Pre-Show Classroom Activity
In Out Here, characters ask hard questions about their roles within their family and what these expectations mean for their identity. Invite students to compare and contrast the stereotypes of familial roles and the ways they are actually lived.
As always, please note that some steps of the activity may be condensed, eliminated, or extended based on the needs of your classroom.
“CLOSE ENOUGH” – PERFORMING FAMILY ROLES
Activity Preparation
- Supplies:
- Family Roles handout (1 per student)
- Set-Up:
- This activity includes small group discussion based on student choice. We recommend keeping groups to 3-5 students. If a large number of students have chosen one role to discuss, consider breaking them up into multiple smaller groups.
This activity will take approximately 50 minutes.
Learning Sequence
- Ask students to define archetype and stereotype. As needed, clarify that an archetype is the original version of something, off of which all other versions are based. If students need an example, have them think of what they picture when they hear the word “witch” — the likely imagine something akin to the Wicked Witch of the East from The Wizard of Oz — a cruel, ugly woman with warts on her nose who rides a broom and hates anything good. As needed, clarify that a stereotype is an idea or belief that is commonly held but is often oversimplified or prejudiced. Tell students that in this activity, they will pick three family roles to explore for their archetypes and stereotypes, and then they will compare these to the way they look as lived roles. (~2 minutes)
- Distribute the Family Roles handout. Point out the list of familial roles at the top: mother, father, sister, brother, sibling, aunt, uncle, daughter, son, child, niece, nephew, grandmother, grandfather. Direct students to select three familial roles to reflect on, and have them write one the roles at the top of each column. (~3 minutes)
- Consider modeling for students a few stereotypes for one familial role before they begin. For example, perhaps a stereotypical grandmother is stern but kind, or a stereotypical uncle is aloof and humorous. Prompt students to work independently to list stereotypical characteristics they associate with each of the roles they selected and write them in the appropriate place in their handout. Remind students that they may have different lists of characteristics. (~10 minutes)
- Next, have students pick a person in their life who inhabits each role they chose. One person may be themselves, but for the other two, they should pick someone else in their life. For example, a student may choose to consider themselves for the role of daughter. Then, they might consider how their brother fills the role of sibling and how their mother inhabits the role of aunt. (~2 minutes)
- Prompt students to consider the ways in which these real people take on these stereotypical traits or reject them. Have students write their ideas in the last row of the handout. For example, someone’s mother might fit the stereotype of being a great cook, but she might break the stereotype of the stay-at-home mom by being the breadwinner. (~8 minutes)
- Ask students to identify one role they would like to dive deeper on. Divide students up into groups based on the role they’ve chosen, so there is a “mother” group, a “grandfather” group, etc. In their smaller groups, have students discuss the following: (~10 minutes)
- What is similar in your ideas about the stereotypes or archetypes of your chosen role?
- In what ways do the people you chose fit these stereotypical characteristics? How do they reject them?
- To the best of your knowledge, how do these stereotypes impact this person’s relationships with others?
- Where do you see people striving towards or contorting themselves into the stereotypes of their role?
- Where do you see people bravely bucking expectations for their role?
- Ask each group to pick a spokesperson to summarize the observations of the group. Have each group share their takeaways with the whole class. (~5 minutes)
- Facilitate a discussion with the whole class, inviting students to share any lingering thoughts or questions. Ask: To what extent is it beneficial to “fit” a familial stereotype? To what extent is it beneficial to live outside of these stereotypes? Where do you notice friction between the expectations of these roles and the reality of living them? (~10 minutes)
- This activity aligns with the following standards:
- Illinois Arts Learning Standards
- Anchor Standard 11: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.
- Common Core State Standards
- CCSS.ELA.RL.3 Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
- CCSS.ELA.SL.1 Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
- Illinois Arts Learning Standards