Chapter 9: Deconstructing Stereotypes in Classroom: A Unit Plan

This unit plan was designed to approach Brazilian stereotypes and compare them to those associated with other nations’ traditions and behaviors. The series of lessons focus on strategies to engage learners in reflecting upon how they view themselves and how others view them, encouraging teamwork and collaboration in the process. Students are expected to use the four language skills throughout the process in order to compose a list describing the different forms of cultural stereotypes and how these affect individuals. Teachers are going to assess students as they participate in the given tasks, which were divided into four parts to focus on different abilities at a time. Every lesson takes into consideration students’ own cultural backgrounds and English proficiency levels. Moreover, each activity carefully considers and implements the six Cs of support (de Oliveira, 2016), which provide students with the needed scaffolding to enable them to get a deeper understanding of self and others, and to deconstruct stereotypical notions of various cultures and identities.