A Class Divided

Overview

• Title: A Class Divided
• Published: January 1, 1970
• Episode Info: Season 1985, Episode 9 (aired March 26, 1985, with a runtime of 53 minutes)
• Produced by: William Peters
• Platform: PBS FRONTLINE

Key Content

• Context:

  • The day after Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination, Jane Elliott, a teacher, conducted an experiment on discrimination in her third-grade classroom in a small, all-white Iowa town.
  • The classroom was divided into two groups based on eye color: blue-eyed and brown-eyed.

• Purpose:

  • The lesson aimed to provide a firsthand experience of discrimination and its effects.
  • It was designed to show the impact of racism and prejudice.

• Impact:

  • The story highlights the lasting impact of this lesson on the children involved.
  • It has been used as a powerful tool to teach about racism and bigotry for over 30 years.

Themes and Topics

• Education:
  • Innovative teaching methods to explain complex social issues.
• Social Issues:
  • Discussion on racism and discrimination.

Additional Resources

• Teacher’s Guide:

  • Available to engage students in discussions about racism and prejudice.

• Related Articles:

  • Introduction and background on Jane Elliott’s experiment.
  • Impact and current status of the experiment and Jane Elliott's work.

Additional Information

• Funding and Support for PBS FRONTLINE:

  • Supported by PBS viewers, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and other foundations (Abrams Foundation, Park Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund).

• Educational Outreach:

  • FRONTLINE provides resources for teachers through the PBS LearningMedia platform.

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  • Various documentaries covering diverse topics like business, climate, terrorism, and politics available on the PBS site.