Lesson Plan: Identifying Bias and Stereotypes

Lesson Plan

Before Exploring

Write the words "bias" and "stereotype" on the board. Generate discussion and ask for definitions. As a class, discuss and confirm a definition for each term.

Explain to students that they will be viewing archival material to identify bias and stereotyping.

Remind students that bias may be shown by what is said, what is not said, and what is implied. You may also wish to explain that all media has a bias, or a point of view it supports. As ideas change over time, historical media can seem to have a more negative bias.

Outline the Opportunity

Ask students to form groups of four. Have each group divide the sections of the topic An Inuit Education on the CBC Digital Archives website so that each group member is responsible for examining a different part. Ask them to record examples of bias and stereotyping. Students should identify the speakers and where and when comments were made.

When students have gathered their information, they will share their work with their group members. Each group will write a statement that summarizes what they found.

Gather all groups together and have each group read its summary. Then, as a class, discuss what the examples of bias and stereotyping reveal about the time period and the assumptions of the speakers.

Revisit and Reflect

Ask students to imagine that they are going to write a report on educating Inuit children, based on the information on the website. Have them explain why it would be important to identify different viewpoints and explicit biases and stereotyping when they evaluate the information that would be the basis for their report.

Extension

Ask students to read a particular newspaper for one week, recording any examples they can find of bias and stereotyping. Have them identify the speakers and classify the examples. Finally, ask them to write a conclusion that summarizes their findings.