Stereotypes and Individual Differences · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Stereotypes Don't Tell the Whole Story

Personal & Social Development · Empathy & Social Awareness · ages 9-11
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. A stereotype is always true for every person in the group it describes.

    Circle one:   True   False

  2. What is a stereotype?

    • An oversimplified idea about a whole group that isn't true for everyone
    • A fact that is true about everyone in a group
    • A rule that everyone must follow

  3. Which of these is a stereotype?

    • Some people like sports and some don't
    • Older people can't learn new things
    • Everyone has a favorite color

  4. Maya hears a classmate say 'girls aren't good at maths.' What is the best way for Maya to challenge this stereotype?

    • Point out a girl she knows who is great at maths
    • Agree, since some girls do find maths hard
    • Say nothing because it doesn't matter

  5. Someone says, 'Grandparents are all slow.' Why is this stereotype wrong?

    • Because all grandparents are actually fast runners
    • Because speed only matters for children
    • Because some grandparents are quick, and speed depends on the person, not their age

  6. Which sentence best explains what makes a stereotype unfair?

    • It is just a nickname people use for fun
    • It treats every person in a group as the same, ignoring who they really are
    • It is a scientific fact about a group

  7. A coach picks only tall players for the team, saying 'short kids can't play well.' Why is this stereotype unfair, even though some tall kids are skilled?

    • Because skill depends on the individual person, not their height alone
    • Because all short kids are secretly better at the sport
    • Because height is the only thing that matters in sports

  8. Ben says, 'My uncle is bad at cooking, so all men must be bad at cooking.' What mistake is Ben making?

    • He is correct because most men dislike cooking
    • He is not making any mistake
    • He is using one example to make an unfair claim about a whole group
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Stereotypes Don't Tell the Whole Story W1-mt_2oswCNuapH-s1

  1. False · Stereotypes ignore individual differences, so they are never true for everyone.
  2. An oversimplified idea about a whole group that isn't true for everyone · A stereotype flattens a whole group into one idea, but people are never all the same.
  3. Older people can't learn new things · This statement claims all older people are the same, which ignores individual differences.
  4. Point out a girl she knows who is great at maths · One real counter-example is enough to show a stereotype does not apply to everyone.
  5. Because some grandparents are quick, and speed depends on the person, not their age · The claim lumps every grandparent into one label. Some grandparents are quick, so the stereotype is wrong.
  6. It treats every person in a group as the same, ignoring who they really are · Stereotypes are unfair because they erase individual differences within a group.
  7. Because skill depends on the individual person, not their height alone · Some short players are excellent and some tall players struggle. Skill comes from the person, not a group trait.
  8. He is using one example to make an unfair claim about a whole group · One person's traits don't apply to an entire group. That kind of jump is exactly how stereotypes form.
Worksheet · LightMySky