Sociology & You

Chapter 9: Inequalities of Race and Ethnicity

Web Activity Lesson Plans

"Discrimination in the United States"

Introduction
In this chapter, students learned about inequalities regarding race and ethnicity and patterns of racial and ethnic relation. They learned the difference between prejudice and discrimination, as well as what sociologists mean by the terms minority, race, and ethnicity. Stereotypes, or sets of distorted, exaggerated, or oversimplified images that are applied to a category of people, appear throughout any society. An example of stereotyping and discrimination in American history is the treatment of Asian and African Americans from early history to today. In this activity students will take a closer look at the experiences of these diversified groups, as well as how life has changed over the years.

Lesson Description
Students will visit a few Web sites to learn more about the history of Asian and African Americans in the United States . Students will write an essay that describes a current situation they have experienced that deals with stereotyping or discrimination in any way. They will explain in detail the circumstance(s) and how they might change this situation.

Instructional Objectives

1. Students will be able to describe the history of Asian and African migration to the United States .
2. Students will be able to describe changes that have occurred since the early 1900s with these diverse groups, including the Brown v. Board of Education court case.
3. Students will be able to apply this knowledge to write an essay on their experiences with discrimination or stereotyping.