Prejudice and Discrimination
Understand the impact of prejudice and discrimination on individuals and communities — that treating people unfairly because of their identity causes real harm — and recognise their own responsibility to stand against it
What a learner can do afterwards
- Define prejudice and discrimination in their own words with examples
- Describe the emotional and social impact of discrimination on the person experiencing it
- Identify at least one action they can personally take to challenge unfair treatment
The lesson
You already know a stereotype is an unfair idea about a whole group of people. Prejudice is what happens when someone believes a stereotype and lets it shape how they feel about a person before they even get to know them. Discrimination is what happens when someone acts on that unfair feeling: leaving a person out, treating them worse, or refusing them something because of their race, religion, disability, or another part of who they are.
Amara wears a hijab. At recess, a group of kids won't let her play because they say she 'looks different.' That is discrimination: they are treating her unfairly because of her religion, not because of anything she did.
Being left out or treated unfairly hurts. A person who faces discrimination often feels embarrassed, lonely, or like they don't belong, even somewhere they should feel safe. Over time, this can make someone afraid to speak up or join in, and it can make a whole group feel unwelcome.
You already learned that an upstander speaks up instead of standing by. If you see someone excluded or teased unfairly, you can invite them to join in, tell a trusted adult, or simply say 'that's not fair' out loud.
Prejudice is an unfair feeling about someone, discrimination is acting on it, and you can choose to stand against both.
Watch it
Where it sits
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.