Perceptual Errors - An In-Depth Look at Toni Morrison’s Short Story “Recitatif”

Unit	Sustaining Community
Lesson Name	Perceptual Errors – An In-Depth Look at Toni Morrison’s Short Story “Recitatif”
Grade Band	High School (9-12)

Required Materials	Enough copies of the “Recitatif” Handout for each student to have one. Copies of “Recitatif” by Toni Morrison or access to the “Recitatif” audio. Poster boards for every student. Markers for every student.
Standards / Competencies	SEL Core Competencies: Self-Awareness: identifying emotions, experiencing self-efficacy, linking feelings, values and thoughts, demonstrating honesty and integrity Self-Management: managing one’s emotions, exhibiting self-discipline Social Awareness: taking others’ perspectives, recognizing strengths in others, demonstrating empathy and compassion, identifying diverse social norms, showing concern for the feelings of others Relationship Skills: communicating effectively, developing positive relationships, showing leadership in groups, resolving conflicts constructively, seeking or offering support when needed ELA Standards: Listening and Speaking, Reading, Writing Social Studies Theme: Individual Development and Identity
Recommended Time	50 mins

Required Materials

Enough copies of the “Recitatif” Handout for each student to have one.
Copies of “Recitatif” by Toni Morrison or access to the “Recitatif” audio.
Poster boards for every student.
Markers for every student.

Standards / Competencies

SEL Core Competencies:

Self-Awareness: identifying emotions, experiencing self-efficacy, linking feelings, values and thoughts, demonstrating honesty and integrity
Self-Management: managing one’s emotions, exhibiting self-discipline
Social Awareness: taking others’ perspectives, recognizing strengths in others, demonstrating empathy and compassion, identifying diverse social norms, showing concern for the feelings of others
Relationship Skills: communicating effectively, developing positive relationships, showing leadership in groups, resolving conflicts constructively, seeking or offering support when needed

ELA Standards: Listening and Speaking, Reading, Writing

Social Studies Theme: Individual Development and Identity

Recommended Time

50 mins

Essential Question	How can perceptual differences, errors, and biases (including unconscious bias) create different sides to the same story and contribute to conflict?
Learning Objectives	Students will: Define unconscious bias, perceptual differences, errors, and biases. Identify common types of perceptual differences, errors, and biases. Recognize how perceptual differences, errors, and biases create barriers to communication. Understand how perceptual biases can contribute to prejudice and conflict. Reflect on ways to overcome perceptual biases.

Essential Question

How can perceptual differences, errors, and biases (including
unconscious bias) create different sides to the same story and
contribute to conflict?

Learning Objectives

Students will:

Define unconscious bias, perceptual differences, errors, and biases.

Identify common types of perceptual differences, errors, and biases.

Recognize how perceptual differences, errors, and biases create barriers to communication.

Understand how perceptual biases can contribute to prejudice and conflict.

Reflect on ways to overcome perceptual biases.

Activating Prior Knowledge	Have students read or listen to “Recitatif” by Toni Morrison prior to class. Read online or print out. Listen online. On the day of class, provide students with the context for the story: In “Recitatif,” Toni Morrison asks readers to explore their own unconscious bias by purposefully obstructing and omitting overt mentions of the two main character’s races. Let students know they will talk about unconscious bias and perceptual differences.
Core Instruction	Share the following perceptual errors and biases. As you introduce each one, ask students to think of an example of each and then repeat the activity by asking for examples of each from “Recitatif” by Toni Morrison: Selective Perception: Paying attention only to the information that confirms or supports our understanding. Stereotyping: Assigning characteristics to a person or group based on their identity. Halo Effect: Generalizing about a variety of characteristics we think a person should or must have based on one characteristic alone. Projection: The tendency to attribute one’s own feelings or characteristics to other people. Especially when we experience negative feelings, we may project them to other people to avoid admitting they are a part of us. Perceptual Defense: Protecting our confidence in what we believe by ignoring information that undermines or threatens our belief. Review “Recitatif” by Toni Morrison. Distribute “Recitatif” Handout or ensure access to “Recitatif” audio. Remind the class that Toni Morrison purposely did not reveal the character’s race in the story. Think – Pair – Share – Reflect Think: Reflect individually on the questions in the handout and fill out the handout. Pair: Divide the class into groups and ask them to share their reflections from the handout with one another. Share: Ask for volunteers to share the discussion they had as a group, such as the similar or differing opinions students shared with one another. Reflect: Ask the class to name one thing about perceptual biases that they learned from “Recitatif” that they did not know before reading or discussing the story.
Wrap-up	Ask: How do perceptual errors or biases create different sides to a story—or totally different stories? How can perceptual biases make it difficult to communicate with others? How can they contribute to prejudice and conflict? How do you think people can overcome perceptual biases?
Learning Beyond Classroom Walls	Describe the “gar girls” in the orchard at St. Bonny’s scene from the point of view of one specific character, either one of the “gar girls” or Maggie. Emphasize differences in how the characters see situations and each other. Describe the different signs from the story with a partner. Take turns describing what you think the signs mean in reference to Roberta’s original sign “Mothers Have Rights Too!” and why Twyla’s signs don’t make sense without Roberta’s. Before moving on to another sign, make sure you and your partner discuss the different ways you each described the same sign. Signs: “And So Do Children****,” “How Would You Know?,” and “Is Your Mother Well?”

Activating Prior Knowledge

Have students read or listen to “Recitatif” by Toni Morrison prior to class. Read online or print out. Listen online.

On the day of class, provide students with the context for the story: In “Recitatif,” Toni Morrison asks readers to explore their own unconscious bias by purposefully obstructing and omitting overt mentions of the two main character’s races. Let students know they will talk about unconscious bias and perceptual differences.

Core Instruction

Share the following perceptual errors and biases. As you introduce each one, ask students to think of an example of each and then repeat the activity by asking for examples of each from “Recitatif” by Toni Morrison:

Selective Perception: Paying attention only to the information that confirms or supports our understanding.

Stereotyping: Assigning characteristics to a person or group based on their identity.

Halo Effect: Generalizing about a variety of characteristics we think a person should or must have based on one characteristic alone.

Projection: The tendency to attribute one’s own feelings or characteristics to other people. Especially when we experience negative feelings, we may project them to other people to avoid admitting they are a part of us.

Perceptual Defense: Protecting our confidence in what we believe by ignoring information that undermines or threatens our belief.

Review “Recitatif” by Toni Morrison. Distribute “Recitatif” Handout or ensure access to “Recitatif” audio. Remind the class that Toni Morrison purposely did not reveal the character’s race in the story.

Think – Pair – Share – Reflect

Think: Reflect individually on the questions in the handout and fill out the handout.

Pair: Divide the class into groups and ask them to share their reflections from the handout with one another.

Share: Ask for volunteers to share the discussion they had as a group, such as the similar or differing opinions students shared with one another.

Reflect: Ask the class to name one thing about perceptual biases that they learned from “Recitatif” that they did not know before reading or discussing the story.

Wrap-up

Ask: How do perceptual errors or biases create different sides
to a story—or totally different stories? How can perceptual biases make
it difficult to communicate with others? How can they contribute to
prejudice and conflict? How do you think people can overcome perceptual
biases?

Learning Beyond Classroom Walls

Describe the “gar girls” in the orchard at St. Bonny’s scene from the point of view of one specific character, either one of the “gar girls” or Maggie. Emphasize differences in how the characters see situations and each other.

Describe the different signs from the story with a partner. Take turns describing what you think the signs mean in reference to Roberta’s original sign “Mothers Have Rights Too!” and why Twyla’s signs don’t make sense without Roberta’s. Before moving on to another sign, make sure you and your partner discuss the different ways you each described the same sign. Signs: “And So Do Children****,” “How Would You Know?,” and “Is Your Mother Well?”

Supplementary Resources

“Recitatif” by Toni Morrison PDF: https://www.cusd80.com/cms/lib/AZ01001175/Centricity/Domain/1073/Morrison_recitatifessay.doc.pdf

“Recitatif” by Toni Morrison Audio: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/ksiobhanwright/episodes/Recitatif-by-Toni-Morrison-e2jmtl

Instructional Content Adaptations

Enrichment Activity

You can deepen the discussion of perceptual errors, biases, and identity by engaging in a poster board activity inspired by the protest signs that Twyla and Roberta held in the story.

Explain that the class will continue the discussion of perceptual biases, unconscious bias, and identity by doing an activity with a poster board. Ask students to sit in pairs. Each student receives a poster board and a marker. Between the two of them, they decide on a topic on which to make signs. Topics can range from everyday conversation topics like weather to debatable topics like school uniforms. In the pairs, one student will write a statement about the topic. For example, if the students choose weather as the topic, the first student may write “the sun is out” on their poster board. The second student will then respond to the first student’s statement on their poster board. The second student may take an opposing stance or affirmative stance, such as “Yes, it is out,” or “No, it’s not out.” Ask students to be specific in their responses. Once students are done with the activity, collect all of the signs.

Ask: How did it feel to take a stance with or against your
partner? Did you selectively perceive any of the information? What did
it feel like to have to define a position based on someone else’s
stance?

Mix up and distribute all of the signs randomly to all of the students. Ask four students, one at a time, to come to the front of the classroom with their signs. Then, ask the class if anyone thinks they have the sign that matches the topic of the sign at the front of the classroom. It may take a few tries for the class to correctly identify the matches.

Once the class identifies the four matches, ask: When trying to
match the signs, was it easy or difficult? Did the signs make sense
without one another? Did you have enough information? Did you want to
ask follow-up questions? Did you notice the parallels with Twyla’s
experience defining her stance in contrast with Roberta’s? Do you think
that selective perception played a role in their signs? In
yours?

Lesson prepared by Janie Dumbleton, Assistant Director, Peacebuilding Program, Tanenbaum

Download this lesson to access handouts.

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