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Lesson Plan

When You are the Target: How to Respond to and Challenge Bias

Three girls in the background talking amongst themselves and laughing at girl sitting by herself against the locker.

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GRADE LEVEL: Middle School, High School

COMMON CORE STANDARDS: Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening, Language

SEL STANDARDS*: Self Awareness, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, Responsible Decision-Making

Facing Bias as a Target

In schools and classrooms across the country, many young people face bias and discrimination in everyday life. The bias can come from other students, teachers, school staff or the school policies—or lack of inclusive, equitable school policies. Bias can take the form of slurs, hate symbols, name-calling, bullying, disrespect, exclusion, other forms of discrimination and more. Students have to contend with this bias and then decide if they want to do anything about it and if so, what to do. In addition to encouraging other students to act as allies for each other, it is important that students learn skills to respond to and challenge the bias they face. 

About the Lesson Plan

This lesson provides an opportunity for students to explore bias situations in school and learn strategies for responding to and challenging bias, in particular when they are the target.    

Learning Objectives:

  • Students will reflect on their own and others’ experiences with facing bias in school. 

  • Students will consider ways to respond to bias when they are the target. 

  • Students will explore school scenarios involving bias and possible ways to respond to and challenge bias.   

*Based on CASEL's SEL Framework