1. Bias & Stereotype

2. Bias A strong opinion or feeling formed beforehand based on how you were raised or sometimes without thought or reason. Example: Everyone knows that blonde hair is the best!

3. Example: When the symphony used to pick musicians they mainly chose males over females. Now to make sure they are not biased, they do not look at the performers they only listen to the music. The ratio of males to females is more balanced now due to this change.

4. Which of the following is biased? a.The referee called a flag on the play. b.The Titans won the game on Sunday. c.The crowd booed when the referee called a flag on the play against the Titans. d.The other team only scored one touchdown.

5. I have to buy ice cream for the party. My favorite type of ice cream is chocolate. Even though its my mom’s birthday and I know she likes strawberry ice cream, I think I will buy chocolate anyway. How is this an example of bias?

6. Our new science textbook will be terrific. I have used other books by this author and really liked them. Another teacher at our school says that this book is really good too. Is this biased? If so how?

7. Which of the following is a biased statement? a.Mrs. Cooper thinks that teachers work really hard all day every day! b.Teachers do work. c.Students sometimes have homework. d.Students do not have to come to school to do work on the weekend.

8. Stereotype When people are categorized based on some feature that they have. Most commonly race, gender, or religion.

9. Which of the following is an example of a stereotype? a. Men are tough and strong- they fix things and carry things and buy things, and they never cry. b. Children are sweet and helpless. c. Women are nurturing-they cook and take care of kids and love pets and never argue. d. All of the above

10. Which of the options below is an example of a stereotype? a.Studies show that women are less often hired than men when interviewed for jobs. b.Jack has the opinion that women are sensitive people. c.Robert dislikes women. d.Peter feels that Michelle is behaving like a little child.

11. You are at a party where most people are dressed up and dancing. You get the impression that it is mainly the people who are not dressed up who are sitting aside. You conclude that most people who do not dress up for a party will sit aside, when objectively this is not the case. How is this an example of a stereotype?

12. Which of the following statements is stereotyping a group of people? a.I recently spent several weeks visiting different schools in our district. b.Programs that encourage creativity and teamwork are essential. c.Kids waste time sitting in front of the television or playing video games. d.For the good of society, we must nurture their talents.