Activities for Youth Aged 10 to 12 Years

Youth for Unity 79 Activities for Youth Aged 10 to 12 Years

Boys & Girls Clubs of America April 2006

Activities for Youth Aged 10 to 12 Years

THEME ACTIVITY CORE AREA

1. See What Is Special and Unique in Every Individual

(Develop confident self-identity)

Theme 1 Project: Gifts From Your Past The Arts;

Character/Leadership

What are your own

special characteristics?

Personal Portraits Health/Life

What do others see as

special about you?

Inside and Out…

Looking at You

The Arts

What are ways in which

others are special?

Searching for Someone

Special

Education/Career

2. Understand Our Society’s Diversity

(Demonstrate comfortable and empathetic interaction with diverse groups of people)

Theme 2 Project: Where In the World Is…? Education/Career

How are people alike

and different?

We’ve All Got Hang-Ups The Arts

What’s good about

diversity?

Neighborhood Walk-About The Arts;

Education/Career;

Health/Life;

Sports/Fitness

Getting to know others

who are different from you

Callings, Careers and Jobs Education/Career

3. Recognize Bias and Unfairness

(Recognize and think critically about bias and unfairness)

Theme 3 Project: Advertising Rip-Offs? The Arts;

Education/Career;

Health/Life

Tracing the roots of bias Comic Characters

The Arts;


Seeing your own bias Bias Blab-Off Game


Analyzing society’s bias Job? Who Gets What?

Education/Career

4. Take Personal Leadership in Confronting Bias

(Stand up for self and others in the face of bias)

Theme 4 Project: Bias? Not on Your Watch! The Arts;

Education/Career;

Health/Life

Understanding leaders

and heroes

A Friend in Deed The Arts;


Taking a stand against

bias

Creating a City Park…For All! Character/Leadership

Dealing with bias in

the world

Bias Card Relay Race Education/Career;

Character/Leadership;

Sports/Fitness



Theme 1 Project: Gifts From Your Past

Theme: See What Is Special and Unique in Every Individual

Core Areas: The Arts; Character and Leadership Development

Learning Goals: To recognize individual personal history

To identify artifacts that represent personal characteristics

Estimated Time: Two sessions, 30 minutes each

Materials Needed: Copies of “Gifts From My Past” worksheet

Shoe boxes

Gift wrap paper

Index cards (blank, in a variety of colors)

Scissors

Tape

Special Preparation

Using the Internet or local media resources, find an example of someone creating a

real-world time capsule.

Key Learning Points

Be sure members understand the key learning points. Depending on their age level and

ability, you may want to engage them in a brief discussion of these topics to help them

make the connection or you may choose to simply summarize these points after the

activity is completed.

• We each have special characteristics, strengths and abilities. • These things are part of what make us who we are as individuals. • Being proud of who we are is important.

Activity Overview

Club members create a personal time capsule and wrap it up as a gift to their future

selves. Through exploring past events from their lives, members gain perspective on who

they are today and appreciation for events that have contributed to their unique and

special qualities.

Background

Time capsules often are created by communities and buried for decades or centuries to

be unearthed by future generations. Objects of historical significance – like a copy of a

daily newspaper, symbols of popular culture (buttons, records, flyers) and other items –

are collected and placed in a watertight container in a special location. A specific

future date is identified for opening the time capsule. In this activity, members use this

common practice to explore their personal pasts and the qualities that make them

special and unique.

Icebreaker

Using the example you identified prior to the session, read the list of items enclosed in

the capsule out loud to Club members and ask them to share their thoughts about what

these items reveal about the people who created the capsule.



Process

1. Introduce the idea of time capsules, explaining what they are and the purpose they serve. Tell members that they will each create a personal time capsule to represent

things that have contributed to their lives and made them special and unique.

2. Distribute copies of the “Gifts From My Past” worksheet to members. Tell them that they can use it to identify things that will be good to include in the time capsule.

3. To help Club members understand the kinds of items that are appropriate to include, review one example together. Use a personal example, if possible. A few

general examples are described below:

Special Characteristic Influence Item

I know more about bats

than anyone in my class.

A book I read when I was

a kid made me interested

in learning more, so I got

more books and read

about bats in the library.

Copy of “Stellaluna”

book cover

Encyclopedia page

about bats

I am the only one who

knows how to cook mole

in my whole family.

My aunt taught me

before she died.

Photograph of my aunt

I can speak in front of a

group with confidence.

A third grade teacher

helped me learn how to

act in our school play,

“The Wizard of Oz.”

Picture of the tin man

from “The Wizard of Oz”

4. Give each Club member a shoe box (larger boxes may be used if appropriate) and

have him or her place the shoe boxes in a personal space so they can add to them

throughout the program.

5. Ask members to think about special characteristics, strengths or talents they have and to identify the person, event or thing that influenced them. Encourage them to

consider objects or items to represent the special characteristic (the gift that person,

event or thing gave them).

6. Remind members periodically to add items to their worksheets and bring objects from home to add to their boxes. It will be common for Club members to identify

items they cannot find or have lost or for items to be too large to add to the box. In

these cases, encourage them to create simple drawings on index cards to represent

the items that they cannot add to the time capsule.

7. Once you have completed the activity, review the lists with members. Invite them to share their stories about items they are adding to their boxes and what they represent.

8. When the boxes are filled and discussions complete, provide gift wrap paper and tape and suggest members turn their time capsules into gifts. Explain that the items

enclosed are gifts from the past.



Wrap Up

At the end of each activity in this section, remind members to look at their lists, add

special characteristics and identify items for their time capsules. The final item to add to

the time capsule should be a short introduction to the time capsule, so that those who

open it will have a context for the items within. The final step in the creation of any time

capsule is the designation of a date for the capsule to be opened. Ask each member

to select a date and a person to share the time capsule unveiling with. As they consider

how much they have changed over the years, invite members to consider what they

will be like when their capsules are opened.

Additional Ideas

To emphasize the role the Club plays in the community, have Club members select

items for the Club time capsule that represent not only their unique talents but also their

unique gifts to the community – the things they do to make the world a better place.

Using a big box, encourage members to deposit items over a week’s time. At the end

of the week, wrap the package and seal the contents. Contact another Club in a

different region and exchange time capsules with members there so youth can get a

sense of the diversity of Club members around the country.

You may choose to expand this activity to focus on future gifts as well. As Club

members look at the events and people in their lives that have influenced them and

have been gifts in forming who they are, ask Club members to consider their

contributions to others. Ask them to identify the ways in which they have shared their

gifts with others. What are their hopes and dreams for the future and how might the

special and unique characteristics they have explored impact their future lives? Ask

Club members to create a second box with another set of items. In the second box,

Club members predict what they will do in the future and think about how they will use

what they have learned and received from the community to contribute to others.

Resources

For more information on time capsules, have members visit the following Web sites:

• www.amnh.org/exhibitions/timescapsule/contents.html

• www.coloradocollege.edu/AboutCC/CenturyChest/

• http://dmarie.com/timecap/

• www.oglethorpe.edu/about_us/crypt_of_civilization/international_time_capsule_society.asp



Gifts From My Past

Use the first column of the table below to keep track of special and unique qualities you

discover about yourself. In the second column, identify an influence from your past – a

person, event, or thing – that helped you develop that characteristic. In the third column,

record the item you will add to your personal time capsule that represents the gift that

person, event or thing gave you.

Special Characteristic Influence Item



Personal Portraits Theme: See What Is Special and Unique in Every Individual

Topic: What are your own special characteristics?

Core Areas: Health and Life Skills

Learning Goals: To recognize personal, individual characteristics

To notice that different characteristics create different groups

To get a sense of the diversity among members of the group

Estimated Time: 45 minutes to one hour

Materials Needed: Copies of “Personal Portrait Questionnaire” worksheet

Pens or pencils

Flip chart and paper

Marking pens

Special Preparation

Prepare a flip chart with the questions listed on the handout. It may be easier to make a

large version by enlarging the handout to 11” x 14” on a copy machine.

Key Learning Points





• We each have things that are important to us, things we care about, things we are

proud of.

• Our personal characteristics, interests and personalities make us unique and individual.

• We develop confidence in who we are by understanding what is most important to us.

Activity Overview

Members take turns interviewing each other using the “Personal Portrait Questionnaire”

worksheet, then return the completed pages to the interviewees. Members analyze the

results and realize that each person is a member of a variety of subgroups within the

whole group. They think about what the rest of the world might be like.

Icebreaker

Ask several questions about members’ likes and dislikes. Ask, “Who likes pizza?” “What

kinds?” or “Who likes rap music or a particular artist?” Point out to members that there

are different levels of agreement among them. Let them know that this activity will go

deeper into the differences and similarities among them.

Important Words

Individuality refers to the qualities that make one person different from all other people.

It is the mix of things that make you who you are and set you apart from others.



Process

1. Pass out and introduce the “Personal Portrait Questionnaire” worksheet and review the questions so that everyone understands them. Let members work in pairs to ask

each other the questions.

2. When the questionnaires have been answered by both members of the pair, ask them to return the questionnaires to the interviewees.

3. In the large group, review each question. Ask members to declare their position on each question by standing up.

4. Go through the questions as fast as you can so members can feel that they are part of a changing panorama of groups. They should see that they are always part of

some group.

5. Record the numbers in each area of the large chart you have posted.

Wrap Up

After the questions are all answered and numbers recorded on the chart, ask members

to share what they have learned from the experience. Be sure to determine that

everyone is part of a smaller group and each person has some similarities and

differences with every other person. End the session by asking members to talk about

what they think others like about them. This demonstrates that each person has

characteristics that may not be discovered with questionnaires but by spending time

with people and getting to know them.

Resources

For an overview of personal characteristics that make people unique and individual,

visit www.bullyingnoway.com.au/issues/personal.shtml.



Personal Portrait Questionnaire

Ask the whole question and check the box next to the answer selected.

Do you finish projects right away or do you wait until the last minute?

Do you like to spend time in nature or prefer to be in cities?

Do you like to eat food or prefer to cook food?

Are you bold and assertive or do you like to stay in the background?

Do you worry about other people or worry about your own problems?

Do you like to play music or listen to music?

Do you like to play sports or watch sports?

Do you like to learn in school or prefer to learn by yourself?

Do you like to be with people or prefer to be alone?

Do you tend to get emotional or tend to remain calm?

Do you tend to believe other people or tend to distrust them?

Do you like to take chances or prefer to play it safe?

Do you like to wear what your friends wear or prefer to dress differently?

Do you like to share secrets or prefer to keep them?

Do you like to stay with things you know or prefer to try something new?

Do you like to be active or prefer to do quiet activities?

Do you like things to change or prefer that they stay the same?

Do you think you get enough exercise or think that you need to get more?

Do you like to take care of pets or prefer not to have any?

Do you like to work outside or work inside?

Do think it is important to save money or prefer spend it on things and events



Inside and Out…Looking at You Theme: See What Is Special and Unique in Every Individual

Topic: What do others see as special about you?

Core Areas: The Arts

Learning Goals: To understand how others see us

To demonstrate that people have characteristics that are

not always obvious

To discover the special characteristics of others

To see how diversity makes life more exciting


Materials Needed: Several small boxes (shoe boxes or smaller boxes)

Paper

Magazines

Scissors

Tape, glue, glue sticks


Marking pens

Special Preparation

Ask group members to bring in personal magazines or collect magazines to ensure there

are enough images to choose from for the activity. Review the Activity Overview and

create your own “Inside-Outside Box” to serve as a model for the group.

Key Learning Points





• Everyone has positive qualities, some that are obvious and some that are not.

• Sometimes we see ourselves differently from the way others see us.

• Understanding other’s perceptions of us helps us know ourselves better.

Activity Overview

Each group member creates an “Inside-Outside Box” and illustrates or decorates it to

demonstrate important aspects of his or her personality. The outside of the box

represents what people see about the person; the inside represents what they want

others to know about them – things that are not visible. Members review suggestions for

ways to illustrate certain qualities. (If a member loves to read, for example, the box

might have a book on it; someone who has a lot of pets might have a dog, etc.)

Members can draw or cut out magazine pictures to illustrate their boxes. The boxes are

then placed around the room and the group discusses how different they are.

Members take turns matching the boxes with individuals in the group.



Icebreaker

Introduce the activity by asking members if it is possible to know someone just by looking

at him or her. Mention some of the characteristics that people have, such as family

background, where they were born, what their preferences are in foods, music, what

languages they speak and so on. Introduce members to the idea of making a box to

represent some of the things that are important to them.

Process

1. Tell members that their goal is to create a personal “Inside-Outside Box” that tells something about themselves that they feel is important. They will create the boxes

individually (without showing other members). Explain that all boxes will be shared

and everyone will have the chance to identify the individual member who created

the box.

2. Share your own personal box with the group, explaining why you have included certain images on it and what they mean to you.

3. Distribute magazines and other art supplies to members.

4. Ask members to use the magazines to find images that represent themselves and to cut or tear them out to use as resources in making their boxes. Remind them not to

show their boxes to other members while they are working.

5. Post the list of suggested attributes that might be reflected on the box. Some of the images to include might be:

• where one lives;

• ancestors;

• some family event;

• a personal talent or interest;

• feelings about a place or an event;

• something one likes to do;

• something one wants to do;

• favorite colors;

• how one fits into the family;

• where one was born;

• a personal characteristic;

• a possible career; and

• a motto or slogan.

6. After members are finished with their boxes, ask them to turn them in to you. Place them randomly about the room so they can be examined. Each one should be

numbered for ease of identification.

7. Work with the group to identify the creator of each box. After the group has identified the creator, encourage members to tell what they know about him or her.

Note the similarities and differences between what the creator was trying to convey

and what the group sees in the individual. Point out to the group that the box shows

how special and unique everyone in the group is.

8. Display the boxes in the room for the duration of the program.



Wrap Up

When all the boxes are posted, take a “gallery walk” to see them all and talk about

what members see and how it felt to do their work.

Help members gain perspective on what others see as special about them that they

may not have noticed. Ask members to consider how others outside of the Club

perceive them. Discuss how others’ perceptions – positive and negative – affect them.

Alternate Activity

If boxes are not available, Club members also can use paper to make a “book” that

represents them; the outside of the book (the cover) depicts what people see about

them and the inside pages illustrate the qualities that are not visible. Work with youth to

help them fold the pages to make a small booklet or book.



Searching for Someone Special

Theme: See What Is Special and Unique in Every Individual

Topic: What are ways in which others are special?

Core Areas: Education and Career Development

Learning Goals: To consider which characteristics best describe you

To use characteristics to identify individuals

To notice that individuals have both similar and different

characteristics


Materials Needed: Copies of “Who Am I?” worksheet

Enlarged version of “Boys & Girls Club Word Search”

Pencils and erasers

Special Preparation

Make a large version of the word search by enlarging it on a copy machine to 11” x 14.”

You may also want to divide the page into four sections and make a copy of each

section at 200 percent, piecing them together to make a 17” x 22” version for display.

Key Learning Points





• Everyone has different characteristics that make them special and unique. • We can be proud of the qualities that make us who we are. • Knowing about other people’s characteristics helps us know them better.

Activity Overview

Members create word searches of characteristics they believe describe themselves.

Each word search is given a number. The word searches are randomized and given to

members. Each member works one search. After all the searches are completed,

members take turns reading the search words they have found. They secretly record

who in the group matches each search. When all the searches have been read,

members are polled to see if they agree on which person the search is describing.

Background

Most members will be familiar with word searches. In word search puzzles, words can be

vertical, horizontal, diagonal and read from top to bottom and bottom to top. The

“Boys & Girls Club Word Search” was generated by an online puzzle maker site; if you

wish to create your own search, there are a number of Web sites for generating them.

Icebreaker

Introduce the idea of the word search. Post the display version of the “Boys & Girls Club

Word Search” and work together as a group to find the hidden words as quickly as

possible, with members coming up to the poster to circle the words they have identified.



Process

1. Explain to members that their job is to create a word search that contains words that describe them. Remind them that the word search word list should be kept on a

separate piece of paper and not listed on the search itself. Let them know that the

searches will be used by members to identify each other using the words found on

the search. State that they may use phrases as well as single words, as long as they

fit in a straight line.

2. Refer to the sample to demonstrate the various ways words can be arranged.

3. After members have had time to create word searches using words that describe them, collect the searches, identify each with a number and distribute them at

random. Make sure members keep a private list of the words they have used in their

own word searches so they will know that all have been found.

4. Allow each member, or pair of members, to solve the search they have been given.

5. When the searches are finished, have each member read one aloud and ask others to decide which member the search relates to. When all the searches have been

read and members have made their choices, discuss which words were the best

clues. Ask the member who created the search to identify himself or herself.

6. Discuss with the group how our personal characteristics are part of who we are, so much so that others may be able to identify us from them.

Wrap Up

When all the searches are discussed, ask members to characterize what they have

discovered about how people describe themselves and what kinds of characteristics

seem to be most useful in identifying an individual. Ask them to consider, “Are there

important characteristics that only the person knows? What can be done to discover

those characteristics? Why is it important to know that individuals have characteristics

that we may not be aware of?”

Alternate Activity

If word searches seem too challenging for some younger members, allow them to work

in pairs, joining an older Club member with a younger one.

Resources

For more information about word searches and puzzles, visit the following Web sites:

• www.edhelper.com • http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/WordSearchSetupForm.html • www.thepotters.com/puzzles.html • www.funbrain.com/detect/



Boys & Girls Club Word Search

G G T U R B E S U S K S D C A

Z N U H D Y P O E I R A I P H

N I I J I O D M D E H Y S E Y

J T J T R N A S T G A Q C F Y

M A V T A G K U E T G H U A X

W R S H P C P I T G K T S T E

D E S M X M I R N V N K S P B

S P K H O G A N N G E I T V O

L O Z C A Y S P U O R G V K Y

R O U X J R A O O M F K B I S

I C D A E R E L Y H M R R V L

G O Y K T L N D P M Y O D K S

W R I T E I W Q V U I W C Z W

N Z C O M P E T I N G F U N S

S B G P Q B H R X A P L S N L

ART

BOYS

COMMUNICATING

COMPETING

COMPUTERS

COOPERATING

DISCUSS

FUN

GAMES

GIRLS

GROUPS

KIDS

LIVING

PLAY

READ

SHARE

SPORTS

THINKING

WORK

WRITE



Who Am I?



Theme 2 Project: Where in the World is…? Theme: Understand Our Society’s Diversity


Learning Goals: To discover that each person has a unique background and family

To find out where members’ are from and where they live today

To understand that members and their families are part of a

larger group


Materials Needed: Map (city, state, United States or world)

Push pins or post-it notes (in different colors)

Marking pens

Special Preparation

Do a brief survey to discover which map is most appropriate for the group. Some

groups will be very diverse; others may simply require a city map to locate relatives.

Depending on the maturity of members, they may not yet be thinking of the world

beyond their communities.

Key Learning Points





• People in our families come from – and currently live – in many different places.

• Part of what makes all of us special is the families – and the places – we come from.

• The fact that each person is unique makes the world a very interesting place to live.

Activity Overview

Group members use an appropriate map (or maps) to locate where they and other

members of their family are from and currently live. As the theme progresses, the

number of individuals on the map(s) grows. At the end of the theme activities, members

identify the similarities and differences among their family backgrounds and the number

of places their relatives live. They notice how their small group is part of and can affect

the larger world in which they live.

Background

The United States is a nation of immigrants, people who have come from many other

places in the world. The United States is a unique country because no matter where you

are from, you can come here and become an American and have the chance to

make a life for yourself and your family. Do not assume that all members are familiar

with maps. Take a moment to demonstrate the maps you are using and add a

reference point to show everyone where they are right now.



Important Words

Diversity refers to all the differences of people all over the world – differences in their

families, what they like, how they talk, what they eat, how they look, what they believe

and many other things.

Process

1. Tell members that they will be taking a look at themselves to see what makes each one of them special, how their group is special, how they relate to everyone else

and why this is important and makes the world a more interesting place to live.

2. Lead a discussion in which members discuss their special characteristics. Ask each to name one or two things about himself/herself that is different and special. If

members have difficulty, prompt them with a few ideas. Create a list that can be

posted, referred to and enlarged during the time the group is working on this theme.

3. Suggest that some reasons for the uniqueness of each of the individuals comes from being part of a family that is special. One aspect of each family is where they grew

up and where they all live now. Highlight or add these characteristics to the list:

“Where did we come from?” “Where do we live now?”

4. Locate members of your family on the map and invite members to begin to add their own information.

5. Tell them to survey their relatives and bring in the data so it can be added to the map during the time spent on this theme. Give a few minutes at the beginning of

each activity for additions to be made to the map. (Each person’s data should be

recognizable by color of push pin or shape and color of post-it note.)

Wrap Up

As a final activity for the theme, ask members to examine the map and see what they

can discover about themselves. Discuss the similarities and differences of each family

and how these characteristics have influenced the list made in the beginning. Ask,

“What do you think about the influence of your families on the places they live? How

does having families from different places make the group more diverse?” You might

wish to post the map in the Club and have other members add their family information.

Additional Ideas

Club members may enjoy doing online searches about the areas they grew up in or

where family members live. They could use photos of food, flags, dress, etc. and make

mini-collages to represent the geographic area.

Resources

For a library of printable maps of states, regions, the United States, North America and

the world, visit www.infoplease.com/statemaps.html.



We’ve All Got Hang-Ups Theme: Understand Our Society’s Diversity

Topic: How are people alike and different?

Core Areas: The Arts

Learning Goals: To demonstrate the components of diverse families

To define the concept of “family”

To highlight the value of diversity in family life


Materials Needed: Copies of “Sample Mobiles” handout

Coat hangers (wire)

Wire cutters

Hole-punch

Pliers

String

Marking pens

Tape

Scissors

Index cards (blank, in a variety of colors), cut in half

Personal photos

Special Preparation

Create a mobile prior to the session to show members what a finished one looks like.

Indicate the members of your (or a demonstration) family.

Key Learning Points





• Families are composed of people of different ages, all related by birth or marriage. • There are a variety of family groups that are successful. • Family members work together to make life better for everyone.

Activity Overview

Members create mobiles to show that, while everyone has people to live with and take

care of them, not all family groups are the same. After creating mobiles that

demonstrates their family groups, members work to develop a definition of “family” and

understand the value of the diverse kinds of families in our world.

Background

The simplest mobile is a coat hanger with pieces hung on it. More interesting options

require the unwinding of the coat hanger and twisting it into different shapes. Creative

members will want to use more than one coat hanger.



Important Words

A family is a group of people who live together, care for one another and are

connected to each other for life. Sometimes family members are related to each other

by birth or by marriage and sometimes they are not.

Process

1. Tell members that they are going to create mobiles to represent their families and their family members. (Note: As you conduct the activity, be sure to reinforce the

fact that there are many, many different types of families, and that all kinds of

families are important and valuable. Be sensitive to youth who may be feeling

different from their peers because of their family structure or make-up.)

2. Explain that members will work in pairs to build individual mobiles that show the organization of their families.

3. Use the “Sample Mobiles” and the mobile that you created to describe what their finished mobiles might look like. Members can choose any style they like, but they

may need help with some designs. Show them how to lay out the pieces on a table

or the floor to see how they will appear on the mobile.

4. Demonstrate how to use the wire cutters to provide different lengths of wire. Be sure that the ends of the wire are not sharp; use the pliers to bend them over if necessary.

5. Distribute the index cards you have cut in half and instruct members to write the names of their different family members on them.

6. Demonstrate how to punch a hole in the card, tie a string to it and attach it to the mobile. Encourage Club members to be creative in arranging cards on the mobile.

7. After the mobiles are finished, hang them around the room so members can examine and compare them.

Wrap Up

Ask members to examine the mobiles and what they say about families. Ask them to

develop a list of the similarities in each family. Finish by asking the members to develop

a description for “family” that covers all of the different kinds of mobiles.

Alternate Activity

If wire coat hangers are not available, invite youth to use construction paper to make

cut-outs of trees. They can make leaves for their trees out of construction paper, write

the names of their family members on the leaves and place them on their trees.

Resources

For more information on creating mobiles, visit the following Web sites:

• www.mobilesculpture.com/makeyourownmobiles/#Interactivity • www.creativity-portal.com/howto/artscrafts/mobile.html



Sample Mobiles

Simple Mobile

Straight Wire

Multiple Straight Wires



Neighborhood Walk-About

Theme: Understand Our Society’s Diversity

Topic: What’s good about diversity?

Core Areas: The Arts; Education and Career Development;

Health and Life Skills; Sports, Fitness and Recreation

Learning Goals: To notice all the different types of people in the community

To take pride in our neighborhoods


Materials Needed: Camera (disposable cameras, a Polaroid® or digital camera)

Special Preparation

Because members will be leaving Club premises, be sure permissions or safety rules for

offsite activities are understood by all. If your group has more than 10 members, you

may want to have another staff member of a peer leader come along to help.

Key Learning Points





• There are many diverse types of people in our community. • All of these people are interesting and unique. • We can be proud of our neighborhood and the interesting mix of people who live here. • Appreciating diversity can enrich and expand our personal experiences.

Activity Overview

Members take a neighborhood field trip to notice all the different types of people who

live and work there. They record what they see with a camera or drawings and later

make a large neighborhood mural to display at the Club.

Important Words

Diversity refers to all the differences of people all over the world – differences in their

families, what they like, how they talk, what they eat, how they look, what they believe

and many other things.

A community is a group of people with common interests, backgrounds or lifestyles who

sometimes live near each other.

Process

1. Tell members they are going to pretend they are reporters. Explain that they will be going “on assignment” away from the Club as they walk with you through the

neighborhood and keep their eyes peeled for all the people they see.



2. Explain to Club members that they may record what they see either by writing, drawing or taking pictures. (Note: Before leaving on the trip, let members practice

using the camera at the Club by taking pictures of one another and of you.)

3. Before you leave, talk with members about some of the various people they might see: men, women, boys and girls, people driving trucks, people selling newspapers,

people working in stores, people driving taxis or busses and so on.

4. Gather the group and take a 25- to 30-minute walk, pointing out people and encouraging members to take pictures as you go.

5. When you return to the Club, ask members to tell about someone they saw in the neighborhood and what they were doing. Discuss the idea that the neighborhood

is made up of a mixture of people all doing things that are important for the

community. Remind them that everyone has something to contribute.

6. When the pictures are developed, the group can make a bulletin board or mural with the photos – presenting “The People in Our Neighborhood.” Members can

suggest phrases to put on the display.

Wrap Up

If members enjoy the project, you might let them “check out” cameras from the Club

and do some photojournalism on their own. Their work could then become part of the

BGCA ImageMakers Photography Project.

Alternate Activity

If it is not possible to take photographs, members can return to the Club and cut out

pictures from magazines to create the mural. Because so few magazines actually

depict diverse groups of people, youth may not be able to find images that are

representative of themselves or the people they know. If you are unable to collect

additional sources of photos and images before the activity, you might discuss with

youth why photos in most magazines do not depict people in their community.

If it is not possible for Club members to walk around the neighborhood (or if it is not

safe), instead they might complete this activity within the Clubhouse, talking to other

members and staff they do not know very well. They also might use Internet searches to

explore the different types of people who live in the community.

Resources

Use the Internet to have Club members take “virtual tours” of cities around the country

and across the globe. Many Web sites include movies, photos and other features that

give Club members a rich experience with diverse cultures and regions. For information

on virtual “field trips,” have members visit the following Web sites:

• http://2k.si.edu/ • www.field-guides.com/ • www.gsn.org/ • www.field-trips.org/trip.htm



Callings, Careers and Jobs Theme: Understand Our Society’s Diversity

Topic: Getting to know others who are different from you


Learning Goals: To connect with individuals working in a variety of jobs

To relate characteristics of jobs and attributes of people

To explore what careers individual members might enjoy


Materials Needed: Copies of “Making Contact” worksheet

Copies of “Career Information” worksheet

Paper


Marking pens

Special Preparation

Post a list of Web sites (see Resources) that are good outlets for youth to use in checking

out potential careers.

Key Learning Points





• There are many types of people working in a variety of jobs in our community. • Jobs and careers are one of the ways people express their individuality. • Making personal connections with others allows us to get to know different types of people, broadens our thinking and helps us recognize what a diverse world we live in.

Activity Overview

Group members discuss various jobs and careers and consider the types of jobs they

might be interested in. They work in pairs to check out the jobs or careers they have

selected and identify individuals working in that field they would like to make contact

with, either by e-mail, mail or in person. They make a commitment to communicate

with one person over the next few weeks about the field they are interested in.

Background

Besides careers that require a college education and/or advanced degrees, there are

many other paths to interesting work and a good living. Members might look into:

• apprenticeships;

• non-traditional careers for different genders;

• jobs that require a two-year degree;

• careers that offer on-the-job training; and

• jobs that allow them to work outside (landscaping, etc.).



Important Words

A job is something people do to make money.

A career is something that a person wants to do for a long time because it is interesting

and worthwhile.

A calling is something that an individual believes he or she is especially qualified to do

and could potentially change the world.

Process

1. Guide the group in a discussion about the difference between jobs, careers and callings. Ask them if they have heard these words before. Ask if they have ever

thought about the types of jobs they might be interested in when they are older.

Encourage members to talk about their interests.

2. Instruct members to work in pairs to check out the jobs or careers they have selected. Refer them to the list of Web sites you have posted on the flip chart and

tell them to use these sites to look for information about potential jobs they are

investigating. Distribute the “Career Information” worksheet and ask members to

think about these questions as they explore jobs and careers.

3. Ask them to identify one or more individuals working in the field who they would like to make contact with to find out more information. They can choose someone

famous or not, but the chance of them getting a response is greater if the person is

not famous. Tell them that you will help them locate contact information for those

they identify. They can choose to write a letter, an e-mail or make personal contact

if that is possible.

4. Distribute the “Making Contact” worksheet to give them ideas for questions they may want to ask about the job or career.

5. Assist members in locating e-mail addresses or street addresses and in preparing their communication to the individual they have identified.

6. After everyone has finished checking out their selected fields, bring the group back together and ask members to briefly report on what they learned.

Wrap Up

Ask members what they have learned about possible careers, their personal likes and

dislikes and whether they feel that they have found that they have more choices than

they thought at the beginning of the activity. Ask, “What are the reasons that there are

so many careers available? How does that relate to diversity in the community?”

Additional Ideas

You may want to ask members to write an ad for the jobs they are interested in, listing

the qualifications, skills and education needed to work in these career fields.

Members may want to do research on the availability and potential for jobs they are

interested in. Refer them to the U.S. Department of Labor Web site, www.bls.gov/oco/.



Resources

For information related to careers and employment, have members visit the following

Web sites:

• www.acinet.org/acinet/ • www.bls.gov/k12/html/edu_over.htm • www.careers.org/ • www.careeroverview.com/



Making Contact

What is the job you are doing?

How long have you been doing it?

What is it like where you work?

What skills do you need for this job?

Do you get any training on the job?

What is fun about your job?

Is there anything that isn’t fun?

Is there anything you would like to change about the job?



Career Information

How many jobs like this are available?

What kind of education, training and certification are required?

What will the future for this job be?

What is the typical pay for this job?

What are some similar jobs?



Theme 3 Project: Advertising Rip-Offs? Theme: Recognize Bias and Unfairness


Health and Life Skills

Learning Goals: To analyze advertisements to determine their intended audience

To identify the assumptions about the audience that ad

writers make

To demonstrate understanding by creating an advertisement


Materials Needed: Magazines

Paper

Marking pens

Pens

Special Preparation

Collect magazines with a variety of ads. Be sure to gather magazines that depict an

ethnic, racial, age, gender and suburban/urban balance. Select several ads for use

during the Icebreaker.

Key Learning Points





• Messages communicated through advertising are based on assumptions about

certain groups of people.

• These assumptions often come from faulty logic or reasoning.

• It is important to be aware of assumptions and bias in the world around us.

Activity Overview

Group members select a few ads from magazines and determine who the intended

audience is and what assumptions the ad writer has made about the audience. They

decide if the creator’s biases focus or limit the effectiveness of the ad. Group members

also create ads for their Club, then get feedback on them from other Club members.

Background

The focus of ads often limits their effectiveness. For example, ads for muscle and joint

pain show middle-aged people, those for flavored lip gloss show young women and ads

for beer show parties of mostly young men.

Icebreaker

Show members several advertisements, one at a time, and ask them to discuss what

they know about the people for whom the ad is intended. Ask, “Is it easy for you to

figure it out? What do the ad writers think about the customer? What do you think

about ads intended for you?”



Discuss how ads get people’s attention and make them want to purchase an item or

travel to an event. Consider why ads show the kinds of people they do. Ask group

members whether the ads represent them and their friends? Their families? The people

in their neighborhoods?

Important Words

An assumption is a belief or a guess about something or someone when you do not

have enough information.

A bias is a preconception or preset idea about something or someone (a person, group,

object or idea) before you know them.

Process

1. Start by asking members to talk about their favorite TV programs and magazines. Ask them if they can recall any ads they frequently see on TV or in magazines. Ask if

they also have noticed ads on billboards or busses in their neighborhoods. Give an

example of an ad targeted to a specific group and point out the assumption and

bias. (For example, an ad for lip gloss that shows a girl kissing a boy is targeted to

teen girls and assumes that girls at this age wear lipstick to please their boyfriends;

the ad also may display a bias, a belief that teen girls care more about make-up

and boys than anything else.)

2. Tell members that their job is to analyze some ads, determine the audience and try to discover the assumptions and biases the ad writers had when they wrote the ad.

3. Distribute magazines and instruct members to work in pairs and select at least three ads to examine. For each ad, participants should determine who the intended

audience is, what assumptions the writers have and any bias they have that limits

the possible size of the audience. Ask them to rate each ad on a scale of 1 to 5,

with 5 being the best.

4. After Club members have finished analyzing the ads, take a few moments to discuss the various ads. Focus on the assumptions, effectiveness and then on the possible

biases of the writers. Post the ads that members believe to be the best.

5. Instruct each team to create an ad for the Club. Share the following tips with the group:

• Study what you are offering and decide which parts would be of interest to others.

• Focus on what makes your offering different or special.

• Understand your audience and what they are looking for.

• Decide just how much you need to say to make the point.

6. When all teams have finished their ads, display them for everyone to see. Ask members to discuss each ad and look for the assumptions the ad writers made

when they wrote the ads. Do the ads reflect the biases of members about the

audience and the Club? Do these biases help or harm the ad?

Wrap Up

Ask Club members to consider whether they can extend the idea of assumptions in ad

writing to other areas of their lives? How have others had assumptions and biases about

them? How have they held assumptions and biases about others?



Post the ads in a prominent place in the Club, and provide an opportunity for all Club

members to vote for their favorites.

Resources

For more information on the effects of advertising, visit the following Web sites:

• Don’t Buy It: Get Media Smart, http://pbskids.org/dontbuyit/ • Media Watch, www.mediawatch.com • Just Think, www.justthink.org • Over the Rainbow (e-zine), http://medialiteracy01.tripod.com • Arthur’s Guide to Media Literacy, http://pbskids.org/arthur/parentsteachers/lesson/medialiteracy/index.html



Comic Characters Theme: Recognize Bias and Unfairness

Topic: What is bias and unfairness?


Learning Goals: To recognize bias and unfairness


Materials Needed: Copies of “Comic Characters” worksheet (copied on card stock)

Copies of “Comic Strip Adventure” worksheet

Art supplies

Drawing paper

Special Preparation

Bring in real comic books, movie posters and advertisements, or print pages from Web

sites of current or recent popular comic or superhero characters. Post them on a

bulletin board.

Key Learning Points





• Comics – as well as movies, television, music, ads and other forms of communication –

often contribute to bias in society by portraying stereotypes.

• We do not always notice bias and unfairness right away because we get used to

seeing it.

• It is important to be aware of bias and unfairness in the world around us.

Activity Overview

By creating a set of fictional characters, teens have the opportunity to define bias in a

creative way. Individuals or small groups create one superhero girl, one superhero boy

and a dastardly villain who represent bias and unfairness. For each character, members

create character cards to identify superpowers and fatal weaknesses. Individuals or

groups then create storyboard scenarios in which the two characters combat the villains.

Background

Comics often are thought of as lighthearted and silly. When you read between the lines

of a comic book, however, you often find that they reflect social issues. Comics often

have a moral message. Team America or the X-Men often include messages about

cooperation and teamwork – how individuals with diverse powers work together to save

the world. Individual villains like Lex Luthor in Superman, the Joker in Batman or the

Green Goblin in Spiderman often demonstrate that power corrupts or that greed

eventually leads to downfall. Because they are engaging and often exaggerate

everyday issues, comics are an excellent way to explore social concerns.



Important Words

Bias is thinking we know someone just by how they look. Bias is unfair.

A stereotype is a mistaken way of thinking about people or groups. Stereotypes are

unfair and limiting because we cannot see people for who they really are.

Process

1. Lead the group in a discussion about superheroes and villains, focusing on their superpowers and their fatal flaws. Point out that bias and unfairness are issues that

have sometimes been illustrated in comics.

2. Explain that super villains often have traumatic experiences in their pasts that lead to their evil natures. Encourage Club members to discuss what might have happened

to their villains to make them the way they are.

3. Give each Club member a copy of the “Comic Characters” worksheet. Invite Club members to create super villains who will represent a force of bias and unfairness.

What are the villain’s superpowers? What are his or her fatal flaws?

4. Ask Club members also to create superheroes to confront the super villains. What are the superhero’s superpowers?

5. Suggest female Club members create female characters and male Club members create male characters.

6. After Club members have created their characters, compare the male and female superheroes. How are they similar? Different?

7. Distribute the “Comic Strip Adventure” worksheets and ask members to draw an adventure in which their superheroes face the super villain to confront an issue of

bias or unfairness. Brainstorm with them about possible scenarios.

Wrap Up

At the end of the activity, have Club members present their comic strips to one another,

sharing the adventures and showing how their characters confront bias.

Additional Ideas

If Club members have the equipment and skills, have them scan in art and use

presentation software to create electronic presentations of their adventures. These

presentations can be posted to the Club Web site. If audio equipment is available,

invite Club members to create mock-radio broadcasts, using sound effects and

dramatic character voices to tell the tales of adventure.

Note that in the past, villains represented societal bias. For example: comic creators

often revealed their own bias by giving villains darker skin or accents from particular

regions of the world. Help Club members use the Internet to explore the history of bias in

comics. Discuss how comics reinforce some of today’s biases relating to body image

and appearance.



Resources

For more information on comic superheroes, visit the following Web sites:

• www.dccomics.com • www.marvel.com/ • www.internationalhero.co.uk/ • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_comic_book



Comic Characters

Create comic book characters using the character cards below.

Superhero

Name:

Age:

Superpower:

Fatal Flaw:

Super Villain

Name:

Age:

Superpower:

Fatal Flaw:



Comic Strip Adventure

Use the cells to draw your comic strip adventure in which the Superhero faces the Super Villain to confront bias or unfairness in society.



Bias Blab-Off Game Theme: Recognize Bias and Unfairness

Topic: Seeing your own bias

Core Areas: Character and Leadership Development

Learning Goals: To become aware of the types of bias that people exhibit

To determine how bias limits a person’s experience and

interactions

To identify the effects of bias on individuals and groups


Materials Needed: Copies of “People Cards” (copied on card stock and cut apart)

Copies of blank cards for members’ suggestions


Drawing paper

Pens

Marking pens

Key Learning Points





• Bias and stereotypes have a negative effect on individuals and groups.

• Bias keeps us from fully knowing the person or group we are biased against.

• It is important to recognize our own bias so we can eliminate it in the world.

Activity Overview

Group members play a game in which they respond to a variety of types of individuals

(athletes, individual ethnic groups, people of different ages, disabled people and

more). They describe these individuals from negative and positive points of view. After

each round, members discuss whether 1) the bias is valid for all people of that type; 2)

how they feel commenting from a biased position; and 3) how bias limits the way we

view and experience the world.

Background

Everyone has biases about something: people, foods, music, parts of the country and

more. These biases structure our lives and limit the richness of our experiences. In

preparation for this activity, you might wish to examine your own biases and think about

how they limit your view of the world.

Because this activity involves a role-play, members discover their own biases, but there is

less stigma because they are playing a part. By seeing both positive and negative

positions, they can begin to understand how biases affect us as individuals and as

members of a group.



Icebreaker

Reintroduce the word “bias” and what it means to be biased by selecting something

you know that the group will have strong preferences about. One good option is, of

course, a professional sports team. Ask, “What is your favorite team and why?” By listing

the “whys,” members can begin to see that the reasons for their selections may not

have much basis in reality.

Important Words


Process

1. Tell members that they will be playing a game to discover how biases affect our lives, how biases affect us personally and the people and things we are biased for

and against.

2. Explain the game’s rules:

• Members will play on two teams.

• You will say the name of a group of people.

• Teams will play several rounds. In each round, teams will write down all the words

or phrases that describe the group in either positive or negative terms, according

to the following plan.

Round Team A Team B

1 positive negative

2 negative positive

3 negative negative

4 positive positive

5 team

choice

team

choice

3. Divide the large group into two smaller groups. Flip a coin to see which team is A and which team is B.

4. Turn over a word card with the name of a particular group and read it aloud to Club members. Allow teams one minute to write down all the words or phrases that

describe the group from the position of bias they are representing.

5. After the minute is up, ask each team to read its list of statements. Allow the whole group to determine if every statement demonstrates the point of view that the team

was required to play. Award teams points equal to the number of correct words or

phrases.

6. After the points have been totaled, ask members to discuss what it feels like to write positive and negative thoughts. How would statements like those affect the people

who might hear them? How do they affect the people saying them?

Wrap Up

Repeat the game until all five rounds are played. Give the losing group one minute to

think of as many positive things as they can to say about the winning team. After they

tell the winners what they have written, lead the winners in a cheer for the losing team.



Resources

To test yourself on hidden biases, visit www.tolerance.org/hidden_bias/.



People Cards

athletes teachers disabled

people

foreign-born

people

people with

accents

non-English

speakers old people children

white people girls boys teens

parents celebrities



Job? Who Gets What? Theme: Recognize Bias and Unfairness

Topic: How does bias make people feel?

Core Areas: Education and Career Development;

Sports, Fitness and Recreation

Learning Goals: To recognize bias in jobs and careers


Materials Needed: Post-it notes – large (two packages, each a different color)

Drawing paper

Pens


Marking pens

Special Preparation

Review members’ choices of jobs and careers from the earlier activity, Callings, Careers

and Jobs. Post a list of members’ choices. Using the “Job Bank” as a reference, write

one job function on each post-it note in a stack. Keep the stack of post-it notes in its

stack: do not pull them apart. Write half of the jobs on one stack and half on the other,

and be sure to write them in random order. Write the jobs clearly so they can be seen

from several feet away. Post two large pieces of flip chart paper on the wall, several

feet apart. Label one “women” and the other “men.”

Key Learning Points





• There is stereotyping of both females and males in our culture, especially when it

comes to jobs and careers.

• It is important to recognize our stereotyping of others – including members of both

genders – so we can eliminate bias.

• People’s eligibility for a certain job or occupation should be based on what they like

and excel at, rather than their gender, race, age, appearance or any other factor

unrelated to the work.

Activity Overview

Members play a relay race in which they have to make quick decisions about whether

certain jobs are for men or for women. After the relay, they discuss why they made the

decisions they did. They begin to see the built-in biases they have about gender that

they were not even aware of.

Background

Although opportunities for all people have broadened in the last 25 years, there are still

many jobs that seem to be held for people of a certain type. Examine the “Job Bank”



list to note which ones seem to you to be more open now than in past years. Can you

think of jobs that should only be done by a certain group of people, for example, NFL

football players?

Icebreaker

Ask members if they know how to do a relay race. Explain to them how a relay race

works. Divide the group into two teams and let them try a couple of warm-up relays to

practice. Use a designated spot in the room for members to run to, tap and then race

to the end of the line. Once they have the idea of how a relay works, introduce the

activity.

Important Words


A stereotype is a mistaken way of thinking about people or groups. Stereotypes are

unfair and limiting because we cannot see people for who they really are.

Process

1. Divide the large group into two teams. Ask the teams to line up in two lines facing the wall where the posters are hung.

2. Explain to Club members that they will compete in a relay race to see which team can correctly identify the most job functions as being either for women or for men.

Tell them that the first person in line for each team will take the first post-it note off

the top, run to the wall, attach the note to the appropriate poster, run back to the

front of the line and hand the post-it-note stack to the next person. Stress that,

although the object is to go as quickly as possible, they should consider whether to

place the post-it note on the poster for women or for men.

3. Begin the relay.

4. After the relay is finished, ask members to comment on what they see, noticing which jobs seem to be on the women’s list and which seem to be on the men’s list.

Invite members to talk about why they might think certain jobs are just for one

gender. You might consider having them do Internet research to discover if their

biases are accurate and, more importantly, whether they make any sense at all.

5. Ask members to create another list of personal characteristics that may create bias for people seeking jobs and whether those biases make sense. Some variables to

think about include: accent, age, appearance, education, ethnic origin,

experience, gender, race, size and weight.

6. Encourage members to brainstorm a list of jobs that were once thought to be for just one gender but now both females and males are successful doing. Some of these

might include: chef, firefighter, police officer, construction worker, nurse,

kindergarten teacher, dentist, dental hygienist and doctor.

Wrap Up

Ask members whether they now feel that these biases are something that should remain

when it comes to considering what people wish to do with their lives. What are the

variables that are really important when selecting a career or hiring people for jobs?



One aspect is a person’s interests or strengths. Point out that, although women are now

acquiring traditional men’s jobs, there is little movement the other way. Ask members to

consider what the reason might be.

Resources

For information related to job bias, visit the following Web sites:

• www.woundcare.org/newsvol1n3/ed1.htm • www.fairness.com/resources/one?resource_id=11004 • www.globalethics.org/newsline/members/issue.tmpl?articleid=03150416361288 • www.eeoc.gov



Job Bank

Accountant Actor Agricultural Scientist Architect Artist Banker Baseball Player Biologist Bookkeeper Carpenter Chef Chemist Childcare Worker Civil Engineer City Manager Clothing Designer Coach Computer Specialist Construction Worker Court Reporter Dancer Desktop Publisher Disc Jockey Doctor Draftsperson Economist Electrical Engineer Electrician Environmental Scientist Farmer Financial Advisor Financial Analyst Firefighter Fitness Professional Food Scientist Football Player Hairdresser

Hardware Engineer IT Manager Landscape Architect Lawyer Librarian Loan Officer Mechanic Military Officer Musician Nurse Paralegal Pharmacist Photographer Physicist Pilot Plumber Police Officer Professional Athlete Psychologist Real Estate Agent Recreation Specialist Recreation Therapist Reporter Social Worker Software Engineer Sports Announcer Statistician Stock Broker School Principal Surveyor Systems Analyst Teacher Urban Planner Veterinarian Webmaster Writer Zookeeper



Theme 4 Project: Bias? Not on Your Watch! Theme: Take Personal Leadership in Confronting Bias


Health and Life Skills

Learning Goals: To identify a bias situation

To develop ways of creating awareness for others

To take action to help resolve the situation

Estimated Time: 30 minutes (and throughout the theme)

Materials Needed: Copies of “Sample Poster” handout

Newspapers

Magazines

Key Learning Points





• There are many examples of bias in our world, even in the lives of youth.

• It is important to stand up for ourselves and others in confronting bias.

• There are many things young people can do to create awareness and take action in

helping to resolve bias in their lives and in the world.

Activity Overview

Group members discover a situation of bias in the world around them and attempt to

correct it. They keep a record of their activities and the results. The group discusses the

situation and the outcomes and makes suggestions. They create some method of

highlighting the area of bias and concern during a parent night or Club get-together –

or in a newsletter, an article in the local paper, a Web site a PowerPoint presentation.

Background

People tend to be aware of bias only when it affects their personal lives or the lives of

their family members or friends.

Important Words


Process

1. Ask members to define the word “bias.” Ask, “What does it mean? How does it affect people?”

2. Give some examples of bias situations in the world that members can relate to:

• teachers favoring “smart” students;

• attractive students being more popular;



• store owners not trusting kids;

• coaches favoring the best athletes;

• adults not liking kids’ music; and

• people being biased against others who look, act or sound different from them.

3. Ask members to work in pairs to come up with other examples of bias in the world. Let them look at newspapers and magazines for information. Help them brainstorm

ideas. Encourage them to do research to discover which type of bias they consider

most important.

4. After members have completed their research, encourage them to discuss and decide which type of bias they wish to work on. If groups of members want to

consider different biases or wish to complete different activities, let them proceed.

5. Distribute the “Sample Poster” handout and tell the group that it is an example of one way to confront bias. Tell pairs that they can choose to confront bias in any way

they want, but they may want to consider:

• a newsletter;

• a poster or flier;

• a news story;

• a Web page (that can be posted on BGCA’s Youth Net intranet); or

• a PowerPoint presentation.

6. Monitor members’ activities throughout the theme and help them organize and complete their projects. If the computer room is available, work with the leader in

that area to help members work on the Web or use PowerPoint. Help those who

might wish to create a newspaper article interact with someone on staff at the local

paper.

Wrap Up

At the end of the theme, have members share their activities with each other and get

feedback from others outside of the group. Ask them to consider continuing their

activities after the program is over.

Additional Ideas

One of the ways youth can take personal leadership in confronting bias is to expand on

what they are learning by conducting a community-service activity related to diversity.

Community outreach and service is an important component of learning to stand up

against bias and prejudice. Club members could conduct community surveys, assist

certain groups with advocacy efforts or conduct a public awareness campaign.

Resources

For information on fighting bias and prejudice, refer youth to the following online

publications:

• www.adl.org/prejudice/default.asp • www.tolerance.org/101_tools/



Sample Poster

Let’s Help End Bias in Employment

…for Everyone!

People should not be discriminated against on the basis of:

● Age

● Clothing

● Disabilities

● Diseases

● Ethnic background

● National origin

● Race

● Religion

● Retaliation

● Gender

● Unequal pay

Fair for You…Fair for Me!



A Friend in Deed Theme: Take Personal Leadership in Confronting Bias

Topic: Understanding leaders and heroes


Learning Goals: To recognize a local hero

To create an award and promotional poster to recognize a hero


Materials Needed: Copies of “Hero List” handout


Marking pens

Art supplies

Special Preparation

Club members may have a hard time selecting a local hero. If possible, collect or save

copies of the local paper and clip articles relating to heroic deeds in your area. Create

a list of potential people to contact. The list might include: firefighters, policemen,

politicians, leaders of local clubs or organizations (veterans clubs, Lions clubs, etc),

teachers and others.

Key Learning Points





• There are many leaders (heroes) who have stood up against bias and unfairness.

• These individuals are models for relating to others – with patience, honesty,

compassion.

• Heroes often face challenges and barriers with bravery, dignity, strength and

enthusiasm – qualities that are important in taking personal leadership to confront bias.

Activity Overview

In this activity, members create an award for someone they consider to be a hero – a

“Friend in Deed” award. Art skills and supplies are used to design an award that

celebrates this person’s accomplishments and promotes the cause.

Icebreaker

Using the “Hero List” handout as a starting point, talk with Club members about what

they know and think of these historical figures. Challenge them to come up with a “Top

10” list that describes the qualities of a hero. Qualities may include: bravery, vision,

patience, honesty, compassion, dignity, strength, organization, enthusiasm and others.

Some of these words describe how the person relates to other people: patience,

honesty, compassion. Other words describe how the person related to the challenge

and to barriers along the way: bravery, dignity, strength or enthusiasm.



Important Words

A deed is an action someone takes or an accomplishment someone makes.

Process

1. Make sure group members understand the definition of “deed.”

2. Relate the expression: “A friend in need is a friend in deed.” Ask Club members to discuss what the expression means to them. Point out that a friend who helps out

when we are in trouble is a true friend – a friend in deed – as opposed to others who

disappear when there is trouble.

3. Remind members that there have been many people in the past and present who have been important in improving the lives of all of us. Be sure to reinforce the fact

that many heroes came from difficult backgrounds or had a disability. Make sure

youth understand that anyone can be a hero, and that ordinary people often make

great change through their daily lives and work.

4. List a few local heroes, such as the Club director, teachers or coaches. Ask members to brainstorm a list of additional heroes.

5. Tell Club members that they will select a member of the community to identify as a local hero – someone who has made a difference in combating bias and unfairness

whose work the Club member wants to support and promote.

6. Ask members to select one person from the list. If members select the same individual, encourage them to work together.

7. Instruct Club members to create a poster for the selected individual to represent the “Friend in Deed” award. Encourage Club members to incorporate into their posters

words from the list of adjectives brainstormed during the Icebreaker.

Wrap Up

Ask each pair or Club member to present their poster to the group. Invite the member

of the community being honored to visit the Club and formally accept the award.

Additional Ideas

Club members can use desktop publishing software to create a poster to print. Contact

local printing businesses to inquire about services they may donate for creating posters

and banners.

Web pages can serve as electronic posters to promote the causes of local heroes. Club

members can create simple Web sites using a basic page template and include photos

and art as well as hyperlinks to more information about the work of their local hero. In

addition to inviting the local hero to visit the Club in person, ask that person to engage

in an e-mail exchange with youth, becoming a virtual mentor for Club members.



Resources

For more information on heroes, visit the following Web sites:

• The Time 100, www.time.com/time/time100/heroes/ • Home of Heroes, www.homeofheroes.com • Sporting Heroes, www.sporting-heroes.net/ • My Hero Project, http://myhero.com/myhero/ • The Heroism Project, www.heroism.org • Heroes of History, www.heroesofhistory.com • Hispanic American Hall of Fame, www.unbeatables.com/HHeroes.html • Real African-American Heroes, http://raahistory.com/



Hero List

Hero Role

Abraham Lincoln President

Sacajawea Guide for explorers Lewis and Clark

Martin Luther King, Jr. Civil rights activist against racial prejudice

Cesar Chavez Activist for farm workers rights

Princess Diana Activist against land mines

Nelson Mandela Civil rights activist, President of South Africa

Rosa Parks Civil rights activist against racial prejudice

Mother Teresa Human rights worker

Chief Joseph Leader of the Nez Pearce

Michelle Kwan Olympic-medalist/figure skater

Harriet Tubman Organizer of the Underground Railroad

Mohandas Gandhi Leader of a peaceful movement for independence in India

Susan B. Anthony Civil Rights Activist for women’s right to vote

Muhammad Ali Heavy-weight boxing champion and activist for peace for all

people and countries

Fannie Lou Hamer Civil rights and voting-rights activist

Helen Keller Model of success for disabled people (visual and hearing

impairment)

Stevie Wonder Singer and songwriter (blindness)

Alexander Graham Bell Inventor of the telephone (learning disabilities)

Stephen Hawking Astrophysicist (motor neuron disease, uses a motorized

wheelchair and computerized voice)

Franklin D. Roosevelt President and politician (wheelchair-bound from polio)

Justin Dart Leader of international disability rights movement (polio and

congestive heart failure)

Frida Kahlo Painter (polio and pain from vehicular accident)

Martina Navrátilová Professional tennis player



Creating a City Park…For All! Theme: Take Personal Leadership in Confronting Bias

Topic: Taking a stand against bias

Core Areas: Character and Leadership Development

Learning Goals: To appreciate everyone’s personal biases

To become aware that preferences can lead to bias

To identify a plan to react to everyone’s biases


Materials Needed: Copies of “Park Lovers’ Needs” handout

Paper

Pencils


Marking pens

Special Preparation

Create a flip chart showing the biases of the park constituents (using the “Park Lovers’

Needs” resource).

Key Learning Points





• Preferences can lead to bias, when one group makes its needs more important than others’ needs.

• Hearing others’ opinions helps us uncover our own bias and begin to see other perspectives.

Activity Overview

Members participate in a simulation game: The parks department is proposing to put a

new park in a densely populated part of the city. Many groups with biases about how

the land should be used have presented their desires to the commission charged with

presenting the new park to the city. Acting as the commission, members assess the

biases of the constituents and decide what the new park should be like.

Background

Biases control the way people act and interact. The special needs and desires of

different groups of people become focused in many areas of life.

Icebreaker

Ask, “What do you like to do in a park? Do you think that everyone feels the same

way?” Tell members that their job is to design a park that resolves the biases of all of the

people who will want to use it.



Process

1. Divide the large group into two teams. Each group will act as a park commission.

2. Present the commissions with the “Park Lovers’ Needs” list of stated needs of the people living near the park. You may also want to post these on a flip chart.

• Dog lovers want the park to be an “off-leash” park.

• Religious groups want the park quiet on Saturdays and Sundays.

• Older people want lots of benches.

• Teenagers want open space for football and baseball.

• Adult joggers want a running track.

• Parents of young kids want a T-ball field.

• Rappers want a bandstand.

• Barbershop quartets want a bandstand.

• Soccer teams want a playing field for Saturday games.

• Gardeners want space for community gardens.

• Family members want a place for barbeques and picnics.

• Butterfly collectors and bird watchers want plenty of flowery plants.

3. Tell the commissions that they need to make a presentation to the city showing the details and description of the new park and explaining why they made the

decisions they have made. They will need:

• a statement about how they met the needs, desires and biases of all groups; and

• a description of the park.

4. Before members begin working, remind them they need to establish their form of leadership. They will also have to act as advocates for biases of the various groups.

Wrap Up

When the commissions are finished, call a meeting of the parks department to hear the

presentations. (Groups will listen to each other’s presentations.) As you listen to each

presentation, be aware of how the various needs of the community members are met.

Does the commission meet all the needs? How do the biases of the commission

members get involved? After both presentations, ask members what they learned

about their own biases and how they feel about dealing with the biases of others.



Park Lovers’ Needs

• Dog lovers want the park to be an “off-leash” park.

• Religious groups want the park quiet on Saturdays and Sundays.

• Older people want lots of benches.

• Teenagers want open space for football and baseball.

• Adult joggers want a running track.

• Parents of young kids want a T-ball field.

• Rappers want a bandstand.

• Barbershop quartets want a bandstand.

• Soccer teams want a playing field for Saturday games.

• Gardeners want space for community gardens.

• Family members want a place for barbeques and picnics.

• Butterfly collectors and bird watchers want plenty of flowery plants.



Bias Card Relay Race Theme: Take Personal Leadership in Confronting Bias

Topic: Dealing with bias in the world

Core Areas: Education and Career Development; Character and Leadership

Development; Sports, Fitness and Recreation

Learning Goals: To recognize appropriate responses to bias situations


Materials Needed: Copies of “Bias Cards” (copied on card stock and cut apart)

Copies of “Anti-bias Cards” (copied on card stock and cut apart)

Copies of “Not Sure Cards” (copied on card stock and cut apart)

Copies of “I Can Handle Bias!” Button worksheet (copied on card stock)

Key Learning Points





• We are all people and we are all different. • There will be unfairness sometimes. • There are ways to deal with unfairness.

Activity Overview

In this activity, members use what they have learned about how to act in the face of

bias situations and try to select appropriate responses. The activity is organized as a

relay race so members have to think quickly while they are having fun.

Icebreaker

Ask members if they know how to do a relay race. Explain to them how a relay race works.

Divide the group into two teams and let them try a couple of warm-up relays to practice.

Use a designated spot in the room for members to run to, tap and then race to the end of

the line. Once they have the idea of how a relay works, introduce the activity.

Important Words


Process

1. Distribute the bias cards to the members. Post the “Anti-Bias Cards” and the “Not Sure Cards” on a bulletin board.

2. Then divide the group into two teams. Each team forms a line for a relay race.

3. When you say, “Go!” members in each line race each other to the bulletin board where they choose an appropriate response to the situation they have. Tell them to

be careful because not all the cards will work for their situations.



4. Members take the card they think is right from the wall and race to the back of their line. The next person in line follows until the entire team has found response cards for

their situations.

5. After the relay, discuss the situations and the responses members chose for them. The winning team is the one that selects the most appropriate responses to their

situations. (Note: Because competition can focus Club members’ attention on

winning rather than on the purpose of the activity, you may choose to conduct the

activity with the group as a whole, with group members shouting out the responses

that are posted on the bulletin board.)

6. Play the relay more than once, adding response cards as suggested. As a variation, you could have the children hop, walk, run backwards or crawl on the way up to

the board and then run back.

Wrap Up

Tell members how proud you are of them for their skill at responding to bias and give

each of them the “I Can Handle Bias!” Button worksheet to decorate, cut out and wear.

Resources

For information on fighting bias and prejudice, refer youth to the following online

publications:

• www.adl.org/prejudice/default.asp • www.tolerance.org/101_tools/



Bias Cards

The boys at the

Club won’t let

the girls use

the gym.

Someone called my

brother a baby and

made him cry.

The girls made a

sign: No boys at the

art table.

One boy made

fun of another

boy’s sneakers.

A girl laughed

because I don’t

speak English

very well.

Two boys laughed

at what I brought

for lunch and said

it was “yucky.”

When one girl got

glasses, a bunch of

kids called

her “four eyes.”

Several girls

laughed at me for

wearing my

traditional native

dress.

A group of kids

blocked the door

when I tried to

get through in

my wheelchair.

Everybody makes

fun of me

because I have

two moms.

A girl made fun of

my friend for

being adopted.



Anti-Bias Cards

Boys and girls

should be able to

sign up to use

different parts of

the gym at the

same time.

When you talk to my

brother like that,

it’s rude and unkind.

Leave him alone.

Sign for the art

table: Everyone is

welcome.

The boy has

different sneakers

than I do,

but he’s a better

runner than I am.

Can you teach me

to say “hello” in

your language?

Tell me about what

you are having

for lunch?

How are your

glasses helping you?

Can you tell us about

what your native

dress symbolizes?

Sorry we’re blocking

your way…let me

get the door.

What’s it like

to have

two moms?

What you said to

my friend is rude.

His family – any

family – is just as

good as yours.



Not Sure Cards

If you keep

talking to my

brother like that,

I’ll hit you.

Boys and girls

should always

play together

in the gym.

Designer sneakers

make you

run faster.

I wish I had

glasses too.

If boys want to

use the art table,

we’ll leave.

I love to try

new foods.

The way you talk

makes me laugh.

Cool! What you’re

wearing is really

different.

Do you need

any help?

Can I push your

wheelchair for you?

You’re lucky.

You don’t have a

dad to yell at you.

Being adopted is

great because

you get anything

you want.



“I Can Handle Bias!” Button

I Can Handle Bias!

I CAN HANDLE BIAS!



Activities for Youth Aged 10 to 12 Years

Documents