The Danger of a Single Story

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. How do stereotypes influence our understanding of and interactions with other people? Is it possible to hold a stereotype about someone and appreciate them as an individual at the same time?

Teaching Suggestion: Consider organizing students into small groups to discuss the question. Direct students to brainstorm groups of people who are often stereotyped. You may choose to provide ideas, such as teenagers, retired people, genders, socioeconomic status, etc. Prompt students to consider what each group is stereotyped for and how those stereotypes influence our impressions and understanding of people.

• “How Stereotypes Affect Us and What We Can Do” is an 8-minute video narrated by social psychologist Claude Steele and posted by Facing History & Ourselves. It includes examples of how stereotypes affect student test performance.
• “How Students Experience and Cope With Racist Stereotypes,” posted by PBS Newshour, includes personal interviews with students discussing the impact of stereotypes on their own lives.

2. How should we respond when witnessing acts of stereotyping, bias, or prejudice? What can make it difficult to respond in the way we believe is right?