Lesson Planet
Search educational resources
  • Sign In Try It Free
  • AI Teacher Tools
    • Discover Resources Search reviewed educational resources by keyword, subject, grade, type, and more
    • Curriculum Manager (My Content) Manage saved and uploaded resources and folders To Access the Curriculum Manager Sign In or Join Now
    • Browse Resource Directory Browse educational resources by subject and topic
    • Curriculum Calendar Explore curriculum resources by date
    • Lesson Planning Articles Timely and inspiring teaching ideas that you can apply in your classroom
    • Our Story
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Testimonials
    • Contact Us
  • Pricing
  • School Access
    • Your school or district can sign up for Lesson Planet — with no cost to teachers
      Learn More
  • Sign In
  • Try It Free

Hi, what do you want to do?

Create a lesson plan
Create a lesson plan
Generate resources with 80+ AI teacher tools
Generate resources with 80+ AI teacher tools
Search 200,000 instructional videos
Search 200,000 instructional videos
Find a teaching resource
Find a teaching resource
When Differences Matter Lesson PlanWhen Differences Matter Lesson Plan
Publisher
Facing History and Ourselves
Resource Details
Curator Rating
Educator Rating
Not yet Rated
Grade
6th - 12th
Subjects
Social Studies & History
7 more...
Resource Type
Lesson Plans
Audience
For Teacher Use
Duration
1 hr
Instructional Strategies
Collaborative Learning
2 more...
Technology
Video
Presentation
Internet Access
Usage Permissions
Fine Print: Educational Use
Lesson Plan

When Differences Matter

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet
This When Differences Matter lesson plan also includes:
  • Standing Up for Democracy Unit
  • Get Prepared to Teach This Scheme of Work in Your Classroom
  • When Differences Matter PowerPoint (.pptx)
  • A Class Divided
  • A Class Divided Viewing Guide
  • Text-to-Text, Text-to-Self, Text-to-World Handout
  • Activity
  • Join to access all included materials

Jane Elliott's controversial blue eyes/brown eyes experiment detailed in the film A Class Divided leads to a discussion of privilege, social power, and opportunity. Viewers note how the children react to the experiment, share their observations, and then make connections to how aspects of identity give some people more power and privileges than others.

11 Views 1 Download

Concepts

similarities and differences, injustice, discrimination, social-emotional learning, racism, stereotypes

Additional Tags

social studies

Instructional Ideas

  • Review class expectations for safe, respectful discussions of offensive langue and sensitive issues
  • Preview the PowerPoint for information about concepts and teaching notes

Classroom Considerations

  • Seventh in a unit of 15 lessons
  • Access to the lesson presentation requires a free account

Pros

  • The carefully scaffolded lesson asks learners to not only make personal connections to the film but to also observe how valuing one aspect of identity influences social power and opportunity

Cons

  • None

See similar resources:

Lesson Plan

Social Class and Fitting In

Nebraska Department of Education
Social classes may be explicitly defined as in a caste system or based more informally on such ideas as wealth or education. After reading and discussing an article about one woman's experience with trying to fit into a system different...
8th Social & Emotional Learning
Worksheet

What to Expect on Valentines Day: A Social Story

Curated OER
Valentine's Day is fun and exciting for most members of your class, but for learners on the autism spectrum, it can be disorienting. A social story demonstrates what one can expect on Valentine's Day. It explains what...
1st - 6th Health
Lesson Plan

Social Class Stereotypes

Curated OER
Encourage your students to think about how and why people and categorized in terms of social class. They decide what "class" they belong to, and then brainstorm about the indicators that society uses to define class and to categorize...
K - 6th Social Studies & History
Lesson Plan

Social Media and Ferguson

Facing History and Ourselves
How can social media help or hinder civil dialogue? How can information shared on social media be verified? As the investigation of media reports of the events surrounding the shooting of Michael Brown continues, class members read...
9th - 12th Social Studies & History
Instructional Video

How to Understand Power

TED-Ed
Where does power come from, and why does it matter? This video will spark engaged thought and conversation amongst your class as it discusses the origins of power, how it's exercised, and what young learners can do to...
7 mins 7th - 12th Social Studies & History
CCSS: Adaptable
Activity

Film Festival

Teaching Tolerance
Everybody's a critic—even your pupils! Using the included resources as a guide, screen films related to social justice and ask film enthusiasts to critique them. Publish the reviews for your school community or develop a film festival...
6th - 12th Social Studies & History
CCSS: Adaptable
Lesson Plan

“He Named Me Malala”: Understanding Student Activism Through Film

PBS
Malala Yousafzai has become the face of social activism. After watching He Named Me Malala and short student-made films about what young people can do to become instruments of change, class members reflect on what it means to be an...
7th - 12th Social Studies & History
CCSS: Designed
Lesson Plan

Women in Early Film Lesson Plan

NPR
The role of women in the early film industry, both on screen and behind the scenes, is the focus of a resource that asks class members to analyze movie posters and DVD covers from the 1910s and 1920s. Using examples drawn from the...
9th - 12th Social Studies & History
CCSS: Adaptable
Lesson Plan

Social Security: 5 Day Lesson

Historical Thinking Matters
Did the New Deal fundamentally shift the role of the American government in the economy? Your class members will examine the interpretations of various historians in answering this question, and use a variety of primary and secondary...
7th - 12th Social Studies & History
CCSS: Adaptable
Lesson Plan

Fishbowl Discussion

Facing History and Ourselves
Filter young teenagers' opinions and perspectives with a classic fishbowl discussion. Given any topic relevant to your curriculum, a group of class members engage in discussion for their peers to observe.
7th - 12th English Language Arts
CCSS: Adaptable
Try It Free
© 1999-2026 Learning Explorer, Inc.
Teacher Lesson Plans, Worksheets and Resources

Sign up for the Lesson Planet Monthly Newsletter

Open Educational Resources (OER)

  • Health
  • Language Arts
  • Languages
  • Math
  • Physical Education
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • Special Education
  • Visual and Performing Arts
View All Lesson Plans

Discover Resources

  • Our Review Process
  • How it Works
  • How to Search
  • Create a Collection

Manage Curriculum

  • Edit a Collection
  • Assign to Students
  • Manage My Content
Contact Us Site Map Privacy Policy Terms of Use