Teacher content information

This unit of lessons, Courage to Care: How to Be an Upstander in Society, is designed to aid students’ understanding of the Pyramid of Hate - a hierarchical diagram of escalating acts of violence. Students are guided to understand how stereotyping can lead to prejudice, discrimination and extreme acts of violence. Through analysis and evaluation of the pyramid, students will understand its impact on individuals and society. Students will also learn about the bystander effect and consider the reasons for inaction.

The unit then supports students to challenge the norm and consider the role of Upstanders - they will interrogate how the dynamic between perpetrator and victim is altered through Upstander action and be supported to become Upstanders in their communities, becoming aware of their potential to make a positive difference. Students will be given practical tools and strategies to support them in taking positive action in standing up against bullying and prejudice. This unit features various important examples of Upstander behaviour throughout history for students to take inspiration from. Students culminate their learning by designing and developing an Upstander activity that supports a group within their community.

These resources were created in collaboration with Courage to Care, a not-for-profit organisation that educates Australians about the dangers of discrimination, including antisemitism and racism. Courage to Care Upstander Programs take inspiration from real-life extraordinary acts of courage. Based on the idea that ordinary people have the power to make a positive difference to the lives of others by being Upstanders, the program inspires people to make a real difference in their community by standing up and taking action, creating real change.

Courage to Care - What is an Upstander? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ts04fKvwXs)

Courage to Care offers face-to-face Upstander Programs at schools in most states. Delivered by teams of skilled and dedicated volunteers, Upstander Programs feature inspiring testimonies from Holocaust Survivor Speakers, promote acceptance of diversity within the community, and transform bystander behaviour by inspiring participants to become Upstanders.

Upstander Programs encourage participants to become aware of their potential to make a positive difference and offer practical tools for standing up against bullying and prejudice by empowering participants to take positive action - in the schoolyard, workplaces, and in our communities. Find out more about booking an Upstander Program in your school at couragetocare.org.au.

Unit structure

Tune In

Students develop their vocabulary by defining terms and applying concepts relevant to the Pyramid of Hate continuum and explore the act of stereotyping and its impacts on victims, with a particular focus on how it can escalate into prejudice and discrimination.

Lesson 1 - Understanding the Causes and Ef fects o f Discrimination
Lesson 2 - Understanding Stereotyping

Find Out

Students learn about the bystander effect, interrogate the reasons underpinning this response, and are introduced to the concept of Upstanders and challenging bystander inaction.

Take Action

Students examine various historical and contemporary events that saw Upstanders attempting to stop acts of violence towards others and design an Upstander action or movement that would support particular groups in their community.

Safety: Unit wide safety concerns to address

Unit wide cultural safety

Reference to cultural identities

This unit of lessons directly addresses acts of violence of varying degrees, escalating from stereotyping to prejudice to discrimination to violence to genocide. In order to teach concepts, some examples feature cultural identities being used as victims of acts of violence.

It is, therefore, essential that teachers are mindful of the following:

Ensure you are aware of students who may belong to particular groups being discussed (for example, if the lesson references the Holocaust, teachers should check to see if there are any Jewish students in their class).
Review the lesson content prior to implementing the lesson, ideally a day or two before the content is used. Teachers should let their students know that cultural identities feature in the content - if students feel that this may be triggering for them, they can talk to the teacher outside of class time and make alternative arrangements for the lesson if required.
Consider sending correspondence home to families about various cultural identities being used in lessons in case extra support for students is needed.
Teachers must prioritise student wellbeing - if students are concerned that the lesson may upset them, alternative arrangements should be made to accommodate the student.

Teachers could:

allow for the arrangement of modified material that does not trigger students
inform students of the content to be covered at the beginning of the lesson and provide appropriate options for students who may find the content challenging or upsetting
direct students to access external support with teachers’ permission
allow students to be excused if upset.

In creating these lessons, a broad coverage of cultural identities has been used. It was our decision not to specifically not to reference Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, as our lessons are designed to be trauma-informed. Instead, lessons feature other First Nations cultures - this way, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are not directly referenced or targeted. Still, some of the concepts that apply to other First Nations groups (for example, the impacts of colonisation) may cause these students to create links between others and their own situation. It is very important that teachers allow students to create these links first (rather than the teacher prompting them) and lead the conversation.

Current events

Most students are well connected to current news events due to having personal devices. However, this does not mean that students have a critical understanding of global events - teachers need to be prepared for students to ask questions about content that is outside of their area of professional expertise.

Teachers could expect questions from students about the following:

The Holocaust and World War II
Genocides (including, but not limited to, the Holocaust)
The current conflict in Gaza
Various cultural identities

It is essential that students receive the best education on these topics possible. In a secondary school setting, we would highly recommend redirecting questions to the History and Humanities faculty teachers. Teachers may also benefit from speaking with these teachers before implementing this unit.

Unit wide psychological safety

This unit focuses on addressing how to stop stereotyping, prejudice, discrimination and violence toward targeted individuals and groups. Teachers need to be aware of class dynamics - it is entirely possible that some bullying on school grounds can be categorised as prejudiced and discriminatory behaviour. Covering this content may trigger some students. They or their friends may have personally experienced acts of violence or may be perpetrators of violence towards others. Students who identify in these ways may escalate their behaviour while covering this content.

In particular, we would recommend checking in on the students in your class who may belong to the following groups

A member of the LGBTQIA+ community
A member of the neurodivergent community
A member of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community
A member of any First Nations community
A member of the Jewish community
A member of the Muslim community

We’d recommend checking in with students prior to delivering the lessons. You may choose to address the class generally. Saying something along these lines may help:

“In the next few lessons, the content we’re covering features different identities. People of different cultures, abilities, sexualities and genders are mentioned. There may be some reference to how particular individuals and groups are discriminated against. Everybody needs to feel safe in class, so if you have concerns or are worried that some of the content may be upsetting, please come and have a chat with me before our next lesson so we can make alternative arrangements.

We’d also recommend that teachers do the following:

Review the lesson content prior to implementing the lesson, ideally a day or two before the content is used.
Teachers may like to send correspondence home to families about the content covered to arrange extra support for students if it is needed.
Teachers must prioritise student wellbeing - if students identify that the lesson may upset them, alternative arrangements should be made to accommodate the student. Teachers should:
- arrange modified material that does not trigger students
- inform students of the content to be covered at the beginning of the lesson and provide appropriate options for students who may find the content challenging
- allow students to access external support with teachers’ permission
- allow students to be excused if upset.

Important lesson information

Physical safety specific to lesson 2

Tune In: Students are given the option to role play. Please ensure that students are aware and respectful of their own and others’ physical safety. If necessary, demonstrate what safe physical theatre looks like (eg. slapping one’s own hand and the other person miming that their face has been slapped rather than actually slapping someone).

Cultural safety specific to lesson 2

Tune In: Teachers should make an effort to identify any students in the class who may identify with any of the groups covered in this activity - in particular, Muslim and First Nations students. Please check in with these students before implementing this lesson. We have not included Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander examples in the lesson, as some students do not respond well to having their identity directly targeted in learning content. If any Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander students in your class suggest that their people are also stereotyped, allow students to lead the conversation and explore this with the class.

Content Information

Tune In: In this activity, teachers would benefit from reviewing the slides so they are familiar with the representations of cultural identities featured. Familiarity with these images will help teachers facilitate better conversations with students.

Find Out: This activity links to a video about the Holocaust. If teachers do not feel confident answering students’ questions about the Holocaust, they should direct students to ask Humanities or History teachers. The Holocaust is normally taught in Year 10 History across Australia.

Stereotyping: Stereotypes are simplified and generalised beliefs about a particular group of people. They often arise from cultural, social, or personal experiences and can be perpetuated through media, socialisation, and interactions with others. The Pyramid of Hate shows how extreme stereotyping can lead to acts of violence. Below is an expansion of this notion.

Stereotypes can contribute to the development of prejudice, which is a negative attitude or feeling towards individuals based on their membership in a particular group. When individuals internalise stereotypes, they may develop prejudiced attitudes towards the stereotyped group. Prejudice can then lead to dehumanisation, where individuals perceive members of the stereotyped group as less human or worthy of respect and empathy. Dehumanisation makes it easier for individuals to justify acts of violence against the targeted group because they no longer see them as fully human.

People tend to selectively perceive and interpret information in a way that confirms their existing beliefs and stereotypes. This confirmation bias can reinforce and intensify prejudiced attitudes, leading individuals to overlook positive traits or behaviours of the stereotyped group and focus only on negative aspects. When individuals hold strong stereotypes and prejudices towards a particular group, they may rationalise acts of violence as a means of defending themselves or their community. They may believe that members of the targeted group pose a threat or that violence is justified to maintain social order or dominance. Acts of violence against a group can escalate as tensions rise between the perpetrators and the targeted group. Retaliatory violence or further discrimination may occur, perpetuating a cycle of conflict and hostility.

In some cases, societal norms or the acceptance of violence against certain groups can further perpetuate violent behaviour. If violence against a particular group is normalised or condoned within a society, individuals may be more likely to engage in or support violent actions against members of that group. Overall, while not every instance of stereotyping leads to violence, the process described above illustrates how stereotypes can contribute to a cascade of attitudes and behaviours that ultimately result in violence against marginalised or stigmatised groups. Addressing stereotypes and prejudices at their root is crucial in preventing violence and promoting understanding and empathy among diverse communities.

Prerequisites

This is the second lesson within the Health and Physical Education Unit Courage to Care: How to be an Upstander in Society. Cool recommends that you teach this lesson as a part of the whole 6-lesson package. Each lesson can be taught individually; however, students will benefit from continuing their foundational learning on the Pyramid of Hate by working through the Find Out and Take Action lessons, where students are inspired to become Upstanders.

Further Professional Learning and Reading

From Courage to Care Victoria

The team at Courage to Care offer a variety of additional resources for educators to deepen their understanding of the themes of this unit of lessons and their face to face program. Two of our favourites, the Upstander handbook for teachers and the Upstander Toolkit for students are linked below, explore the rest of the collection of resources here

Upstander Handbook Teaching Resource

A classroom resource for teachers that extends and deepens students’ understanding of the key themes of the Courage to Care program

Upstander Toolkit

Concise two-page toolkit to equip and empower Upstander action, outlining how to prepare yourself to act, and providing practical suggestions of words and actions for various situations.

Understanding Stereotyping

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