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3. How do you feel about nicknames and name-calling?

4. How do nicknames originate?

Do you find Chicken Little's reaction strange or not? If so, is it because his appearance is so at odds with his actions? People often judge others on their appearance: which clothes they wear, their hairstyles, etc. We could call that giving another person a label .

It is also true that people often adjust their appearance (image) to be accepted into a certain group. Look around you and see the similarities in clothing among friends. Oh, yes, and then we still have the "in" things to do and the "in" places to go! The other boys labelled Martin as a surfer because of his sun-bleached hair. Chicken Little labelled the girl "common" because of her too short school uniform - or was it because of her behaviour?

It is so that a person's appearance and behaviour give us clues to his or her personality, but it is also true that one can make mistakes if one does not take a closer look. So, it may be best to reserve judgement till you really know a person.

In a group

Does your school have different groups with different "labels"? For example, nerds, babes, potheads, goths, etc .

Make a list of the "labels" you can identify in the school. Do not use specific people's names, it may be hurtful.

Have you ever judged a person wrongly?

[LO 3.2]

Brainstorm

A brainstorming session is a thinking exercise during which a smallish group of people put their heads together to generate as many ideas as possible. You have heard the expression: Two heads are better than one. What about 5 or 6 heads? One idea sparks the other.

Guidelines for successful brainstorming

Make sure of the instructions before you start

The group should not be too large

One person must jot down the ideas

Take turns and ge0nerate as many ideas as possible

Write down the ideas without discussing them at all (Some ideas may strike you as worthless, but it can generate another idea which may have merit)

Stick to the time limit given to you

Action!

Storm 1

A positive characteristic is something good in a person's nature, for example, friendliness, honesty.

Write down as many positive characteristics as the group can think of on a loose sheet of paper.

Storm 2

A negative characteristic is something that makes a person not so pleasant or difficult to deal with, for example, unfriendliness, dishonesty.

Write down as many negative characteristics as the group can think of on a loose sheet of paper.

Afterwards

Compare the efforts of the different groups. Do you have more or less the same information? Maybe some of the characteristics are difficult to place under either of the headings: positive or negative. For example, to be shy is not necessarily negative, but to be too shy can make life difficult for that person.

How many different positive characteristics did you find?

How many different negative characteristics did you find?

Assessment

Learning outcomes(LOs)
LO 3
Personal development The learner will be able to use acquired life skills to achieve and extend personal potential to respond effectively to challenges in his or her world.
Assessment standards(ASs)
We know this when the learner:
  • analyses and discusses factors which influence self-concept formation and self-motivation;
  • reflects on appropriate behaviour in different kinds of interpersonal relationships.

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Source:  OpenStax, Life orientation grade 8. OpenStax CNX. Sep 12, 2009 Download for free at http://cnx.org/content/col11048/1.1
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