Lesson Plan 1
The Range of Human Behaviour: Perpetrators, Bystanders, Resisters and Rescuers
(1 lesson)
Overall Key Questions:
How do individuals respond to the needs and concerns of others during crises?
What are the factor that hinder or encourage rescue, resistance and activism?
Tree Imbizo discussion on the range of human behaviour:
In many African societies the tree has traditionally been a place under which the people of a village or community gather to take part in important discussions or imbizos. In the open space under the tree, all voices are heard and the discussion is transparent.
This activity is based around this concept. All the learners in the class are given a chance to speak. All learners are forced to listen to each other as each person might eventually be placed into the discussion circle.
Resource: Download common reading
Step One:
- Divide the class into groups of no more than six learners.
- Distribute the common reading to the class (“Do you take the oath?”) as well as one other extra reading to each group.
- Each group should ideally be given a different extra reading but this might not be possible if you have a large class. Each learner should ideally also have their own copies to read from.
- The groups read their reading in silence.
- As they are reading each group member needs to make a few notes answering the following question:
“What influences these particular people’s choice to be a resistor, perpetrator or a bystander?”
- Once the group have finished the reading, each group member needs to share and explain the notes that they made.
- One person should be assigned by the group to briefly summarise the extra reading that they were given.
Step 2
- Arrange a number of chairs as shown in the diagram below. There should be one chair for every group in the circle.
- The person from each group assigned to summarize the group’s reading sits in the chair. The other students then form a larger standing circle around the chairs.
Step 3
- Explain to the class that each learner will have an opportunity to be heard.
- Learners can only speak when they have entered the circle and are seated.
- In order to enter the discussion, learners standing outside of the circle need to tap the shoulder of their group member who is currently sitting in the chair. He\She will get up and the group member may then take his/her place.
Step 4
- Begin the discussion by instructing the learners in the circle to briefly talk about the common reading (“What was it about? What choices did the man make?”). They must not yet interpret or analyse the reading.
- Then instruct each representative to merely summarize the reading assigned to the group. It is important that no analysis or interpretation is allowed at this point. Just the facts!
- Each person in the inner circle may then comment on their particular reading or that of the other groups.
- The learners in the larger circle remain silent and should be listening. They may only comment if they are sitting in the chair.
- After a while you can pause the discussion to ask those in the circle to consider the question:
“What influences a person’s choice to be a resistor, perpetrator or a bystander?”
Note:
At certain points you as the teacher can “tap” people out of the discussion and move learners who have not said anything into the discussion.
Be sure to remind the learners that they are talking to those in the circle, not to you. The learners might have a tendency to look at you as they are discussing, especially once you have asked them the question above.
Don’t forget to Download the Resource
This activity has been adapted from the Town Hall Circle lesson by Michele Phillips, Senior Program Associate, Facing History and Ourselves. This and other lessons are available at www.facing.org
