Unfortunately, encounters like the one in this issue’s “Story Corner” happen often; in a split second, we must decide whether to confront a hateful or biased statement and what to say. Below is a list of authentic situations that students could face in school. Some are excerpted from Speak Up, a Teaching Tolerance publication that features true stories from across the country. Giving students an opportunity to discuss and role-play these situations will help prepare them to speak up when they come face-to-face with hate and bias in their own lives.
Scenario 1
Five male friends are having lunch together in the cafeteria. One friend admits to being nervous about his idea for asking a girl to the homecoming dance. He wants to write a song and play it for her over the school’s audio system. One of his friends begins to laugh. He exclaims, “That is the gayest idea I have ever heard.”
Scenario 2
Candace is overweight. During physical education class, the teacher begins a new unit on soccer. As the students select positions, one student suggests that Candace be the goalie. “That way,” he says, “there will be less space for the ball to go into the net.” Everyone laughs. The teacher says nothing.
Scenario 3
Troy is a wide receiver on the school’s football team. During a practice, Troy cannot seem to catch the ball and the coaches become frustrated. After his sixth drop, the wide receivers coach yells, “Are you retarded?”
Scenario 4
Kim is a sixth-grade student from Vietnam. She has lived in the United States for 10 months and is just learning English. During English class, she asks the teacher to explain the “workhome.” Everyone laughs. One student tells Kim to “speak English or move back to Vietnam.”
Review this list of response questions and share the graphic organizer with students to help them practice “speaking up.”
- How do you feel about what is happening in this scenario?
- How do you think the main character in the scenario feels?
- Why do you think the person using hateful or biased language is doing so?
- What could you do to help change the situation?
- What do you think you would do if you were witnessing this scenario?
In the chart below, plan how you would use the four steps of “Speak Up” in one of the scenarios:
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Speak Up Step |
Summary of Step |
How You Can Implement It |
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Interrupt |
Stop what you are doing and interrupt the situation. |
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Question |
Ask the person why they said what they did. Phrases like, “Tell me what you mean by that” are better than aggressive questions. |
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Educate |
Explain why the word, phrase or language is offensive. |
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Echo |
Echo those who also speak out against hateful or biased behaviors. |
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