Please move one step forward, if you are right handed.
Please move one step forward, if you ever took a family summer vacation out of town as a child.
Please move one step forward, if you are a male with athletic talent.
Please take one-step back: If your ancestors were forced to come to the USA not by choice.
Please take one-step forward: If your parents took you to art galleries, museums, or plays as a child.
Please take one-step back: If you have ever been called names because of your race, class, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation.
Please take one-step forward: If your family ever had a maid, gardener, or nanny growing up.
Please take one-step back: If you were ever ashamed or embarrassed of your clothes or your home growing up.
Please take one-step back, if you had to get a job before graduating high school to help contribute to family finances.
Please take one-step forward: If at least one of your parents has a college degree.
Please take one-step back: If you were raised in a neighborhood, where there is frequent crime, gang, or drug activity, etc.
Please take one-step back: If you ever tried to change your appearance, mannerisms, or behavior to avoid being judged or ridiculed.
Please take one-step forward: If you studied the culture of your ancestors (prior to the United States) in school.
Please take one-step back: If you went to school speaking a language other than English.
Please take one-step forward: If there are more than 50 books in your house growing up.
Please take one-step back: If you ever had to skip a meal or were hungry as a child because there was not enough money to buy food in your home.
Please take one-step back: If one of your parents was unemployed or laid off, not by choice.
Please take one-step forward: If you attended private school or sleep-away summer camp.
Please take one-step back: If your family ever had to move because they could not afford the rent.
Please take one-step forward: If you were expected to attend college by your parents.
Please take one-step back: If you were raised in a single parent household or by a family member/guardian who is not your parent.
Please take one-step forward: If your family owned the house where you lived growing up.
Please take one-step forward: If you were ever offered a good job because of your association with a friend or family member.
Please take one-step forward: If you ever inherited money or property.
Please take one-step back: If you had to rely primarily on public transportation at any point in your life.
Please take one-step forward: If you can be stopped/questioned by police without worry that you are being singled out because of your race.
Please take one-step back: If you were ever afraid of violence because of your race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation.
Please take one-step back: If you were ever been sexually harassed or cat-called by a member of the opposite sex.
Please take one-step back: If your parents did not grow up in the United States.
Ask participants to remain in their positions and to look at their position in relation to the line and the positions of the other participants.
Ask students to think quietly about the following questions:
What happened?
How did this exercise make you feel?
What were your thoughts as you did this exercise?
Questions
Start the question, answer session by going around the room, and have each student share one word that capture how they are feeling right now. If they do not want to share, have them say, “pass”.
Would anyone like to share more about their feelings?
How did it feel to be one of the students on the “back” side of the line?
How did it feel to be one of the students on the “front” side of the line?
Were there certain sentences that were more impactful than others?
Do you think our society gives value and opportunity fairly to everyone?
What have you learned from this experience?
What can you do with this information in the future?
Summary
Remind participants that privilege in our society is often something given to individuals without their request. The point of this activity is not to make anyone ashamed or guilty. Instead, the goal is to help each one of us be more aware of how we are privileged and oppressed. It is likely that all of us believe in fairness and equality but there are systems in place that prevent that from being a reality. Each one of us must use the power we have to help one another. This means employing equity in the classroom and society and empowering our students to have a positive self-identity and confidence.
Reflection
Strongly Agree |
Agree |
No Opinion |
Disagree |
Strongly Disagree |
5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
Strongly Agree |
Agree |
No Opinion |
Disagree |
Strongly Disagree |
5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
Strongly Agree |
Agree |
No Opinion |
Disagree |
Strongly Disagree |
5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
Strongly Agree |
Agree |
No Opinion |
Disagree |
Strongly Disagree |
5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
Strongly Agree |
Agree |
No Opinion |
Disagree |
Strongly Disagree |
5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
Strongly Agree |
Agree |
No Opinion |
Disagree |
Strongly Disagree |
5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
Strongly Agree |
Agree |
No Opinion |
Disagree |
Strongly Disagree |
5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
Strongly Agree |
Agree |
No Opinion |
Disagree |
Strongly Disagree |
5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
Strongly Agree |
Agree |
No Opinion |
Disagree |
Strongly Disagree |
5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
STUDENT ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING AND TEACHING (SALT) THE
THE BRAVEHEART ASSOCIATION VISION FOR LEARNING AND
UNDERSTANDING THE SOCIAL SCIENCES AS A LEARNING AREA
Tags: (adapted from, activities, developed, goals, (adapted, learning