Lessons on Diversity and Bias

Updated 1/23 Do you incorporate lessons on diversity and bias into your speech therapy sessions? As speech language pathologists and teachers, we can be on the front lines of fighting racism. Have you been hesitant to incorporate lessons on diversity, bias or racism into your speech therapy sessions? Please don’t be-for some students, you might be the only adult encouraging them to think in a different way. There are simple things you can do, like making sure your materials reflect students of all skin colors. I love to use storyline online and choose books read by people of color. Or, choosing topics like how the coronavirus hit the black community hardest when you are searching for material for reading comprehension or conversation practice. This post can also be used for therapy when we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr.

If you are ready to devote an entire speech therapy session on topics related to diversity and bias, or looking for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day activities I’ve got you covered.

Define Diversity

Have your speech therapy student(s) share their definitions of diversity. Write down their thoughts and form a definition. Then, watch this video from “breaking the prejudice habit,” (5:42 long) called “teens talk about diversity.” Have your students compare their definition with definitions given by the teens in the video. Then, go back to their original definitions and add or modify their definitions based on what they viewed in the video.

If you are working with a group of students, you could also have them share information about their names. This would be a great icebreaker activity too!

Who named them?
What do their names mean?
Is there a cultural or familial significance to their name?

Diversity and Bias-Music Unites!

Music has the ability to unite. Have your students watch two music videos from the website, “playing for change.” Playing for change records musicians from around the world performing in their natural environments. Their music seeks to connect and inspire! Each video should be from a different country. Try to have one video be from the USA. Then, use a Venn diagram to compare the contrast the two videos by musical styles, sounds, instruments and presentation. Any similarities? What did they like? Make this lesson about finding commonalities among races and enjoying the differences.

Check Your Bias

diversity and bias, speech therapy, racism, teaching tolerance, Martin Luther King, Jr. activities

In my subscriber’s library, I have a free “check your bias activity.” Do not introduce it as a bias activity. Present one sentence from the activity at a time and ask students to draw a picture of the people presented in the picture. Encourage them to use as much detail in their drawing as possible. Then, present the actual photographs of the people and use the accompanying activities. Have students compare their drawings to the actual photographs. Any differences? There are further instructions in the packet.

Understanding Bias

Now that you have your students thinking after last week’s activity, let’s teach them more about bias! Choose a lesson from the Anti-defamation league about implicit and explicit bias.

I hope you can use one or more of these lessons on diversity and bias on Marin Luther King, Jr. Day!

You might also like this post on diversifying your professional tribe by Truvine Walker, SLP.