Being In A Minority
Object: This activity,
introduces
children to the idea of discrimination and prejudice against minority
groups
in society.
Material: A sweet or biscuit for each
child
in the class; one sticker or badge per group
Divide the class into groups of 4 or 5 or 6 children each.
(Aim
to have 5 or 6 groups).
Hand out one sticker or badge to each child to wear it. The group will
decide who will wear it.
- Offer the children who do not have a sticker or badge,
a
biscuit
or sweet.
- Ask the children, who were not offered a biscuit or sweet, how
they
feel
and why they think they did not get one.
- Offer these children a biscuit or sweet.
- Explain that being in a minority does not matter if everyone is
treated
in the same way. We are all in a minority on some occasions.
- Ask children if they can give a few examples. (Teacher can
cite - I
am left- handed/I have red hair/I wear glasses/I can't ride a bike etc.)
- Explain that some people are treated badly because they are
members of
minority groups. (Teacher can give examples appropriate to the year
group).
- Ask each child to think about:
- one thing that makes them a minority in their group;
i.e. one
thing that makes them different to everyone else in the group; e.g.
size/clothes/name
etc.
- ways in which people living in their locality might be in a
minority;
e.g. physical appearance, way of life, dress, religion, language, home
etc.
- one example of when being in a minority group can make you
proud/glad/happy
etc.e.g. I can speak two languages, I go abroad for my holidays to
visit
relatives, I can make my tongue touch my nose.
Back to anti-racism page
Updated: 21 October 2004