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A stereotype is a broad generalization about a particular group: Dog owners are thoughtless people who let their pets ruin parks and yards. Cat owners are kind and considerate people who always keep thier pets inside. Stereotypes can be negative, like the statement about dog owners, or positive, like the one about owners of cats. Either way, sterotypes are almost always inaccurate.
Even a good stereotype can hurt. For example, in this novel, the main character, who is Korean American, points out that she is often expected to be good at math without even trying because it is believed that "all Asians are good at math." She points out that she doesn't fit this stereotype because she must study math really hard to keep up, but she never gets credit for how hard she works.
See how good you are at recognizing stereotypes. For each item below, write yes if you think it contains a stereotype and no if you think it does not. Talk over your completed sheets with a group of classmates.
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You may download, print, and make copies of this Lesson Activity Master for use in your
classroom, provided that you include the copyright notice shown on this page on all such copies. Copyright © 1998 Houghton Mifflin Company. All Rights Reserved.
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Tae's Sonata
by Haemi Balgassi
Stereotypes
A newly arrived immigrant misses being around people who speak and read his language.
A girl who hangs out with rich kids is considered a snob because of who her friends are.
A boy is considered tough and mean because he is walking a pit-bull pup on a leash.
A woman with gray hair is given a seniors' discount without asking for one.
New grandparents bring a doll as a baby present to their little grandson.