Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What are microaggressions? What impact do they have on people, and why are they tricky to deal with?

Teaching Suggestion: Depending on students’ prior life experiences, they may never have heard the term microaggression. To avoid guessing about their level of familiarity with the term, offer a brief introduction using the resources below. Students whose personal experience does not include being the target of microaggressions or who struggle to deal with the impact of microaggressions in their lives may dispute the entire concept, and they may be uncomfortable with a class discussion on this subject. Consider having students answer these questions in written form or giving clear guidelines about respectful ways to discuss this subject aloud.

• This NPR interview defines microaggressions and offers suggestions for dealing with them. (Teacher-appropriate, not student-facing due to length and complexity)
• This 5-minute video clearly and gently explains the term and its relevance to everyone.
• This amusing 3-minute video from MTV News asks what microaggressions against a dominant group might look like.