Aim: to discuss common stereotypes
to make space for students to discuss stereotypes and their influence
to give students a chance to share their opinions
to practise reacting to someone’s opinions
to practise speaking and writing
Level: B1+ and higher (some exercises might be adapted for lower levels)
1. Divide students in pairs or groups of three. Each pair receives a different picture and they don’t show it to other pairs. If you have many groups some of the pictures may repeat. The idea is that you show two pictures of the same person but dressed in different clothes and pretending to be someone different. You can use these pictures by Joel Parés. http://www.lostateminor.com/2014/10/02/american-photographer-creates-insightful-photo-series-racial-sexual-prejudice-united-states/ Another option is to use pictures of people you know who at first sight in the pictures look as someone different. I am grateful to Ildikó Lázár for showing me this task.
2. Ask students to share their initial reaction to the picture and what they think about the person. After a minute ask students to discuss the following questions:
What does this person eat for breakfast?
Where do they live?
What kind of music do they like?
What do they do for a living?
What do they think about the environment?
(The questions might be modified so that they refer to things which have been discussed previously, e.g.
Where are they going on holiday this year?
Where did they spend their last holiday?
Who do they live with?
What do they do in their free time?
Do they play any musical instrument?
How often do they go shopping?
3. Give students about 3 minutes (it could be more if you see that they are discussing the questions). After this time show pictures one by one and ask them to present what they have created. After all the groups have presented show pairs of photos which present the same person.
4. Ask students to think about some common stereotypes they encounter on daily basis. Gather ideas, every student should have time to present at least one stereotype.
5. Ask students to finish the following sentences:
I’m a girl / a boy so …
I’m from … (Poland) so …
I’m a student so …
Some students present their ideas. Then students write two or more sentences like this but they don’t read them.
6. Students watch this short film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iZc8SuWML8After they have watched it, students try to un-do the stereotypes they crested in the five sentences they before, e.g. I’m a student so I only learn. I’m a student and I have time for my hobbies.
7. Depending on time either give this task as homework or as in-class writing. It’s important to give students a chance to express their opinion on the topic. In the case of my lesson students had to write a short text on stereotypes before the lesson, they could choose the aspect they preferred. I picked up some quotes form their texts and prepared pages for comments. I put the sheets of paper with quotes on the windowsill in the corridor and asked students to read as many as possible and write their opinion. The number of quotations/ideas to refer to must at least equal the number of students so that every student has a chance to complete the task on their own. Leave them about 15 minutes for that. Example opinions for discussion might be:There are positive and negative stereotypes.
Not every blonde is stupid. Not every woman is a bad driver. (add a similar sentence)
The best way to avoid stereotypes is not to make them or believe in them.
What kind of stereotypes annoy you the most?
Do you suffer from being stereotyped?
Who among us does not use stereotypes should cast the first stone.
Whenever you make a judgment about people without knowing them, you create a stereotype.
Stereotypes make us ignore the differences between the individuals.
Stereotypes are not single incidents, they determine who we are, how we behave.
Many stereotypes we make are based on our life experience.
It is almost impossible to get rid of stereotypes in our everyday life.
There are some actions which we can undertake in order to reduce the number of stereotypes in our life.
Should making stereotypes be punished? How?
Why do people use stereotypes?
to make space for students to discuss stereotypes and their influence
to give students a chance to share their opinions
to practise reacting to someone’s opinions
to practise speaking and writing
Level: B1+ and higher (some exercises might be adapted for lower levels)
1. Divide students in pairs or groups of three. Each pair receives a different picture and they don’t show it to other pairs. If you have many groups some of the pictures may repeat. The idea is that you show two pictures of the same person but dressed in different clothes and pretending to be someone different. You can use these pictures by Joel Parés. http://www.lostateminor.com/2014/10/02/american-photographer-creates-insightful-photo-series-racial-sexual-prejudice-united-states/ Another option is to use pictures of people you know who at first sight in the pictures look as someone different. I am grateful to Ildikó Lázár for showing me this task.
2. Ask students to share their initial reaction to the picture and what they think about the person. After a minute ask students to discuss the following questions:
What does this person eat for breakfast?
Where do they live?
What kind of music do they like?
What do they do for a living?
What do they think about the environment?
(The questions might be modified so that they refer to things which have been discussed previously, e.g.
Where are they going on holiday this year?
Where did they spend their last holiday?
Who do they live with?
What do they do in their free time?
Do they play any musical instrument?
How often do they go shopping?
3. Give students about 3 minutes (it could be more if you see that they are discussing the questions). After this time show pictures one by one and ask them to present what they have created. After all the groups have presented show pairs of photos which present the same person.
4. Ask students to think about some common stereotypes they encounter on daily basis. Gather ideas, every student should have time to present at least one stereotype.
5. Ask students to finish the following sentences:
I’m a girl / a boy so …
I’m from … (Poland) so …
I’m a student so …
Some students present their ideas. Then students write two or more sentences like this but they don’t read them.
6. Students watch this short film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iZc8SuWML8After they have watched it, students try to un-do the stereotypes they crested in the five sentences they before, e.g. I’m a student so I only learn. I’m a student and I have time for my hobbies.
7. Depending on time either give this task as homework or as in-class writing. It’s important to give students a chance to express their opinion on the topic. In the case of my lesson students had to write a short text on stereotypes before the lesson, they could choose the aspect they preferred. I picked up some quotes form their texts and prepared pages for comments. I put the sheets of paper with quotes on the windowsill in the corridor and asked students to read as many as possible and write their opinion. The number of quotations/ideas to refer to must at least equal the number of students so that every student has a chance to complete the task on their own. Leave them about 15 minutes for that. Example opinions for discussion might be:There are positive and negative stereotypes.
Not every blonde is stupid. Not every woman is a bad driver. (add a similar sentence)
The best way to avoid stereotypes is not to make them or believe in them.
What kind of stereotypes annoy you the most?
Do you suffer from being stereotyped?
Who among us does not use stereotypes should cast the first stone.
Whenever you make a judgment about people without knowing them, you create a stereotype.
Stereotypes make us ignore the differences between the individuals.
Stereotypes are not single incidents, they determine who we are, how we behave.
Many stereotypes we make are based on our life experience.
It is almost impossible to get rid of stereotypes in our everyday life.
There are some actions which we can undertake in order to reduce the number of stereotypes in our life.
Should making stereotypes be punished? How?
Why do people use stereotypes?