The+Over-Achievers

Essential Question:
What is the greatest challenge of Americans today?

Challenge:
Identifying stereotypes within your neighborhood and doing what you can to change them.

Guiding Questions

 * 1) How do stereotypes influence sports in a community?
 * 2) Are neighbors treated differently based off of stereotypes?
 * 3) How do stereotypes effect the view of teenagers?

Video
http://www.hulu.com/watch/27446/its-always-sunny-in-philadelphia-picking-teams

This is a clip from the show It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. This video clip represents typical stereotypes in America and how they affect sports.

Guiding Activities
1) Interview of Restaurant waitress about stereotypes of teenagers. 2) Survey of Student about stereotypes in sports. 3) Interview a neighbor about how stereotypes effect the view of a neighborhood.

Answers from neighbors (anonymous)
1. No I don’t feel as if they affect the view as you get older you tend to not notice these things as much anyways so its not important 2. I feel it doesn’t affect the view of a neighborhood and here I don’t experience or see people act on many stereotypes. However I do here them in a joke every now and than. 3. I think to a degree they do affect a neighborhood where people see certain races or thing happening and instantly assume certain things happened like the white guy is innocent but the minority isn’t. 4. It doesn’t affect me much here. I don’t see many people say anything about stereotypes. And I don’t tend to see anything that would negatively or positively affect the neighborhood.
 * Do you think stereotypes affect you, and the view of a neighborhood?**
 * (Neighbors, 9/22/09)**

Interview with Nichole (Buffalo Wild Wings Waitress)
Question 1- Do you prefer adult or teenage customers? “Well I usually get more teenage customers here than adults, but when I worked at red lobster I got more adults. I really don’t prefer either and enjoy both Question 2- Do you think it is a stereotype if teenagers to not tip well? “Most waiters and waitresses would probably think that, but the kids I usually serve tip very well for the most part. This was one person I found that was able to get passed a stereotype. In this case the stereotype was of teenagers and how they are viewed in public.
 * (Nichole, 9/22/09)**

Student interview during lunch periods
Do stereotypes effect your view of sports? Yes- 31 No- 4
 * (PV Students, 9/23/09)

Solution Paragraph** First the stereotypes in the community need to be identified. Some common stereotypes are african americans in sports, jewish people with money and greediness. Others include asians in school, fat people that aren't fit and athletic and immigrants as day laborers. Now that some of the stereotypes have been found, what can we do to stop them? We can look past the thought that certain races do specific things, and see that everyone is just trying to make a living and become more successful. We all have certain dreams and goals, so why cant an african american dream to be a basketball player without a racist comment being said. The fact is they should be able to. We have to look passed these stereotypes so America can become a true nation of equality.