Fruit Salad- Activity & Analysis

I put fruit in a large bowl or basket- enough for each student in the class.

Students are asked to write a description of what they see. Each student then takes a piece of fruit. The group is told that they will be introducing their fruit to the group. At this point, they may use their sheet of paper to write down distinguishing characteristics of their fruit. Students are instructed that they may not take off the stem or mark their fruit with bruises or writing utensils. Students may name their fruit if they like.

All of the fruit is then returned to bowl. I move all of the fruit around – over and under, side to side etc. I may even go to the side of the room and hide the movement of the fruit. Then students are asked to pass the basket around again, and to pull out their particular fruit. Once students have their fruit, I ask them to introduce the fruit – name, defining characteristics – may even add hobbies and activities.

Following introductions, I allow students to eat their fruit. As a group, I use the analysis questions to get kids to think about stereotyping vs individuals. Does knowing people individually change our stereotypes of groups?

Some kids ham it up, others think it is rather silly to start with. I like to use varieties of the same fruit as I feel that it gets the point across better. I have used apples – which the students like as they all get an apple to eat at the end of the activity.

The following are a list of questions that can be used for analysis. Depending on the openness of the group, questioning may done verbally or as a written evaluation. Some of the questions are similar. Pick and choose the ones that fit the group you are working with. This is an activity that I do later in the quarter with my students.

Set A

1. How did your opinion of the pile of fruit change from when you first saw it until you finished retrieving your fruit for the second time?

2 . Why did you feel differently once you “knew” an individual piece of fruit from the pile?

3. How often do you jump to conclusions about a group of people the first time that you see them?

4. How does it feel to be one of the members of a group where people jump to conclusions about you?

Set B

How long does it take you to form an opinion about a group?
What do you base your opinion on?
How often do you jump to conclusions about a group of people the first time that you see them?
How does it feel when you are one of the members of the group others are judging?
In a group where people have differing views, how do you prevent the group from being insensitive?
What happens when others in the group don’t care about each other’s opinion?
As individuals, what will it take to prevent stereotyping?
What can a group do to prevent stereotyping?