whites can’t really know what it’s like as a black person to be discriminate because of your color. Every day blacks are being faced with discrimination whether it’s in the workplace or even in churches.

Both Elliott and her former students talk about whether or not this exercise should be done with all children. What do you think? If the exercise could be harmful to children, as Elliott suggests, what do you think actual discrimination might do?

After looking at the lesson I feel as if the exercise should be done with all children. This lesson shows the true fundamentals behind discrimination. Also this lesson gives examples to the kids on how discrimination is being use in an everyday life.

What features did Elliott ascribe to the superior and inferior groups and how did those characteristics reflect stereotypes about blacks and whites?

During the lesson Elliott divide the groups up base upon their eye color. By dividing the students up upon their eye color she gave them different problems. On what they can and cannot do every day. These characteristics reflect stereotypes about blacks and whites because she gives examples on everyday discrimination people are being faced with.

How did Elliott's discrimination create no-win situations for those placed in the inferior group? How did she selectively interpret behavior to confirm the stereotypes she had assigned?

Elliot’s discrimination create no-win situations for those placed in the inferior group because everyone were placed in that position giving no one to feel as if they were picked on. She selectively interprets behavior to confirm the stereotypes she had assigned by asking questions. On how they felt and what they receive base upon their reactions they did. For example when there was a fight on the playground between two boys she asked the boy that was being tease what did he do when it happened. Also she asked did he gain anything from using violence’s.

It's easy to understand why third-graders might not refuse to obey their teacher, but when the exercise is done with the prison guards, why don't any of the adults object?

It’s easy to understand why third-graders might not refuse to obey their teacher, but when the exercise is done with the prison guards. None of the adults object to it because they feel as if no one is in the wrong for anything that was being done. No one takes fault for what he/she has done or did.

At recess, two of the boys from different groups get in a fight. Elliott asks the one who was teased if responding with violence made him feel better or made the teasing stop. What does the answer suggest about the use of violence as a political strategy? At the time, who was using violence for political purposes and why?

The answer suggest about the use violence as a political strategy shows that if someone tease or do anything that harms you in anytime type of way you should use violence. But using violence does not solve anything. It only makes matters worst. At the time John was using violence for political purpose because he felt harm and felt as if he should take matters into his own hands. Instead of inform a teacher or any other adult. Using violence in this situation was uncalled for.

How is the blue eyes/brown eyes exercise related to the Sioux prayer, "Help me not judge a person until I have walked in his shoes"

The blue eyes/brown eyes exercise related to the Sioux prayer, "Help me not judge a person until I have walked in his shoes" because it tells you not to judge someone. This also falls back on the “Never judge a book by its cover” basically stating get to know someone for what on the instead of the outside. You never know what someone is going thru until you walk a mile in their shoes.