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Guiding Questions

What is a stereotype? Can stereotypes affect how people respond to people with HIV or AIDS?

What is discrimination? Is discrimination a relevant concern for people with HIV or AIDS?

What do students think about people with HIV or AIDS? What is it like to imagine having HIV or AIDS?

Why is HIV prevention important?

Content: Attitudes
Recommended Grade Level: 5-9
Correlation to Standards: Health Education: 1, 4, 7; Science Education: F, G
Estimated Time: 15 minutes excluding Lesson Extension & Assessment
Set Up: Create an open space in which students can walk freely.

Part 1: Walking Toward Empathy

1. Guide students to walk in different ways, showing specific characteristics, according to the teacher’s directions listed below. Students express a variety of emotions and physical conditions in sequence by changing the manner in which they walk. Regardless of their specific task, students walk silently throughout the activity. Direct students to:

• Walk normally.
  
  
• Walk like you have sprained ankles.
  
  
• Walk like you’re proud of yourselves.
  
  
• Walk like you’re tired.
  
  
• Walk like you’re feeling really good.
  
  
• Walk like you’re very sad.
  
  
• Walk like you’re confused.
  
  
• Walk like you’re comfortable with yourselves and know exactly where you’re going.
  
  
• Walk like you have AIDS or HIV.
  

Part 2: Class Discussion

1. Did students adopt similar or dissimilar body language to each other during the previous steps
   
   Most likely, people walked similarly during each step.
   
   
2. Was the response to the last step, “walk like you have AIDS or HIV.”?
   
   In almost all cases, at least one student walks “normally.” Others typically stop, stare at each other, look confused at the teacher, or shrug their shoulders.
   
   
3. Did students limp when asked to walk like they had a sprained ankle?
   
   Most likely, yes.
   
   
4. If so, does the entire class currently have sprained ankles?
   
   Probably not.
   
   
5. If not, why did everyone limp?
   
   Most people have had a sprained ankle or seen someone who has.
   
   
6. Can someone who does not have HIV (or does not know if he/she has HIV) nonetheless try to imagine what it might be like to be infected with HIV? Why or why not?
   
   
7. Can you tell if a person has HIV or AIDS by how he or she walks?
   
   No. A person with HIV or AIDS can walk like any other person and display a variety of characteristics. Sometimes students will suggest that a person with AIDS will walk like he/she is sick. In this case, the person walks like he/she feels sick which is quite different than walking like he/she is HIV. Other people who feel sick due to different illnesses can walk like they feel sick, too.
   
   
8. Do some people with HIV or AIDS get treated differently than other people? When can special treatment be good? When can it be bad?
   
   
9. What is discrimination?
   
   
10. What is a stereotype?
    
    
11. How should people treat individuals with HIV infection or AIDS?
    
    
12. What does it mean to walk in somebody else’s shoes?
    
    
13. What is involved with walking like you’re sad, proud or happy?
    
    
14. Are people with HIV infection or AIDS also able to walk like they’re happy, sad or proud?
    
    Yes. People with HIV or AIDS are people, not their disease.
    
    
15. What does it mean to “walk the talk” of HIV or AIDS prevention?
    
    
16. What was the purpose of this activity?
    

Lesson Extension & Assessment

1. In small groups, students create other respectful and non-threatening activities that could assist the class in addressing stereotypes or exploring discrimination.
   
   
2. Students research legal issues pertaining to discrimination against people with HIV or AIDS. Sample questions could include: Do schools still discriminate against people with HIV? What is the Americans with Disabilities Act and what does it say about HIV and AIDS? What are legal issues regarding confidentiality and HIV or AIDS status? Groups determine and execute their own presentation methods and styles to communicate their research findings. Display or present the research projects.
   
   
3. Students create art posters that communicate the message(s) from the Walk Like Activity. Display the posters.
   
   
4. Students present the Walk Like Activity to their families, at home. Each student writes a detailed description of the teaching experience as well as the family’s reactions. Compare and contrast the experience of participating in the activity versus presenting it.