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Unpacking Bias

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Lesson Plan

Bias Awareness Self-Study

Students will be able to define unconscious bias, identify examples of it in everyday life, reflect on their own potential biases, and develop strategies to mitigate bias for more equitable interactions.

Understanding unconscious bias is crucial for personal growth and becoming a responsible, inclusive citizen. It helps students navigate diverse environments and interact more respectfully with others.

Audience

10th Grade Student

Time

80 minutes

Approach

Self-guided study, reflection, and action planning.

Materials

Understanding Our Hidden Lenses (slide-deck), The Psychology of Unconscious Bias (reading), My Bias Reflection Prompts (worksheet), and Action Plan for Inclusive Behavior (project)

Prep

Review Materials

15 minutes

Step 1

Introduction to Unpacking Bias (10 minutes)

10 minutes

The student will begin by reviewing the Understanding Our Hidden Lenses slide-deck to get an overview of unconscious bias. The teacher will briefly introduce the concept and the purpose of the self-study.

Step 2

Deep Dive: The Psychology of Unconscious Bias (20 minutes)

20 minutes

The student will read The Psychology of Unconscious Bias. Encourage them to highlight key definitions and examples. The teacher can check in with the student after this section to answer any questions.

Step 3

Personal Reflection: My Bias Reflection Prompts (25 minutes)

25 minutes

The student will complete the My Bias Reflection Prompts worksheet. This is a crucial step for self-awareness. The teacher should emphasize honest self-reflection and create a safe space for discussion if the student chooses to share.

Step 4

Developing an Action Plan (20 minutes)

20 minutes

The student will begin working on their Action Plan for Inclusive Behavior project. This involves outlining concrete steps to address identified biases and promote inclusive behavior. The teacher can provide guidance and resources for creating a practical plan.

Step 5

Wrap-up and Next Steps (5 minutes)

5 minutes

Conclude with a brief discussion on the importance of ongoing self-awareness and continuous effort in mitigating bias. Remind the student that this is a journey, not a destination. Set a follow-up date to review the Action Plan for Inclusive Behavior.

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Slide Deck

Unpacking Bias: Understanding Our Hidden Lenses

What are our 'hidden lenses'?

  • They are unconscious biases we all hold.
  • They shape how we see the world and others.
  • Learning about them helps us interact more fairly and kindly.

Today's Goal:

  • Define unconscious bias.
  • Identify common types.
  • Start your journey of self-awareness.

Welcome the student and introduce the topic of unconscious bias. Explain that everyone has biases and the goal is to become aware of them, not to eliminate them entirely. Emphasize that this is a safe space for learning and self-reflection.

What is Unconscious Bias?

Automatic Judgments:

  • Our brains take shortcuts.
  • They make quick decisions without us even knowing.

Hidden Influences:

  • Where do these shortcuts come from?
    • Our experiences
    • Our culture
    • Things we learn from others

Not Always Bad, But Can Be Harmful:

  • These biases aren't always negative.
  • But they can lead to unfairness or misunderstandings if we're not careful.

Explain that unconscious biases are automatic, quick judgments our brains make. They are often rooted in our experiences, culture, and upbringing. Give a simple example, like assuming someone's job based on their appearance.

Common 'Hidden Lenses' (Types of Bias)

Confirmation Bias:

  • Seeing what we expect to see.
  • Searching for information that proves us right.

Affinity Bias:

  • Liking people who are like us.
  • Gravitating towards those with similar backgrounds or interests.

Halo/Horn Effect:

  • One good (or bad) trait influences our whole view of someone.
  • Halo: "They're so friendly, so they must be smart!"
  • Horn: "They're quiet, so they must be unfriendly!"

Introduce a few common types of bias. Briefly explain each one with a simple example. Keep it high-level, as the reading will go into more depth.

Why Does This Matter?

For Fairer Interactions:

  • Helps us treat everyone equally.
  • Reduces misunderstandings.

For Better Decisions:

  • Allows us to see situations more clearly.
  • Avoids jumping to conclusions.

For Personal Growth:

  • Makes us more aware of ourselves.
  • Helps us grow into more understanding individuals.

Explain why it's important to understand these biases. Connect it to real-life situations and the student's personal growth and interactions.

Your Journey Starts Now!

Next Steps:

  1. Read: Dive into The Psychology of Unconscious Bias.
  2. Reflect: Complete the My Bias Reflection Prompts worksheet.
  3. Plan: Develop your Action Plan for Inclusive Behavior.

Remember:

  • This is a process, not a one-time fix.
  • Self-awareness is the first step towards positive change!

Outline the next steps for the student: reading, reflection, and action planning. Encourage them to engage fully with the materials.

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Reading

The Psychology of Unconscious Bias

Have you ever wondered why we sometimes make quick judgments about people without really knowing them? Or why we might feel more comfortable around people who are similar to us? These are often signs of unconscious bias at work.

What Exactly is Unconscious Bias?

Unconscious biases, also known as implicit biases, are attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner. This means we might not even be aware we have them. They are different from conscious biases, which are overt prejudices we know we hold.

Our brains are amazing at processing information quickly. To deal with the vast amount of data we encounter every day, our brains create mental shortcuts, or

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