English Career Resources

Key Stage 3: Stereotyping

Exploring Career stereotypes

Judge and Jury Exercise

Divide the class into 3 equal groups.
Divide each group into 3 sub-groups 'A', 'B' and 'C'.

Exercise 1

Woman can't play football properly. Look at the picture of the two footballers and read the statements.
(Teachers' should note that all the Statements are true for Kelly Smith but only Statement 1 is true for Alan Connell. The teacher should reveal the answer after a very brief discussion with the class about their responses to the statement and the question – which one of these two is the better player?).


The teacher allocates the statement supplied to sub-groups A and B in each of the three groups. They are given 3 minutes to develop an argument for their standpoint and decide on a speaker. Sub-groups 'C' arrange themselves facing the 'A's and 'B's and, on a given signal from the teacher, the prosecution has 90 seconds to make its case. At the end of the time the teacher gives the signal for the defence to make its case. There can be no interruption during this process.

Once both sides have made their opening argument, they are allowed a further 2mins to develop and explore both their own standpoints and question those of their opponents. Only one member of each team is allowed to speak at once, the turns must alternate. Sub-group C must decide who speaks and when.
(Suggested time for this part of the activity is 7 – 10 mins.)

At the allotted time the teacher signals the end of the trial and group C are given 2 minutes to reach a verdict based on the evidence given. The statement each group has argued is read to the class and a jury foreperson stands to deliver their 'we find the statement true' or 'we find the statement false' verdict.

Exercise 2

Repeat using the statement 'Who would you rather have at your side at closing time'

Exercise 3

Repeat using the statements 'Women are bad drivers / Who would you trust on a dark night?' and rotating the groups so that A becomes the Judge/Jury, B becomes prosecution and C becomes defence.

Exercise 4

Repeat using the statement 'People who don't have two parents will fail in life'. It is important that once the jury have delivered their verdict on this statement that the teacher completes the PowerPoint or distributes the handouts to enable the learners to see absolute examples of the statement being proved incorrect. These can be used to investigate stereotyping further. Students should come to a view in each case and teacher-led discussion should focus on implications of stereotyping.

Exercise 5

Each group then engages in peer review by evaluating the effectiveness or otherwise of the arguments used.

• What were your own views of the statement when you first heard it?
• How were your ideas challenged by having to argue for/against a statement you didn't believe in?
• Did any of the points made by the other side challenge your own thoughts and why?
• As a member of the jury what persuaded you to reach the verdict you did?

Exercise 6

Using the charters in Handouts 8 (PDF), 9 (PDF)) and 10 (PDF) students write a charter for an agreed group, discriminated against through gender, age, religion, race, sexuality etc.

Exercise 7

A teacher-led plenary to feedback, evaluate and analyse the exercise focussing on job perceptions should end the session. Consider the three questions that are posed and encourage the students to develop an argument for each footballer.