Preparation:
Print a worksheet for each pupil

This activity introduces pupils to the concepts of stereotyping and discrimination and that even young people are affected by these attitudes and behaviours. This can be presented through a class discussion or individual pupils completing the downloadable worksheet.

Write on board:
ONLY 2 SCHOOL PUPILS IN THIS SHOP AT ANY TIME

> Have you seen a sign like this?
> How does it make you feel?
> Why, do you think, did the shop keeper do it?
> Is it fair?

What labels/stereotypes do you think the shop keeper has about pupils?

The shop keeper can’t know every pupil but has decided, due to his experience with a small number of pupils, that he will treat them all the same way. We all use stereotypes to help us make sense of new situations. Stereotypes can lead to discrimination, where individuals or groups are treated differently.

> Can you think of ways young people may
   be discriminated?
> What is useful about stereotypes?
> What is the problem with stereotypes?
> Can you think of a time when you may have judged someone
   else using stereotypes, rather than what you know about
   that person?
> What more positive stereotypes about young people would
   you like to see?