Stepping into Inequality: An Activity to Prepare Students for Understanding an Unequal Education System

Abstract

Motivated by experiential learning strategies and critical self-reflection, this activity to introduce students to educational inequality and the effects of race, class, and gender within the education system. Doing the "Educational Steps" activity enables students to not only critically reflect on their own educational experiences, but to also...

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Details

Subject Area(s):

Education

Resource Type(s):

Class Activity

Class Level(s):

College 100

Class Size(s):

Any

Usage Notes

To introduce students to the idea of how larger inequalities intersect in education, we ask students to draw on their own experiences in school. Students start by standing next to each other in a line in the middle of the space. They must have room to step forward and backwards. Then, as the directions on Table 1 are read, they begin to spread apart, by...

Learning Goals and Assessments

Learning Goal(s):

1. Goal #1: Help students think critically about their own experiences in K-12 education
2. Goal #2: Create a basic understanding of how race, class, and gender affect the American education system.

Goal Assessment(s):

1. Assessment #1: For each statement that is read by the instructor, students take physical steps to show their reflection on their experiences.
2. Assessment #2: Students engage in a discussion on the different topics that were introduced in the activity while they are standing in a spot that reflect their own educational experience.