Brown eyes and blue eyes Racism experiment Children Session - Jane Elliott

Summary

This script explores the theme of discrimination through a powerful classroom exercise. Students are divided by eye color, with blue-eyed children initially favored, then roles reversed to highlight the unfairness and emotional impact of prejudice. The exercise aims to teach empathy and understanding, showing that discrimination based on superficial differences is unjust and hurtful. It serves as a stark reminder of the importance of treating all individuals with respect and kindness, regardless of race or appearance.

Takeaways

• 🌟 The script discusses National Brotherhood Week, emphasizing the importance of treating everyone with kindness and equality, as if they were one's own brother.
• 👥 It highlights the issue of discrimination, particularly against people of different ethnicities, such as Native Americans, and the negative labels and stereotypes associated with them.
• 🔍 The narrative includes an exercise where the teacher divides the class by eye color, treating blue-eyed students as superior to brown-eyed students, to demonstrate the effects of discrimination.
• 👁 The blue-eyed students are given privileges and the brown-eyed students are subjected to unfair treatment, illustrating how quickly discrimination can take hold and affect behavior.
• 👦👧 The students' reactions to the discrimination show a range of emotions, from confusion and sadness to anger and resistance, reflecting the real-life impact of such treatment.
• 📚 The teacher uses the exercise to teach a lesson about the unfairness and harm of discrimination, showing that it is not based on any inherent differences but on superficial traits.
• 📉 The script shows a decline in the performance of the brown-eyed students when they are treated as inferior, suggesting that discrimination can negatively affect self-esteem and capability.
• 📈 Conversely, when the roles are reversed and brown-eyed students are treated as superior, their performance improves, indicating the power of positive reinforcement and belief.
• 🤔 The exercise prompts reflection among the students about the arbitrary nature of the discrimination and the absurdity of judging people based on superficial traits.
• 💔 The script ends with a powerful message about the emotional and psychological toll of discrimination, and the importance of treating everyone with respect and dignity.
• 🌈 The final takeaway is a call to action for the students to carry the lessons of the exercise beyond the classroom, to challenge discrimination and promote equality in all aspects of life.

Q & A

What is the theme of the week being discussed in the script?

The theme of the week is National Brotherhood Week, which emphasizes treating everyone with kindness and as if they were your brother.

What is the initial lesson the teacher tries to impart to the students about treating others?

The teacher initially tries to impart the lesson of treating everyone equally and with kindness, regardless of their race or ethnicity.

What does the teacher do to demonstrate discrimination based on eye color?

The teacher creates a scenario where blue-eyed students are treated as superior and brown-eyed students are subjected to various forms of discrimination, such as not being allowed to use the drinking fountain or play with the blue-eyed students.

How does the teacher's treatment of the students change from one day to the next?

The teacher reverses the roles, making brown-eyed students superior and blue-eyed students the subject of discrimination, to show the arbitrary nature of such treatment.

What is the purpose of the collars worn by the brown-eyed students?

The collars are worn to easily identify the eye color of the students from a distance, serving as a visual marker for the discrimination exercise.

What emotional impact does the discrimination exercise have on the students?

The exercise has a profound emotional impact, causing feelings of inferiority, sadness, and even leading to conflicts among the students.

What does the teacher reveal about the initial claims about the superiority of blue-eyed people?

The teacher reveals that the initial claims were a lie, emphasizing that the discrimination was based on a false premise.

How does the teacher conclude the discrimination exercise?

The teacher concludes by removing the collars and discussing the unfairness and harm of discrimination, emphasizing that one's worth is not determined by the color of their eyes or skin.

What is the teacher's final message to the students about judging people?

The teacher's final message is that one should not judge people based on the color of their eyes or skin, but rather on their character and actions.

What is the broader lesson the teacher aims to teach through this exercise?

The broader lesson is to understand and combat discrimination, showing students the negative effects of treating people differently based on superficial characteristics.

How does the teacher use the exercise to address the issue of racial discrimination?

The teacher uses the eye color discrimination as a metaphor for racial discrimination, helping students to empathize with those who face prejudice and understand the importance of treating everyone equally.