How did Jane Elliot demonstrate prejudice and discrimination to children?

Jane Elliot demonstrated prejudice and discrimination to children through the method of telling children that brown-eyed children were smarter than blue-eyed children. This exercise was part of her famous "blue eyes/brown eyes" experiment designed to teach children about the impact of discrimination and prejudice. By assigning value judgments based on eye color, Elliot vividly illustrated how arbitrary traits can lead to stereotyping and bias.

During her exercise, she created a hierarchy where children with brown eyes were considered superior, which led to blue-eyed children experiencing feelings of inferiority and exclusion. This sort of manipulation highlighted how easily prejudices can be ingrained and perpetuated among individuals based on trivial characteristics. The experience was powerful in helping children understand their feelings of both privilege and oppression, fostering empathy and insight into the effects of discrimination.