DETECTINGBIAS

SensibleBrownShoes
ByBarbRiggs
READY
UnderstandVocabulary:
Sincethelessoninvolvestheelementofsurprise,itmightbebesttoincludethesewordsinavocabularylist
severaldaysbefore.
Exaggeration
Overgeneralization
Imbalance
Opinions
Facts
Chargedwords
Prerequisitethinkingskills:
PointofView
SET
CopiesofGraphicOrganizers
CopiesofDetectingBiasDefinitionandPlanSheet
E.O.I.O.C.writtensothestudentscanseeitwitheachcorrespondingtoadifferentcolor(Seeexample)
Coloredpencilsormarkers
Sensiblebrownshoe(s)
GO
Setthestagewiththefollowing;
WhatwouldyouthinkaboutanewrequirementpasseddownfromtheAdultsontheplanningteamforanew
dresscode?ThewholeUniformhasntbeensetyet,butyouwouldneedtoknowabouttheshoesearlysothat
youdidntbythewrongkindofshoesthatyouwouldnotbeabletowearnextyear.Sohowaboutthis(Hold
upshoe)
Feelfreetoexpoundonthevirtuesoftheshoe.
Practicalheelnomorethan1inchhigh
Plainbrownsotheywillbeeasytopolish
Goodsupport
Odorcontrolinsertsandorthoticscaneasilyfitin.ETC.
Nowyouarebeinggivenachancetorespondtothisbywritingtotheschoolpaper(orprincipal).Writea(one
pageor1/2page)responseonwhetheryouarefororagainsttheadoptingofsensiblebrownshoesandgive
reasonstosupportyourpointofview.
Givethestudentstimetowritetheirresponses.
IntroducetheE.O.I.O.CwordstheylearnedearlierasthecluesfordetectingBias.
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ShowthestudentstheE.O.I.O.C.withthecorrespondingcolorsandhavethemunderlineexamplesintheir
responsewiththecorrespondingcolor.Somephrasesmightbeunderlinedwith2ormorecolors.
HandouttheDetectingBiasDefinitionandPlanSheetandfollowthesteps,havingthestudentsputthe
question,Ismypaperonsensiblebrownshoesbiasedinthecenterofthecircleandtheirunderlinedexamples
ofE.O.I.O.C.onthearrowlines.Ifonesideofthecirclesarrowsarefull,theycantellthattheyhaveabiased
pointofviewaboutsensiblebrownshoes.
Onthebackoftheiroriginalpaper,havestudentswriteananswertothefollowing:
WhydidthispieceofwritinghavesomanyBiasCluesinit?
DiscusswhypeopleuseE.O.I.O.C.whentheyhaveastrongopinionaboutanissue,andwhyitwouldbe
importanttobeabletodetectexamplesofbiasinotherpeopleswriting(i.e.,Newspapers,Textbooks,
advertisementsetc.).

DETECTINGBIAS
LovableLyle
READY
UnderstandVocabulary:
Exaggeration
Overgeneralization
Imbalance
Opinions
Facts
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Chargedwords
Discrimination
Prerequisitethinkingskills:
PointofView
SET
CopiesofGraphicOrganizers
CopiesofDetectingBiasDefinitionandPlanSheet
E.O.I.O.C.writtensothestudentscanseeitwitheachcorrespondingtoadifferentcolor(Seeexample)
Coloredpencilsormarkers
Copyofthebook,LovableLyle
GO
BeginReadingLovableLyle
PointoutallofLylesextraeffortsandhisreactiontogettingthenotes.
AfterLylegetsthethirdnote(Pg.20),stopandhavethestudentswriteaparagraphon,Howwouldthenote
writerdescribecrocodileswritefromthenotewriterspointofview.
Finishthestory.Attheend,askthestudentstowriteanotefromLylespointofviewdescribinghowdoes
Lylefeelaboutreceivingthesenotes,havingtotryextrahardjusttobeliked,havingnegativegraffitipainted
nearhishouse,andhavingtosavesomeoneslifejustsohecanbetreatedfairly.
Givethestudentstimetowritetheirresponses.
ReviewtheE.O.I.O.CwordstheylearnedearlierasthecluesfordetectingBias.
ShowthestudentstheE.O.I.O.C.withthecorrespondingcolorsandhavethemunderlineexamplesintheir
responseswiththecorrespondingcolors.Somephrasesmightbeunderlinedwith2ormorecolors.
HandouttheDetectingBiasDefinitionandPlanSheetandfollowthesteps,havingthestudentsputthe
question,IsthenotewriterbiasedinthecenterofthecircleandtheirunderlinedexamplesofE.O.I.O.C.on
thearrowlines.Ifonesideofthecirclesarrowsarefull,theycantellthattheyhaveabiasedpointofview
aboutsensiblebrownshoes.
Onthesecondgraphicorganizerhavethestudentswrite,IsLylebiasedagainstthenotewriteracrossthe
beamofthescale,andwritebiascluesforandagainstincorrespondingsidesofthescales.Attheendhave
themanswertheiropeningquestiononthebeamofthescaleatthebottomoftheirpaper,i.e.noLyleisnot
biasedagainstthenotewriter,heseemstoblamehimself,oryesLyleisbiasedagainstthenotewriter.
Onthebackoftheiroriginalpaper,havestudentswriteananswertothefollowing:
WhydoyouthinkthenotewriterwouldwriteadescriptionwithsomanyBiasCluesinit?
DiscusswhypeopleuseE.O.I.O.C.whentheyhaveastrongopinionaboutanissueorpersonandwhyitwould
beimportanttobeabletodetectexamplesofbiasinotherpeopleswriting(i.e..newspapers,textbooks,
advertisementsetc.)
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Optional:Discusstheelementsofdiscriminationinthestoryandwhatpartbiasplaysindiscrimination.

DetectingBias
FindingaOnesidedorSlantedPointofView

Strategy:
?

1. StatePurpose

2. Reviewdataforbiasclues:
Overgeneralizations
Emotionalism
Exaggeration
Imbalanceinpresentation

Stereotypes
Cameraangles
Backgroundmusic
Opinionsstatedasfacts

Searchforapatternintheclues
Generalizeandrecordbias
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GraphicOrganizer:

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DetectingBias

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