Are you normal? by Romy Boonen

Introduction

romyboonen — 2024-04-08 12:54:18 UTC

What is considered normal and what not? How are these ideas reinforced by society? How do they impact all of us? How is normality, as a societal standard, influenced by our perceptions of it? These are some questions we'll zoom in on during this Padlet!

3. TEDEd

romyboonen — 2024-04-08 12:54:18 UTC

Watch the video "What is ’normal’ and what is ’different’?" by Yana Buhrer Tavanier. It illustrates the different nuances of the term "normal."

5.1. POSSIBLE remedial exercise

romyboonen — 2024-04-08 12:54:18 UTC

If you are still unfamiliar with the vocabulary of exercise five, feel free to use these flashcards. You can use the "study" setting to memorize the definitions of various terms. You can also use the "practice" setting to test if you can match the terms with their correct definitions. Then, try to do exercise five again.

5. The nuance in normal: practice vocabulary

romyboonen — 2024-04-08 12:54:18 UTC

As we have seen, normal is an umbrella term. It refers to a range of standards that are perpetuated by society at a certain point in time. In this exercise you connect some terms that are adjacent to "normal" (and are present in the TedEd) with their correct definitions. You do this by clicking on the definition, then on the corresponding image. You continue to do so until you have connected all the pairs. If you experience any difficulties, feel free to click on "5.1. POSSIBLE remediation exercise". It gives you some extra support for this exercise.

9. Home assignment

romyboonen — 2024-04-08 12:54:18 UTC

For next class, you'll create a podcast at home wherein you elaborate on your definitions of "normal" and discuss some related questions. You can find the full assignment description in this Google document.

8. Individual assignment in class

romyboonen — 2024-04-08 12:54:19 UTC

Look up some definitions of "normal". You can use reputable online dictionaries like Merriam-Webster, Cambridge Dictionary, Britannica, Oxford Learner's Dictionary, etc. Then, create your own definition of "normal", based on your beliefs and the information you have gathered this class. Next, provide three example sentences wherein you use your definition of normal in a fitting way. Upload your assignment to Smartschool on a Word document.

1. Brainstorm "normal"

romyboonen — 2024-04-08 13:24:51 UTC

I'd like to start with a brainstorm about the concept of normality. You can share your ideas on Mentimeter. Click "Enter a word" to submit your answer(s). There are two slides and each time you can fill in up to three answers.

4. Brainstorm TedEd

romyboonen — 2024-04-08 15:47:00 UTC

The term "normal" is full of nuance. What does "normal" refer to in the TedEd? Click on the link to answer this question. You can type your answer by clicking on "T". You can also draw it by clicking on the pencil icon.

2. Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

romyboonen — 2024-04-09 12:12:58 UTC

As you can see, your previous answers differ. We all have a different idea about what's normal. Similarly, we can perceive the cat and dog as sitting on the left and right side, on the right and left side, or on and beside the woman. Some cultures do not even know the concept of right and left, but rather think of East and West. This cultural difference is intertwined with the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. It suggests that the structure of a language influences its speakers' worldview. In other words, our languages determine how we perceive the world. Therefore, our views of "normal", that even differ among ourselves, are not universal. How we think of "normal" greatly differs from people in Peru, for example.

6. Normalcy: a short film

romyboonen — 2024-04-09 14:09:04 UTC

We have learned about the significance of language in defining normality and about the nuance of the term "normal". This video highlights the difficulties of conforming to normality.

7. Discussion short film

romyboonen — 2024-04-09 14:59:02 UTC

What follows is a class discussion on Mentimeter. There are three questions about the short film we have just watched. For each question you can submit multiple answers. You do this by clicking on the textbox on the right.

10. Closure

romyboonen — 2024-04-10 13:44:50 UTC

Well done, you have reached the end of this lesson! You have learned about how normality is dependent on what language you speak and what culture you are from. You have also learned that "normal" does not have one ambiguous definition. Rather, it is a term full of nuance. I would like to end this class with this important message: "Always be aware of how you project your perception of normality onto others." Pass along this message and turn it into practice!