Equality and Diversity - Building a Culture of ... - Equality Authority

Lessons 9
We are More than a
Single Story
Learning Intentions
Students will:
Explore the concept of
the ‘single story’ we hold
about others
Look at the effects single
stories or stereotypes have
Resources
The video clips from
Chimanmanda Adichie's talk.
This is can be downloaded
from http://www.ted.com/
speakers/chimamanda_ngozi_
adichie.html
Copies of the transcript on
page 40.
“Show a people as
one thing — as only
one thing — over and
over again, and that
is what they become.”
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Homework: Ask
them to complete
the worksheet
on Perceptions,
Stereotypes and
Prejudice on page 41.
This lesson is based on the concept of stereotypes as the
‘single story’ that people hold about others, as described by
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, author of the best selling novels,
Purple Hibiscus and Half of a Yellow Sun.
Activity
Introduce the Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and the concept
she uses of the single story. Tell the students that you are
going to show two clips from the video and that each time
you stop it, they will have an opportunity to write down their
immediate reactions to the clip.
Clips
Clip 1 The single story of Fide as ‘poor’
– from 2.58 to 4.12 minutes on the video
Clip 2 The single story of Chimamanda as a poor African
– from 4.13 to 5.20 minutes on the video
When they have heard and recorded their reactions to both
clips, divide them into six groups. Give three of the groups the
transcript of Clip 1 on Fide, and the other three the transcript
of Clip 2 on Chimamanda. Tell them their task is now to devise
a way of representing the effects of the single story on both
Fide and Chimamanda and also on the people holding the
single story about them, through drama or art. The idea is that
they will use a representation that communicates the feelings
of the people involved and do so without using words.
Examples of how they might do this include:
Create a drawing, illustration or symbol
Create a Freeze Frame
Create a mime to retell the story
Give them about 10 minutes to create their representation
and then ask them to demonstrate it to the rest of the class.
Conclude the lesson with a class discussion on the effects of
the single story and the reasons why people continue to hold
a single story about others.
SECTION 2 EXPLORING PERCEPTIONS & STEREOTYPING 39