English 8 Lesson:

Third Quarter EXAMINING BIASES (for or against) MADE

Weeks 1-2 BY THE AUTHOR

MELC : Examine biases (for or against) made by the author

Objectives :
1. Get familiar with what bias is
2. Identify author’s bias in a text
3. Examine biases (for or against) made by the author

Let’s Explore and Discover

Did you know that reading great literature exercises the imagination? We enjoy
stories; it is a pleasure to meet characters and to live in their world, to experience their
joys and sorrows.

One of the best approaches for writers to express their personal feelings, beliefs,
and ideas in a direct way is by making an examination in their works. This let readers to
feel that they should not disagree or dispute what they read or hear; rather, they should
accept the idea or notion as an indisputable fact.

In this lesson, you will be able to examine the biases made by the author in the
text.

Let’s first define the word bias!

Bias – the action of supporting or opposing a particular person or thing in an

unfair way, because of allowing personal opinions to influence your judgment.
(Cambridge English Dictionary)

Bias also refers to an inclination toward (or away from) one way of thinking, often
based on how you were raised. It is a tendency to lean on a certain direction, either in
favor of or against a particular thing.

For example, you might be biased to think that another student who has a dirty,
torn clothes might be from a poor family. When maybe they just had an accident that
day or spilled their lunch on their shirt.

An important skill of critical reading is the ability to detect an author's bias and
prejudice. The reason you need to be able to do this, of course, is that bias may
invalidate an author's claim.

There are several ways to detect an author's possible bias, for example:

1. The author uses inflammatory language: in the most extreme cases, racial
epithets, slurs, etc.;
 2. The author consistently makes claims whose larger purpose is to elevate (or
demean) one social, ethnic, national, religious, or gender group as compared to
another, or all others;

3. The author consciously presents evidence that serves to tell only one side of an
event or issue, purposefully withholding or ignoring information that may shed the
opposing view in a more positive light;

4. The author manufactures, falsifies and/or dishonestly cites evidence in order to

present his or her case in a more positive light.

Let’s Practice

I hope that you learned from the concepts above as it was intended for you. This
time, try to answer the following activities.

Activity 1: Make the Right Choice

Directions: Mark with asterisk (*) before each number if there is bias in each
action or thought presented.
1. Condemning somebody released from prison as bad
2. Thinking that blacks are slaves
3. Saying that people from the mountain are poor
4. Teacher welcomes new students whether natives or locals and foreigners.
5. White people are good.
6. Only men can be Police Officers.
7. A Filipino being friendly to foreigners
8. Women should stay only at home taking care of children and doing
household chores.
9. The neighborhood is helping one another despite differences.
10. Your mother wants you to be friends with your new classmate because she is
rich.

Activity 2: AM I BIASED?
Directions: Regroup your answers in Activity 1 by identifying at least 3 examples
of BIASED circumstances. Use the table below for your answers.

BIAS
1.

2.

3.
 Let’s Do More

The selection which you are about to read is considered as the oldest literary
piece believed to have been written 3000 years before Christ. Find out the similarities of
Egyptians and Filipinos in terms of culture, beliefs, respect and love for family and
reverence to God as depicted in this selection.
Moreover, you will examine the biases made by the author as you read the
selection. Good luck!

The Two Brothers

Egyptian Folktale

Once there were two brothers. Anpu was the elder, and Bata was the younger.
When their parents died, Anpu was already married and had a house of his own, so he
took his little brother with him and treated him like his son. When the little brother grew
to be a young man, he became an excellent worker. He did the plowing. He harvested
the corn, and there was no one his equal in the whole land. Behold, the spirit of the god
was within him.
Every morning, the younger brother followed his oxen and worked all day in the
fields, and every evening, he returned to the house with vegetables, milk, and wood. He
laid all these before his elder brother, and he took with him his bread, and he drove the
cattle into the field.
Because Anpu loved his younger brother very much, his wife became very
jealous and she wanted to destroy Bata. One day, when Anpu and Bata were in the
fields, they needed some corn, so Anpu sent Bata home to get some. The younger
brother found the wife combing her hair and said to her, “Get up and give me some corn
that I may run to the field for my elder brother is in a hurry. Do not delay.”
At eventide, Anpu returned home earlier than his brother because Bata had
much work to do in the fields. Anpu was met by his wife, who was crying bitterly. She
showed him her arms and legs which he had painted black and blue and accused Bata
of having beaten her up. She pretended to be in great pain. She did not give him water
to wash his hands with. She did not light the fire for him. She pretended that she was
very sick.
Anpu became very angry. He sharpened his knife and waited for Bata in the
stable. When the sun went down, Bata came home as usual, loaded with herbs, milk
and wood. As he entered the door, he saw the feet of his brother and the sharp knife
hanging by his side. The brother sprang from him and Bata fled praying to the god Ra.
“My good Lord! Save me from death, thou who divines the evil from the good.” Ra heard
his cry. He made a river flow between one brother and the other and filled it with
crocodiles.
Bata asked his elder brother, “Why do you seek to kill me? Am I not your brother
and have you not always treated me as if you were my father? Has not your wife been
as mother to me? Now since you want to kill me, I shall go to the Valley of the Acacia.”
Anpu answered, “Why did you beat up my wife and almost kill her.”
Bata answered, “I did not do such thing. Have I told you that I have always
looked upon her as my mother?”
So, Anpu went home. He found his wife near the river washing off the black and
blue dye with which she had painted herself. Filled with great anger, Anpu killed his wife
and cast her to the dogs. Then, he sat down, poured ashes on his head and mourned
for his younger brother.
Bata reached the Valley of Acacia. Since there was no one with him, he slew wild
beasts for food, built himself a house and met the Nine Gods who knew of his
innocence and goodness. Ra said to the god Khunumu, “Behold, frame a woman for
Bata that he may not remain alone.” So Khunumu made for Bata a wife to dwell with
him. She was indeed more beautiful than any other woman in the whole land. She was
like a goddess, and Bata loved her very much.

Activity 3: What Do You Think?

1. Why did the wife get jealous of Bata?

2. What did the wife do to get the attention of Anpu? Do you agree with what she
had done? Why so?

3. If you were Bata, what would you do? Do you agree with him in leaving the
house? Why so?

4. If you were Anpu, would you believe your wife’s explanation?

5. Do you agree with the beliefs and traditions they practice? Which of those bring
unity and harmony? Which do not?
_
 Activity 4: Agree or Disagree?
Directions: Read the statement and answer if you agree or disagree. Give a corresponding reason to your answer.

1. Anpu should not kill his wife because of

anger. Agree/Disagree:
Reason:

2. The attitude of Anpu’s wife is desirable.

Agree/Disagree:
Reason:

3. Bata is a lazy person.

Agree/Disagree:
Reason:

4. Anpu stands as a father to his brother

Bata. Agree/Disagree:
Reason:

5. The conflict of the story starts from where the wife of Anpu find ways to destroy Bata.
Agree/Disagree:
Reason:
 Let’s Sum It Up

Now, let’s put together the ideas you have learned from this module.
Directions: Complete the paragraph below by writing the appropriate word in
each blank. Choose your answer from the box.

biased opposing judgement opinions supporting

Bias refers to the action of (1) or (2) a particular

person or thing in an unfair way, because of allowing personal (3) to
influence your (4) .
It might be (5) to think that another student who has a dirty, torn
clothes might be from a poor family. When maybe they just had an accident that day or
spilled their lunch on their shirt.

Let’s Assess

Directions: Read the following sentences. Put a check mark ( √ ) if the sentence contains
BIASED circumstances and a cross mark ( ) if it does not.
1. The reason why his attitude is indifferent is because he came from a poor family.
2. It is really difficult to be with Peter because he is affiliated in that religion.
3. I always wanted to be with Gemma because she is good and talented.
4. Living in the province is hard .
5. President Duterte came from the province of Davao that is why he became a
good president.
6. Boys are more intelligent than girls.
7. The company hires only women because they are more competent than men.
8. The people voted for a certain candidate because of his affiliation to a superstar.
9. Black Americans are slaves in their country.
10. Indigent people will only cause trouble in the city.
 Key to Correction

Let’s Practice

Activity 1: Make the Right Choice

1. * 6. *
2. * 7.
3. * 8. *
4. 9.
5. * 10. *

Activity 2: AM I BIASED?

BIAS

Condemning somebody released from prison is a bad people

Your mother wants you to be friends with your new classmate because she is rich.

Saying that people from the mountain are poor.

Let’s Sum It Up
1. supporting
2. opposing
3. opinions
4. judgement
5. biased

Let’s Assess

1. √ 6.

2. 7.
3. √ 8. √

4. √ 9.

5. 10.
 References

Aguilar, Cerillo, et.al, (2021). English 9 Quarter 3 module 1: Differentiating Biases from

Prejudices. Department of Education MIMAROPA Region

Alejandrino, Reachel Mae, et.al, (2020). English 8 - Module 2: Reading and

Comprehension. Department of Education, Region X

Manalo, Justine, et.al, (2020). English 9 Quarter 3 module 1: Differentiating Biases from

Prejudices. Department of Education MIMAROPA Region

“Bias and Prejudice,” QC Pages, accessed July 28, 2020,

https://qcpages.qc.cuny.edu/writing/history/critical/bias.html
“Bias and Prejudice” Your Dictionary, accessed July 28, 2020,
https://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-bias.html
“Bias and Prejudice” Your Dictionary, accessed July 28, 2020,
https://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-bias.html

Prepared by:
Jerlyn M. Balmores
Marcelo I. Cabrera VHS
Oriental Mindoro