Black/White America: a Two-Week Unit on Relations Between the Races. SPONS AGENCY Office of Education (DHEM), Washingtonr, D.C
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 120 092 95 SO 009 026- AUTHOR Kasschau, Richard A. TITLE Black/White America: A Two-Week Unit on Relations between the Races. SPONS AGENCY Office of Education (DHEM), Washingtonr, D.C. PUB DATE 72 NOTE 160p. EMS PRICE MF-$0.83 HC-$8.69 Plus Postage DESCRIPTORS Behavioral Objectives; Civil Rights; *Human Relations Units; Instructional Materials; Learning Activities; Majority Attitudes; Minority Groups; Negro Attitudes; Negro Role; Psychology; *Race Relations; Racism; Secondary. Education; *Social. Discrimination; Teaching Guides; Teaching Techniques ABSTRACT The human relations teaching unit suggests materials and activities designed to sensitize students toward racial matters and group interaction of blacks and whites in American society. It is intended for use in an ongoing psychology or relatedcourse on the secondary level. The guide recommends that teachers remain neutral introducers of evidence which is to he weighed and evalUated by the students, who are consequently expected to move towarda goal of increased understanding. Units are included on such topicsas Minorities and the Police, Minorities and the Employment Agency, The Kerner Commission Report, DiscriminationFreedom Riders, School Bus Incident, and Conditioned Helplessness. The lessons include directions for organizing role playing, field trips, visits by outside resource parsons, data collection, volunteer activities, interviews, surveys, studies of ethnic characterizations and population characteristics, plus an extensive bibliography for further study by teachers. Each lesson includes a list of references, "Cautions" and "Follow-up" sections, and behavioral objectives. Step-by-step procedural instructions are given for lessons which are arranged on a one hour per day basis for a period of two weeks. 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Reproductions* *supplied by EMS are the best that can be made from the original. * *********************************************************************** BLACI( /WHITE U.S. DEPARTMENTOF HEALTH, EDUCATION L WELFARE 1ATIONAL INSTITUTEOY EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENTHAS BEEN DUCED EXACTLY REPRO- THE PERSON AS RECEIVEDFROM OR ORGANIZATION ATING IT POINTS ORIGIN- 47% OF VIEW OR STATED DO NOT OPINIONS O SENT OFFICIAL NECESSARILY REPRE AMERICA NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF O by EDUCATION POSITIONOR POLICY CV Richard A. Kciaschau atop'.1.inieek uniton relations.between tieraces 1972 Mar 19 The writing group which composed this unit included two high school teachers of psychology (Mrs. Lorrane W. Fordham, Burke High School,Charleston, South Carolina; and Mr. Paul A. Stewart, Orangeburg-WilkinsonHigh School, Orangeburg, South Carolina), two students who had justgraduated from high school (Miss Harriet G. McCombs and Mr. M. WayneSmith, both of Columbia, South Carolina), and one psychologist (Dr. RichardA. Kasschau, Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia,South Carolina). These people were aided immeasurably by input, both largeand small, from a variety of consultants, all of whom share two things incommon: (I) They helped us tremendously in acconplishing our objectives, and (2) Theyare not to blame for any errors, whether of omission or commission, in these materials. The con- sultants were as follows: James Clyburn Governor's Office Columbia, South Carolina Dan W. Dodson Director, Institute for New York University Human Relations Jack R. Frymier Chairman, Curriculum and Ohio State University Foundations Faculty Paul M. Halvorson Professor, College of University of Georgia Education Raymond G. Hunt Director, Survey Research SJNY - Buffalo Center James H. Lockhart Curriculum specialist Research Council of the Great City Schools Evelynn McGuiness Consultant, Livingston College Rutgers - The State University Wilbert J. McKeachie Professor, Department University of Michigan of Psychology M. Hayes Mizell Member, Richland C. District #1 Columbia, South Carolina Board of School Commissioners A. M.- Moseley Social Studies Consultant S. C. State Education Department Eddie E. Myers Research Associate, Educational Cleveland, Ohio Research Council of America Charles W. Thomas Director, Center for the Study Los Angeles, California of Racial and Social Issues Wilse B. Webb Research Professor, Department University of Florida of Psychology Meyer Weinberg Consultant City Colleges of Chicago H. Larry Winecoff Director, Center for Integrated University of South Education Carolina 3 Table I Monday(1) Tuesday(2) Wednesday(3) Thurs-day(4) Friday(5) MondaySummary(6) of UnitTuesday(7) W-,dnesday(8) Thursday(9) Friday(10) Activities(II) I vsExternalInternal MaskingTapeThe AnRegardingInterview BrownEyes/Blue Rumor,Picture,Ambiguous PlayingRole- Games AssertDebate = Condi-tioned of"My Viewtr beSites Visited to 2DistanceSocialBogardus'Control Game ActivitiesVolunteerPrejudice Eyes DebateGroup'"Minorityand Bias NamePlaying:Role- GameMirrorThe Dog""TheListenand Po' ALooknessHelpless- Closer asWomen a Character-PopulationGeneral 3 SociometryScale nationDISCrimi- CollectiontiveCoopera- Data Playing:Role-Calling Communi-Non-verbalMinoritiesand the Racismin FairPeople ArchivalStateistics 4 typingStereo- SchoolPlaying:Role-BoysFighting Buscation Police CommissionTheKernerAmerica ArtChiidrens' ResourceClassroomPersonsforAgencies Pk5 TonguePrejudicedThe ThePlaying:Role-Incident Counter-balanceTheReport Dove graphyBiblio-tionPresenta- 6 byPrejudice Pen Playing:AgencyRole-Employment AngenceInstanceIntelli- test 7 tionsDefini- of a AssignmentPowerThe Black RidersFreedomofin RacismSociety 8 Group"Ethnicity"tionsMinorityDefini- of 0/0 Black/White America Teacher's Instructions This is the introduction to a single, two-week teaching unit on Black/ White America.)t is intended that this unit eventually be only one among many such units which offer an introduction to the discipline of psychology for high school students, emphasizing both practical examples of psychology in the students' world and the discipline of psychology. Assumptions: These materials are attempting to meet multiple needs and are based on several explicit assumptions: First, the material must be in- trinsically interesting to students, i.e., it must offer a variety of activi- ties during the course of the unit. Second, to increase the likelihood that the materials will be used again by the teacher, the materials should, where possible, offer several alternativemeans by which they may be taught. Third, the materials should be self-explanatory or fully explainedso as to mii0 additional preparation for the teacher. Fourth, the materials should be self- contained, so as to be teachable without the aid ofany resources external to the teacher possessing the unit. Fifth, the unit should be flexible to facil- itate its insertion into an ongoing psychologycourse as well as into any course with content related to the unit's content. Finally, the unit, while flexible, should faithfully reflect the discipline of psychology in sucha way as to provide practical lessons for the non-college-bound students and fundamental foundations for students destined +o encounter other psychology courses later in their education. Teaching Techniques: No development of curricular materials can occur without consideration of the teaching techniques to be used.With respect to these techniques, several premises were adopted: First, since psychology is a relatively young formal discipline in the history ofman, some of its most basic premises are still under very close scholarly scrutiny. Similarly, in the arts much debate is generated by personal preferences, while in the natural (physical) sciences preference often yields to matters of fact.Psy- chology being young, is often arguing with itself between the "art" and- "science" of psychology, between the "clinical" and "statistical", between the "mind" and the "body". The ill-defined position of psychology along the dimension of disciplines-stretching from those based solelyon personal pre- ference to those more strongly based in fact, has important implications for the teaching technique of the instructor ina high school psychology course. It must be a technique which fosters inquiry in students, which ENCOURAGES STUDENTS TO EXAMINE DATA AND REACH THEIR OWN CONCLUSIONSas regards to what is right. Second, some of. the issues to be covered in a complete course in the behavioral sciences will be controversial. The TEACHER MUST MAINTAIN A PO- SITION OF NEUTRALITY while teaching these controversial topicsso as to en- courage students to an attitude of inquisitiveness with respect to behavioral phenomena. Third, efforts must be made to PROTECT DIVERSITY IN OPINIONS where that diversity is based on reason, not bias. Fourth, for in-classroom activities DISCUSSION SHOULD BE THE PRIMARY MODE OF PRESENTING AND EVALUATING INFORMATION related to the topic at hand. Fifth, the teacher, from a position of neutrality, will foster !earning by introducing evidence to be weighed and evaluated by the students, NOT WITH THE GOAL OF CONSENSUS, BUT WITH THE GOAL OF UNDERSTANDING.