Download Ohio`s Learning Standards The Human RACE: One Species, Many

TheHumanRACE:
OneSpecies,ManyOpinions
60MinuteLifeScience/Social
StudiesLesson
InteractiveVideoConference
Grades: 7 - 1 2 TEACHERGUIDE
TheHumanRACE:OneSpecies,ManyOpinions
Objectives
Description
Throughouthistory,genetic variationwithin
the human species has been a source of
communitystrengthandpersonalidentity.
It hasalso beenthe basis fordiscrimination
and oppression. Today, geneticists and
anthropologistshaveproventhatallhumans
shareancestryinAfrica.Inthelightofthese
scientific breakthroughs, discuss with our
educators the idea that "[Racism] is not
abouthowyoulook,itisabouthowpeople
assign meaning to how you look."(Robin
G.D.Kelley,Historian)Humansaren’talone
in this behavior—we’ll reveal other animal
species that segregate themselves into
specific cultural communities. Participants
in this program will try some activities and
discuss ideas that may challenge how they
think about the very human-specific term,
“Race”.
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Relatehowsciencecannotsupport
therealityofraceasavalid
biologicalconcept.
Describethescientificbasisforthe
statement:“WeareallAfricans”
Describehowdifferencesinskin
colorarebiologicaladaptationsto
lifeunderthesun.
Relatehowthesocialconceptof
“race”hashistoricallyaffected
African-Americansandothergroups.
Relatehowthesocialconceptof
“race”continuestoaffectour
treatmentofothers.
Ohio’sLearningStandards
Grade8Science:LifeScience-SpeciesandReproduction
Grade8SocialStudies:History- ColonizationtoIndependence,
CivilWarandReconstruction
Grade8SocialStudies:Geography–HumanSystems
Grades9-12Science:Biology–Heredity&Evolution
Grades9-12SocialStudies: SocialTransformationsintheUnitedStates(1945-1994)
AmericanGovernment-BasicPrinciplesoftheU.S.Constitution
ContemporaryWorldIssues–GlobalConnections
ContemporaryWorldIssues-CivilandHumanRights
BeforeYourProgram&HowtoSetUpYourRoom
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Wewillbesortingyourstudentsintovarious“Tribes”duringourprogram,soplease
arrangethedeskssotheyhaveroomtomovearoundandstandindistinctareaswith
othersintheir“Tribe”.
Iftimeallows,haveyourstudentstakealookatthiswebsite:
http://understandingrace.com.ThissiteismaintainedbytheAmericanAnthropological
Association,andshowsimagesoftheirtravellingexhibit“RACE:AreWeSoDifferent?”
CMNHhostedthisexhibitin2008andreceivedpermissiontocontinuethediscussionwith
thisIVCprogram.
Vocabulary
adaptation:Specialgenetically-basedphysicalorbehavioralcharacteristicsthatallowsthe
possessortosurviveandsuccessfullyreproduce.
anthropology:Thescientificstudyoftheorigin,thebehavior,andthephysical,social,andcultural
developmentofhumans.
CivilRightsAct:PassedbytheUnitedStatesGovernmentin1964,thisactprohibitsemployers
fromdiscriminatingagainstemployeesinEmployeeBenefitPlansregardingcontributionsor
benefitsbasedonraceorgender.Thelawalsoencouragedthedesegregationofpublicschools
andauthorizedthewithdrawaloffederalfundsfromprogramspracticingdiscrimination.
deoxyribonucleicacid(DNA)–thematerialfoundprimarilyinacell’snucleusthatcarriesthe
instructionsformakingallthestructuresandfunctionsofanorganism.
genotype:Thegeneticmakeup,ofanorganismoragroupoforganisms.Morespecifically,the
combinationofalleleslocatedonhomologouschromosomesthatdeterminesaspecific
characteristicortrait.
“JimCrow”Laws:EnforcedracialsegregationintheU.S.Southbetween1877andthe1950s.
Theterm,takenfromaminstrel-showroutine,becameaderogatorytermforAfricanAmericans.
UsedinSouthernstatesoftheUnitedStatestopreservesegregatedschools,transportfacilities,
andhousing,untilthedoctrineof‘separatebutequal’wasdeclaredunconstitutionalin1954.
phenotype:Theobservablephysicalcharacteristicsofanorganism,asdeterminedbyboth
geneticmakeupandenvironmentalinfluences.Theexpressionofaspecifictraitisbasedon
geneticandenvironmentalinfluences.
race:asabiologicalconcept:Apopulationwhosemembersshareagreaterdegreeofphysicaland
geneticsimilaritywithoneanotherthanwithotherhumans.
race:asasocial/historicalconcept:anarbitraryclassificationofmodernhumansbasedononeor
morephysicalcharacteristicssuchasskincolor,facialformoreyeshape.Asasocialconcept,
thesecharacteristicsareunderstoodtohaveapositiveornegativelinktoothercharacteristics
suchasintelligence,physicalprowessandmoralcharacter.
ScalaNaturae:(Latinfor“TheGreatChainofBeing”)Thebeliefthatallthingsandcreaturesin
natureareorganizedinahierarchyfrominanimateobjectsatthebottomtoGodatthetop.This
systemofbeliefwaspopularintheseventeenthandeighteenthcenturies.
segregation:toseparateorsetapartfromothersorfromthegeneralmass
species:abasicbiologicalclassificationoforganismsthatresembleoneanotherandmay
interbreed,producingfertileoffspring
trait–adistinguishingcharacteristicorfeature.
ExtensionActivities
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TheAmericanAnthropologicalAssociationprovidesdetailedTeacher’sGuideswiththeir
exhibit&website,foundhere:http://understandingrace.org/resources/for_teachers.html
Discussthefollowinglist,ascreatedbyCaliforniaNewsreel’sdocumentaryRace:The
PowerofanIllusion.
TENTHINGSEVERYONESHOULDKNOWABOUT‘RACE’
1. Raceisamodernidea.Ancientsocieties,liketheGreeks,didnotdividepeopleaccording
tophysicaldifferences,butaccordingtoreligion,status,classorevenlanguage.The
Englishword"race"turnsupforthefirsttimeina1508poembyWilliamDunbarreferring
toalineofkings.
2. Racehasnogeneticbasis.Notonecharacteristic,traitorevengenedistinguishesallthe
membersofoneso-calledracefromallthemembersofanotherso-calledrace.
3. Humansubspeciesdon’texist.Unlikemanyanimals,modernhumanssimplyhaven’tbeen
aroundlongenough,norhavepopulationsbeenisolatedenough,toevolveintoseparate
subspeciesorraces.Onaverage,onlyoneofeverythousandofthenucleotidesthatmake
upourDNAdifferonehumanfromanother.Weareoneofthemostgeneticallysimilarof
allspecies.
4. Skincolorreallyisonlyskindeep.Thegenesforskincolorhavenothingtodowithgenes
forhairform,eyeshape,bloodtype,musicaltalent,athleticabilityorformsof
intelligence.Knowingsomeone’sskincolordoesn’tnecessarilytellyouanythingelseabout
them.
5. Mostvariationiswithin,notbetween,“races.”Ofthesmallamountoftotalhuman
variation,85%existswithinanylocalpopulation.About94%canbefoundwithinany
continent.Thatmeans,forexample,thattworandomKoreansmaybeasgenetically
differentasaKoreanandanItalian.
6. Slaverypredatesrace.Throughoutmuchofhumanhistory,societieshaveenslaved
others,oftenasaresultofconquestordebt,butnotbecauseofphysicalcharacteristicsor
abeliefinnaturalinferiority.Duetoauniquesetofhistoricalcircumstances,North
Americahasthefirstslavesystemwhereallslavessharedacommonappearanceand
ancestry.
7. Raceandfreedomwereborntogether.TheU.S.wasfoundedontheprinciplethat"All
menarecreatedequal,"butthecountry’searlyeconomywasbasedlargelyonslavery.
Thenewideaofracehelpedexplainwhysomepeoplecouldbedeniedtherightsand
freedomsthatotherstookforgranted.
8. Racejustifiedsocialinequalitiesasnatural.The“commonsense”beliefinwhite
superiorityjustifiedanti-democraticactionandpolicieslikeslavery,theexterminationof
AmericanIndians,theexclusionofAsianimmigrants,thetakingofMexicanlands,andthe
institutionalizationofracialpracticeswithinAmericangovernment,laws,andsociety.
9. Raceisn’tbiological,butracismisstillreal.Raceisapowerfulsocialideathatgivespeople
differentaccesstoopportunitiesandresources.Thegovernmentandsocialinstitutionsof
theUnitedStateshavecreatedadvantagesthatdisproportionatelychannelwealth,power
andresourcestowhitepeople.
10. Colorblindnesswillnotendracism.Pretendingracedoesn’texistisnotthesameas
creatingequality.
OnlineResourcesforTeachersandStudents
Clickthelinkbelowtofindadditionalonlineresourcesforteachersandstudents.Thesewebsites
are recommended by our Museum Educators and provide additional content information and
somefun,interactiveactivitiestosharewithyourclass.
CMNHEducatorsregularlyreviewtheselinksforquality.Webaddressesoftenchangesoplease
notifyusifanylinkshaveissues.
ClevelandMuseumofNaturalHistoryhttps://cmnh.org/edlinks