What are the effects of discrimination on individuals and groups in society?
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain what discrimination is and describe some of the effects of it upon individuals and groups in society.
Key learning points
- When people develop negative feelings based on their stereotypes, this is called prejudice.
- When people treat others less favourably because of their prejudices, this is discrimination.
- Discrimination can have lasting and painful effects, harming a person’s wellbeing and opportunities.
- These difficult experiences can also lead to greater awareness and positive change, leading to fairer policies.
Keywords
Stereotype - a simplified view of a group of people; stereotypes can be positive or negative
Prejudice - when a person develops negative attitudes or feelings about a person or group before getting to know them, often based on stereotypes they hold
Discrimination - treating people unfairly or differently because of things like their race, gender or where they come from, instead of treating everyone equally
Common misconception
Discrimination only affects someone in the moment it happens.
The effects can be long-lasting and deeply personal. Discrimination can lead to emotional distress, loss of confidence and reduced life opportunities. Even if an incident seems small to others, it can be big to the person being discriminated against.
Teacher tip
Remind pupils that although discrimination is serious, they can be part of the solution, whether by speaking up, being kind or learning more. Show examples of people or movements creating positive change to further emphasise this.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of peer pressure or bullying
Depiction or discussion of peer pressure or bullying
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the term to the verbs associated with it.
believe and feel
do and say
assume and generalise
Q2.When a person is treated less favourably than another because of their protected characteristic, this is discrimination.
Q3.Which of these is a misconception about equality?
Q4.Reorder the words to create a sentence explaining what else might happen if a person is discriminated against.
Q5.Match the type of discrimination to the word which describes it.
against a person because of their race or ethnicity
against a person because of their sex
against a person because of their sexuality
against a person because of their age
Q6.Fill the gap with the missing quality: When individuals share their experiences of discrimination, it can raise awareness, inspire change and empower others to stand up for and equality.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the word to its correct definition.
treating someone unfairly or differently because of their identity
a simplified belief about a group of people that may not be true
judging someone negatively without knowing them, based on a stereotype
treating people fairly and giving everyone the same chance
Q2.Place the following in the correct order of how discrimination can happen.
Q3.When a policy seems neutral but ends up disadvantaging a particular group, this is known as discrimination.
Q4.Which of these is a misconception about discrimination?
Q5.Match the situation to the possible effect of discrimination.
stops attending revision class after being mocked for their accent
won't apply for college because it's not fully accessible
no longer tells teachers after racial abuse was ignored
Q6.What could be a positive outcome of someone speaking out about discrimination?
To help you plan your 9 citizenship lesson on: What are the effects of discrimination on individuals and groups in society?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 9 citizenship lesson on: What are the effects of discrimination on individuals and groups in society?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 citizenship lessons from the Are people treated equally in UK society? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.