Lesson Plan Title : Is That Fair?

Age Range: Kindergarten through Grade 2 (Primary)

Overview and Purpose: Students understand the concept of fair and unfair. In this activity, they extend that understanding to realize that people of different skin color have been treated unfairly throughout American history.

Objective: The student will be able to understand the idea that some people were treated differently in early America because of their skin color.

Resources:

None needed

Activities:

Talk with students about why they think it is important for things to be fair. Ask them how they feel when they have been treated unfairly. Encourage them to give you examples of when they thought they were or someone they knew was treated unfairly. Explain that there was a time in American history when people were treated unfairly just because of the color of their skin.

Tell them that you're going to give them some examples of ways that people were treated fairly and unfairly. If the example is unfair, then the students should stand up next to their seats. If it is fair, the students should stay seated. As you go through each example, discuss if it is still unfair today and why or why not.

Wrap Up:

For homework, have the students draw two pictures. They should be an example of someone being treated unfairly and fairly.