Racism. No Way - Anti-racism education for Australian schools

I am, you are, we are…

Lesson overview

Learning Area:English EALD
Age Group:Primary

Outcomes

Students recognise that individuals and groups have both common and different attributes and that each individual may be a member of many different groups.

Introduction

The choice of inanimate objects for the analogy is endless. The only restriction is that it belongs to a recognisable group and has its own distinct physical characteristics. eg leaves, rocks, shells.

Worksheets to download

Resources needed

  • One potato each – if possible include several varieties

Activities

  1. Students select one potato each.
  2. Students examine their potato and have one minute of silence to name and get “acquainted” with their new friend.
  3. Teacher initiates the activity by showing his/her potato to the class and introducing it by means of a narrative. The story should focus on certain physical characteristics, eg, it has a certain bump because it was dropped on the way to market.
  4. Students then introduce their potatoes in pairs, groups or to the whole class.
  5. Students put their “friend” back into the bags. (Is there any difference between the way the students handle their “friend” and how they handled it earlier?)
  6. Discuss: “All potatoes are the same!”
  7. Ask the students if they could find their friend again. Invite them to try.
  8. Students explain a unique feature of their potato which helped them identify it.
  9. Teacher draws the analogy between potatoes and people and reiterates that a statement such as “they’re all the same” probably means that the person saying it, has not taken the time to get to know his/her friend.
  • Students write group or individual stories about their “friends” or write a factual report on their potato variety.
  • Paint a picture showing the character of their “friend” or create a botanical drawing of their potato.
  • Students list, or create a Venn diagram of the various groups to which they belong and map the class similarities and diversity.