Red Dot / Black Dot Game
Round 1
1. 40 ½ note cards randomly mixed up. eight with a red dot, 32 with a black dot
2. Each student will receive 1 card and they are told not to show the card to anyone.
3. You may tell people whatever you want (lie) but you cannot show them your card.
4. If you are a black dot you win the game by forming the largest group of all black dots possible, if one or more red dots infiltrates your group you lose.
5. If you are a red dot you win by infiltrating a group, preferably the largest one possible.
Round 1 Debrief:
What strategy did you use?
Was anybody excluded from a group?
How did you know who you could trust?
What could you do differently next time?
Round 2:
1. Students turn their cards in. All the reds are mixed in with 16 black cards in one pile, this pile is given to the girls. The other pile, all blacks, is given to the boys.
2. Tell the students that none of the boys have red dots, some but not all of the girls do. Play again as normal and watch for patterns.
Debrief:
What strategy did you use this time?
Was it effective?
Was anybody excluded from a group?
Do you think it was fair to exclude all the girls (or boys) just because you knew some of them were red dots?
Round 3, same as 2 except boys have the red dots.
Connect the game back to racial Profiling. Debrief will be the same as round two.
Reflection:
Students will write a short reflection at the end of class answering the following prompt. Describe your experience in the game, were you excluded from any groups? Did you exclude someone from your group? Was it fair for you or them to do so? Is it fair for police or airport security to pull aside only those who are mostly likely (by race) to increase the chances they catch someone? What if we took it one step further and locked up all the people of one race most likely to commit a specific crime? Where do you personally draw the line?
Round 1
1. 40 ½ note cards randomly mixed up. eight with a red dot, 32 with a black dot
2. Each student will receive 1 card and they are told not to show the card to anyone.
3. You may tell people whatever you want (lie) but you cannot show them your card.
4. If you are a black dot you win the game by forming the largest group of all black dots possible, if one or more red dots infiltrates your group you lose.
5. If you are a red dot you win by infiltrating a group, preferably the largest one possible.
Round 1 Debrief:
What strategy did you use?
Was anybody excluded from a group?
How did you know who you could trust?
What could you do differently next time?
Round 2:
1. Students turn their cards in. All the reds are mixed in with 16 black cards in one pile, this pile is given to the girls. The other pile, all blacks, is given to the boys.
2. Tell the students that none of the boys have red dots, some but not all of the girls do. Play again as normal and watch for patterns.
Debrief:
What strategy did you use this time?
Was it effective?
Was anybody excluded from a group?
Do you think it was fair to exclude all the girls (or boys) just because you knew some of them were red dots?
Round 3, same as 2 except boys have the red dots.
Connect the game back to racial Profiling. Debrief will be the same as round two.
Reflection:
Students will write a short reflection at the end of class answering the following prompt. Describe your experience in the game, were you excluded from any groups? Did you exclude someone from your group? Was it fair for you or them to do so? Is it fair for police or airport security to pull aside only those who are mostly likely (by race) to increase the chances they catch someone? What if we took it one step further and locked up all the people of one race most likely to commit a specific crime? Where do you personally draw the line?