This week in class we learned about race. We started by learning how skin color evolved. Darker skin evolved to protect our bodies form UV radiation, and lighter skin evolved so that some UV radiation could still be absorbed so that we could make vitamin D. This means that skin color is clinal, or that it varies gradually from light to dark and there are no strict dividing lines between groups, like there are between blood groups. But biologically speaking, there are no human races. This is because in biology, a race means the same as a subspecies, and humans are more alike than we are different, so we have no subspecies. So race today is seen as a cultural construct, defined by the group that uses it. This means that it can change over time and between different regions and countries. For our activity, we grouped ourselves based on preferences and genetic traits, and each time, one group was randomly picked to do an exercise, or receive a prize. The lesson and activity showed the class that skin color, while important, is not the only important thing about us, and we shouldn’t use it to judge other people.
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To see and download the exact powerpoint, lesson plan, and activity used in this blog, you can do so by clicking the links below!
To see and download the exact powerpoint, lesson plan, and activity used in this blog, you can do so by clicking the links below!
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