Mini-Lesson

Current Event

Stereotypes, Media, and Islamophobia

This mini-lesson is designed to help students reflect on how the movies, shows, and books we consume can reinforce stereotypes about Muslims and the harmful impact stereotyping has on people's lives.

Published: May 1, 2020

Mini-Lesson

Language

English — US

Subject

Civics & Citizenship
Social Studies

Grade

6–12

Antisemitism
Racism

Overview

This mini-lesson is designed to help students reflect on how stereotypes—specifically stereotypes about Muslims—can be reinforced through the media we consume and the negative impacts that these stereotypes can have on people’s lives.

4 activities
Student-facing slides
Recommended resources for exploring this topic

Activities

Activity 1

Respond to the following questions in your journal:

Think of a time that someone made an unfair assumption about you. What was the assumption? How did it make you feel?
Was the assumption linked to any stereotypes about groups that you belong to? If so, how?

Activity 2

Watch the Secret Life of Muslims video Ahmed Ahmed: An American-Muslim comedian on being typecast as a terrorist.

Reflect:

According to Ahmed Ahmed, how are Muslims and Arabs stereotyped in movies?
How do these negative stereotypes make Ahmed Ahmed feel? What impact did these stereotypes have on his career?
How do you think these stereotypes might affect the way people think about Muslims or Arabs?
How does Ahmed Ahmed use comedy to counteract these stereotypes?

Activity 3

Watch the Secret Life of Muslims video Khalid Latif: Muslim NYPD chaplain: saluted in uniform, harassed as a civilian.

Reflect:

What assumptions do people make about Khalid Latif when he is in uniform? What assumptions do people make about him when he is not in uniform? What do you think explains the difference?
How have people—including people in authority—treated Khalid Latif because of assumptions about Muslims?
How is Khalid Latif impacted by the harassment and discrimination he experiences?

Activity 4

Pick a book you recently read or a show or movie you recently watched. Then, choose one character from the piece and create an identity chart for them. To create an identity chart, write the character’s name in the space provided below or on a piece of paper. Then, write the traits or characteristics of the character around their name, and connect each one to the character’s name with a line.

Credit:

Facing History and Ourselves

Reflect:

What stereotypes are there about people like this character?
In what ways, if any, does this character reinforce these stereotypes?
In what ways, if any, does this character break away from these stereotypes?
What impact can stereotypes have on the people who are being stereotyped? What impact can they have on society as a whole?
Do writers or directors have a responsibility to avoid perpetuating stereotypes, or even to counteract them? Why or why not?

Materials and Downloads

These are the resources from external sources that we recommend using with students throughout the activities in this mini-lesson.

Ahmed Ahmed: An American-Muslim comedian

Vox

Khalid Latif: Muslim NYPD chaplain: saluted in uniform, harassed as a civilian

Vox

Additional Resources

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Explore resources that meet the California History–Social Science Framework standards.

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Stereotypes, Media, and Islamophobia