Home | How It Works | Stats Login | Register         Case: Lost Atmosphere When I engaged my 10th graders in discussions about racism and discrimination in society, I was really happy to see the heated debates. Although I did not like the fact that Black students were defending the "Black side" of the issues and the White students were defending the "White side" of the issues, I thought exchanging ideas and perspectives was a move in the right direction. My purpose was to promote a critical view on social issues in my students. What I did not expect was that days and weeks following this lesson, my Black and White students refused to work together. I could not have them cooperate in group assignments. If I let the students choose their own groups, Black students chose Blacks and White students chose Whites. Working together had never been an issue among my students prior to the lesson on racism and discrimination. I do not know how to bring back what was lost because of this lesson. Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!) I would suggest taking an extra day with this assignment and showing the movie "Class of the Titans" and allowing students to eat peanuts or popcorn while watching this movie. The message of the movie is tolerance and overcoming racial bias and would encourage the perspective needed for this assignment.