PSYC Example

The Sneetches and Fighting Prejudice An Interactive Story Baced on a Dr. Seuss book Put together by Marcella Lees and Karah Haug [[Begin Story Here]]

You are a Star-Bellied Sneetch. You are on the beach playing beach volleyball with your Star-Bellied friends. Suddenly a Plain-Bellied Sneetch comes to the beach and asks to play with you and your friends. Your friends, with their snoots in the air, they sniff and they snort “We'll have nothing to do with the Plain-Belly sort!" Do you? [[Agree with them and send him off. Star-Bellies forever!]] [[Don’t say anything now because it might be socially awkward but later take your friend aside and ask why we couldn’t include the Plain-Bellied sneetch?]] [[Disagree with your friends when they say this and say you would love to have the Plain-Bellied Sneetch play with you!]]

Congratulations! You have done nothing to combat a meaningless prejudice and are allowing systemic Sneetchism to continue. You should probably educate yourself and [[try again ->Next]]

Sometimes confronting your friends in a large group can be scary and even dangerous. This can be a good strategy to confront things. But how do you think the Plain-Bellied Sneetch feels right now? Do you... [[Not worry about it. They’ve experienced it before and probably will again->Wrong Choice]] Or [[Go after them and apologize for your friends.]]

Your friends feel embarrassed by their response and allow the Plain Bellied Sneetch to play beach volleyball with the group. You then talk to each of them later to ask why they didn’t want to play with the Plain Bellied Sneetch in the first place and explain how society has trained them to be prejudiced against Plain Bellied Sneetch but that this is something that can be changed! [[Continue Story]]

Later that day, you pass by a group of young Star-Belly Sneetches playing ball. You notice that the Plain-Belly Sneetch children are all standing by the sidelines, unable to join in the game. Do you… [[Pass by and ignore the situation]] [[Use your seniority to explain to the young Sneetches that they should include their Plain-Belly neighbors]]

The Plain Bellied Sneetch appreciates your apology, but felt hurt you wouldn’t defend them in front of your friends and asks that you confront the situation next time if you can. [[Continue Story]]

Children learn from those around them and you’ve just perpetuated biases about differences between Plain Belly and Star Belly Sneetches. [[Turn around and say something instead->Continue Story]]

Good job! These youngsters needed someone to set an example for how to acknowledge and reduce prejudice. [[Continue Story->Continue Story 2]]

The next morning, you wake up to find that a strange man by the name of Sylvester McMonkey McBean has come to town with a Star-On machine. Every Plain-Belly Sneetch in town has lined up to get a new star on their belly. However, Sylvester also has a Star-Off machine and your Star-Belly friends are getting in line to have their star removed! That way they can remain special. Do you… [[Scoff and say stars are out of style and line up to remove your star with the rest of your friends]] [[Decide to keep your star because it shouldn’t matter one way or the other]]

That’s not a great attitude. How would you feel if you were the Plain-Bellied Sneetch? [[Try Again?->Don’t say anything now because it might be socially awkward but later take your friend aside and ask why we couldn’t include the Plain-Bellied sneetch?]]

[[You sure that’s the right move?->Continue Story 2]]

This Sneetch society has created a lot of implicit biases about the difference between Star Bellies and Plain Bellies, and you’re choosing to confront your prejudice. Good work, keep it up! [[Continue Story->Continue Story 3]]

Your friends do the Star-Off Machine anyway though and you are forced to watch as madness unfolds... That handy machine Working very precisely Removed all the stars from their tummies quite nicely. Then, with snoots in the air, they paraded about And they opened their beaks and they let out a shout, "We know who is who! Now there isn't a doubt. The best kind of Sneetches are Sneetches without!" [[Continue->Continue Story 4]]

Then, of course, those with stars all got frightfully mad. To be wearing a star now was frightfully bad. Then, of course, old Sylvester McMonkey McBean Invited them into his Star-Off Machine. [[Continue-> Continue Story 5]]

Then, of course from then on, as you probably guess, Things really got into a horrible mess. All the rest of that day, on those wild screaming beaches, The Fix-it-Up Chappie kept fixing up Sneetches. Off again! On again! [[Continue->Continue Story 6]]

In again! Out again! Through the machines they raced round and about again, Changing their stars every minute or two. They kept paying money. They kept running through Until neither the Plain nor the Star-Bellies knew Whether this one was that one...or that one was this one Or which one was what one...or what one was who. [[Continue Story->Continue Story 7]]

Then, when every last cent Of their money was spent, The Fix-it-Up Chappie packed up And he went. [[Continue->Continue Story 8]]

And he laughed as he drove In his car up the beach, "They never will learn. No. You can't teach a Sneetch!" [[Continue->Continue Story 9]]

But McBean was quite wrong. I'm quite happy to say The Sneetches got really quite smart on that day, The day they decided that Sneetches are Sneetches And no kind of Sneetch is the best on the beaches. That day, all the Sneetches forgot about stars And whether they had one, or not, upon thars. The End! [[Play Again?->Title]]

Now, the Star-Belly Sneetches Had bellies with stars. The Plain-Belly Sneetches Had none upon thars. Those stars weren't so big. They were really so small You might think such a thing wouldn't matter at all. But, because they had stars, all the Star-Belly Sneetches Would brag, "We're the best kind of Sneetch on the beaches." [[Next]]