READ THE FOLLOWING SCRIPT TO STUDENTS TWO TO THREE DAYS BEFORE THE EXERCISE

Bring five (5) items in a small paper bag that represent important aspects about you as a person. One item should be a certificate or award and another should illustrate your cultural roots or ethnic identity. Describe on a piece of paper no larger than 3" x 5" any of the five (5) items too large to put in the bag.

1. Divide students into teams of two members.

2. Distribute one page of lined writing paper to each student.

3. Have each student print his/her full name on the paper and exchange it with his/her partner.

4. Tell the students to exchange their bags and they have five minutes to examine the contents.

5. Ask each student to write on the lined paper a five-paragraph description of the other student’s identity based on the bag's contents. (10-12 minutes)

6. The students exchange and read each other’s descriptions. (5 minutes)

7. The students take alternating turns to explain how/why each object represents his/her identity. (10-12 minutes)

8. Conduct a class discussion about the exercise, focusing on how initial perceptions contribute to cultural misunderstanding and prejudice. (10-15 minutes)

 

Dr. John Caruso, Jr. is a Professor of Education and Director of the Center for Professional Development at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, CT.

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Recommended Citation in the APA style:

Caruso, J. (1999). My Life In A Bag. Electronic Magazine of Multicultural Education [online], 1(4), 2 paragraphs. <Available: http://www.eastern.edu/publications/emme/1999fall/caruso.html> [your access year, month date]