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Blood Brothers
Theme: Stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination
Key Learning Area: Science
Age Group: Secondary Middle (15-16) Resource Type: Graphs and charts Stimulus Name: Compatability
Outcomes
The purpose of this lesson is to promote understanding about:
the frequency of occurrence of blood types in particular racial/ethnic groups
the shared characteristics of blood in the overall population
Introduction
Blood Brothers focuses on an examination of blood types in the human population to bring out the notion of shared human characteristics between people who may look different.
Worksheets to download
Sheet 1 (gif File)
Activity Worksheet (rtf File)
Tables 1 and 2 (rtf File)
Assignment sheet (gif File)
Assignment sheet model answers for ESL students (rtf File)
Suggested Activities
This lesson involves a "role play". Each student in the class assumes an identity consisting of a name, racial/ethnic group and blood type. Students mingle and talk and group according to their assumed racial/ethnic group. Students are then given information about blood group compatibility. They mingle again and using compatibility information prepare two lists. The first list will include all the individuals to whom they can give blood. The second list will include the individuals from whom they can receive blood.
Lesson procedure
- Download Sheet 1.
- Download the Activity Worksheet, Table 1 and Table 2. Copy one of each per student.
- Cut the identity list (Sheet 1) into strips. Each strip will have a name, racial/ethnic identity and blood group.
- Fold each strip and place strips in a box.
- Ask students to take turns at drawing a name.
- Give each student the Activity Worksheet and ask him or her to fill in the details of their identity.
- Ask students to mingle and then group according to their racial/ethnic group.
- Hand out and discuss information about blood group distributions (table 1).
- Give each student the blood compatibility sheet (table 2).
- Ask students to mingle, introducing themselves to others and exchange details about blood groups.
- Using compatibility information students decide between themselves whether or not they are compatible as a donor, a receiver or both.
- Ask students to enter the information gathered during the activity on their Activity Worksheet.
Additional Strategies
Follow up
Download the Assignment Sheet and distribute. Ask students to answer following questions:
- What was your name in the role play?
- What was your racial/ethnic background?
- What was your blood group?
- Within your racial/ethnic group, what percentage of citizens is in your blood group?
- Did the person you met from your own racial/ethnic background have the same blood group as you?
- Are you compatible with that person in blood type?
- Can you receive blood from any people who are from outside your racial/ethnic group?
- Can you donate blood to any people who are from outside your racial/ethnic group?
- What do the answers to questions 5 and 6 tell you about the differences and similarities between people of different racial/ethnic groups?
- People who are racist will often highlight the differences between the different racial/ethnic and cultural groups, and use these differences as a means of discrimination. Use the information you have gained in this lesson to write a paragraph on similarities between racial/ethnic and cultural groups and how these may be used to benefit humankind.
Relevant websites to visit
General Education at Australian Red Cross Blood Service
Copyright Acknowledgement
ESL/ Multicultural Education Consultant
Science Consultant
Bondi District Office, NSW Department of Education and Training
Date: 30 April 2002
