Assignment Problem:
A documentary film is considered a classic sociological study in discrimination. A third grade teacher in Riceville, Iowa decides to teach a lesson on discrimination to her class after the shooting of Dr. Martin Luther King. This exercise was filmed by Frontline in the late 1960's, and then shown again to her class 14 years later when they returned for a reunion to discuss how that exercise impacted their lives. The first two segments show the original film and the amazing way the children responded to this exercise.
To view this video, go to the link posted in this week's folder. It is divided into 5 segments, or chapters. Watch all 5 of these segments and answer the following questions. There will also be a discussion board posted for this video, and directions will be provided for the discussion board.
1. After watching the documentary, what is your initial reaction to the classroom experiment? Which parts of the program stand out most to you and why?
2. There is an excellent example of "self-fulfilling prophecy", which we have touched on in earlier assignments, demonstrated in this film. In the segment that shows Mrs. Elliot using the reading cards with the groups of children, how do the children wearing the collars respond? Why is this significant?
3. One of the chapters shows Jane Elliot conducting this activity with workers in the prison system in Iowa. Summarize how the adults in the training activity respond. What surprised you most about this?
4. Each of you has a specific career choice in mind - and these are varied. How may viewing this film impact the way you work and interact with others in your chosen career?