Culture, Diversity, Equality, Prejudice, and Tolerance

This lesson, developed by Shawneen Morrison, is designed to increase student awareness of cultural influences, ethnocentrism, and modern prejudice. The lesson begins with a cultural identity survey. After building a personal cultural profile with the survey, primary source documents are used to illustrate one “scientific” biological justification for discrimination that was commonly accepted through the 19th and early 20th centuries (phrenology). Next, a guided discussion leads students to consider complex social science concepts including the psychological origins of phenomena like racism, sexism, and ethnocentrism; the importance of cultural diversity and tolerance; the pervasive existence of modern racism, modern sexism, and modern prejudice rooted in an overestimation of cultural and biological influence; the personal impact of stereotyping; the concept of privilege; and institutionalized discrimination in laws and mores (moral codes of conduct).

Included in this lesson:

EDITABLE VERSION FOR ADAPTATION TO YOUR CLASSROOM

10 PRIMARY SOURCE ILLUSTRATIONS OF PHRENOLOGY THEORY

STUDENT VOCABULARY HANDOUT

STUDENT CULTURAL IDENTITY WORKSHEET

STUDENT DISCUSSION WORKSHEET

STUDENT VOCABULARY QUIZ

ALL ANSWER KEYS

DETAILED INSTRUCTOR DISCUSSION GUIDE

CONTEMPORARY AND HISTORIC EXAMPLES OF CONCEPTS

LINK TO ONLINE PSYCH TEST OF SUBCONSCIOUS PREJUDICE

COMMON CORE ALIGNMENT

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