Education

Doll Project Causes a Stir

By Mark Stricherz — February 28, 2001 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Weeks after banning a 3rd grader’s science fair exhibit, a Boulder, Colo., school will now use the experiment with black and white Barbie dolls to discuss racial issues.

The experiment, which found that the school’s 5th graders were much more likely to prefer a white Barbie doll than were adults, will be used to talk about “issues of race and diversity” among the school’s 4th and 5th graders, said Janelle Albertson, a spokeswoman for the 26,900-student district.

Mesa Elementary School officials shelved the exhibit Feb. 1, saying that minority students could be offended by its conclusions.

David Thielen, whose daughter conducted the experiment, has called on school officials to apologize for barring it from the science fair, according to press accounts. Ms. Albertson said district officials had not apologized.

In the experiment, a black and a white Barbie doll wore different-colored dresses. Adults at Mr. Thielen’s workplace preferred the doll with a lavender dress over one in a light-green gown, regardless of the doll’s skin color. But 24 of 30 5th graders preferred the white doll, regardless of which color dress she wore.

—MARK STRICHERZ

A version of this article appeared in the February 28, 2001 edition of Education Week as Doll Project Causes a Stir

Events

Student Well-Being K-12 Essentials Forum Boosting Student and Staff Mental Health: What Schools Can Do
Join this free virtual event based on recent reporting on student and staff mental health challenges and how schools have responded.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Curriculum Webinar
Practical Methods for Integrating Computer Science into Core Curriculum
Dive into insights on integrating computer science into core curricula with expert tips and practical strategies to empower students at every grade level.
Content provided by Learning.com

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: October 11, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Briefly Stated: September 27, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
9 min read
Education Briefly Stated: September 20, 2023
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education From Our Research Center What's on the Minds of Educators, in Charts
Politics, gender equity, and technology—how teachers and administrators say these issues are affecting the field.
1 min read
Stylized illustration of a pie chart
Traci Daberko for Education Week