DECISION MAKER MOVES: Thinking beyond the pros & cons list
Main Lesson Flow:
- The lesson begins with students creating a mind map of their thoughts and experiences with bias.
- The main task requires students to read and take notes of the definition of several types of bias, then generate their own example of this type of bias ‘at work’.
- Finally, the class will review the definitions and students can share their examples.
Introduction:
Think-pair-share: What is bias? Can they give examples? Stop and Jot: invite them to write their ideas on board or chart paper for future reference.
Main Event
- Mind-Map: Students write “bias” in the middle of a blank piece of paper. Then they write the following definitions in the centre: “a favouring of some ideas or people over others; a personal and often unreasoned judgment” (Merriam Webster, 2020). Then, they web their ideas about what these definitions mean to them – adding thoughts from discussion and think-pair-share.
- After some discussion & work on their webs, invite students to do a gallery walk to view other students’ work. What similarities do they notice? What ideas are different? What experiences do their classmates have with bias?
- Students will move around the class ‘collecting’ the definitions of different types of bias. Using the “types of bias note sheet”, students will record the definition of each type of bias and view an example of the bias ‘in action’.
- Once students have found the definitions of all the types of bias, they should create their own example of each type. This could be done individually or with a partner/table group.
Closure
As a whole class, review the definitions and invite a few students to share their examples.
