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Seventh & Eighth Grade
LESSON
Three
Why and How Do We Connect?
60 min
This lesson is currently under review with Nest Educational Advisors. Please check back later for updates.
This lesson explores how our social identities shape the way we perceive and interact with others. Students engage in an activity where they read different versions of a story about a boy named James, prompting them to reflect on how group membership influences their judgments. Through classroom discussions, they examine concepts like in-group favoritism, bias, and stereotypes. The lesson highlights the dangers of out-group bias and introduces the concept of cross-cutting identities to bridge divides between different groups.
Materials
Handouts
quicklinks
how to prepare for this lesson
At the start of class, teachers should have the following prepared:
- A plan to split class into pairs
- Copies of one version of the stories on 7.3-1 James' Story handout for each student (do not give both versions to each student, split them up)
- Copies of 7.3-2 Student Interview Questions handout for each student
- Student journals ready to be distributed
Additional Resources
Sources
- This lesson was adapted in part from 36 Questions to Help Kids Make Friends by the Greater Good Science Center, Berkeley.
- Baumeister, R.F., & Leary, M.R. (1995). The need to belong.
- Tajfel, H., & Turner, J.C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict.
- Noba Project. (n.d.). The psychology of groups.
- Gaertner, S.L., & Dovidio, J.F. (2000). Reducing intergroup bias.