Pyramid of Hate

Above the title “Have You Ever”… Write a quick write reflecting on a time when you felt you were not accepted

Have You Ever? Take the next few minutes to read through the “Have You Ever” questionnaire. At first, please respond to these questions with a simple “Yes” or “No”. BE HONEST- this paper is for YOUR EYES ONLY After you have answered each question, read through them once again and summarize any specific incidents or stories that come to mind related to each question/topic. (ONLY DO THIS IF YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE & HAVE A RELEVANT STORY TO REFLECT UPON)

The Floor is YOURS As I click through the following slides our goal as a class is to engage in an open and mature class discussion Some of these discussion prompts relate to sensitive topics, please remain respectful of your classmates as we discuss them 

Why do you think people tell ethnic jokes about other groups, insult others, or exclude them socially? A possible response might be “Because ‘others’ are different

Why would these differences cause a person to “put down” someone else? (Possible responses might be: it makes them feel superior or more important or they are afraid of the “other”, failure to understand another’s culture

Where do people learn to disrespect people who seem different? (Responses may include home, school, friends, or the media — newspapers, television, movies, music

Can you give examples of a prejudice you have learned through the media?

Imagine the following… STORY TIME Imagine the following…

In one school, a group of four boys began whispering and laughing about another boy in their school that they thought was gay. They began making comments when they walked by him in the hall.

Soon, they started calling the boy insulting anti-gay slurs Soon, they started calling the boy insulting anti-gay slurs. By the end of the month, they had taken their harassment to another level, tripping him when he walked by and pushing him into a locker while they yelled slurs.

Some time during the next month, they increased the seriousness of their conduct — they surrounded him and two boys held his arms while the others hit and kicked him. Eventually, one of the boys threatened to bring his father’s gun into school the next day to kill the boy. At this point another student overheard the threat and the police were notified.

Connections Do you believe something similar to this story COULD happen at Perry?

Connections How could a situation like this effect our entire school? What could have been done to stop the situation from escalating?

Connections The story we just read displays a situation that started out as just “laughing and whispering”, and then escalated quickly to a much more violent situation. This type of progression can be better understood by taking a look at the “Pyramid of Hate”

The Pyramid of Hate Turn over your “Have You Ever” worksheet and read through the “Pyramid of Hate”. Label each level of the Pyramid with a number 1-5 (1 is the bottom level of the pyramid) Read through each level and observe the progression from “Prejudiced Attitudes” to “Genocide”. On the margins of the handout label each level with 1 to 2 examples that you believe exemplify each level.

Based Upon the Case Study We Read… Where would you categorize “whispering and laughing”?’ Why do you think that something which, at first, seemed harmless, progressed into violence? Level 1 (Answers might include: nobody stopped it, the perpetrators gained confidence 1 Description of school incident adapted from “Sticks and Stones” by Stephen L. Wessler. Educational Leadership, December 2000/January 2001 (p.28). Used with permission. 19 that they could continue without interference or consequences, the victim did not seek help, etc.)

Walking in Someone Else’s Shoes… Even if it seemed harmless to the perpetrators and bystanders, do you think it felt harmless to the victim? How do you think he felt?

Solutions At what level of the pyramid do you think it would be easiest for someone to intervene? What would be some possible ways to intervene?

What is the result of an intolerant society? Closure Activity Considering everything we have discussed today, please respond to the following writing prompt in your composition book relating it back to the focus of today’s lesson. What is the result of an intolerant society?