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USING CHILDREN’S BOOKS TO LOOK AT GENDER STEREOTYPING

SUGGESTED GRADE LEVEL: 1 – 3 LENGTH OF TIME: 35 minutes

GOALS • To use literature to help students to examine and understand gender roles and

recognize gender stereotyping. • To expand students’ perceptions of activities/roles for boys and girls. • For students to see that both girls and boys like and can do many things. • For students to understand ally behavior

OBJECTIVES • Students will read and discuss a story to examine gender stereotyping.

ACADEMIC STANDARDS • CCSS RL 2.1 Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and

how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text. Also RL 1.1, 3.1. • CCSS SL 1.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about

grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups. Also SL 2.1. • Social Studies Strand 4: Individual Development and Identity – Exploration,

identification, and analysis of how individuals and groups are alike and how they are unique.

EDUCATORS’ NOTES Children receive formal and informal messages about gender from a multitude of sources — their families, their peers, their communities and the media. Many of the messages empower them, and many of the messages limit them

This activity provides a fun, age-appropriate way to talk about the serious issues of gender stereotypes, gender-based discrimination and the limitations that traditional gender roles and expectations place on individuals and to provide messages that will empower them to see the range of human behaviors as possible and positive ways to be, regardless of their genders.

Television, movies and toys are examples of places in our culture that divide the world into male and female appropriate behaviors. At school, it is important for educators to create gender-expansive environments where children can be whole by expressing every part of their personality

It is often important to review classroom rules about kindness and respect when starting these discussions because talking about gender can become very personal.

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MATERIALS Chart paper, markers. SUGGESTED BOOKS Choose one of the following books: The Sissy Duckling by Harvey Fierstein, Annie’s Plaid Shirt by Stacy Davis, Henry Holton Takes the Ice by Sandra Bradley or The Story of Ferdinand by Munroe Leaf.

ACTIVITY • Read one of the suggested books.

• Discussion: o What things do the main characters do that surprise others? o How do the main characters feel when others make fun of them? o What makes them feel better? o How could you help them be an ally if you were there?

• Do you know anybody who works at a job, participates in activities and games or wears clothing that is surprising? Does the job a person has, or what they wear mean the person is a man or woman? Does what someone plays or what they wear mean they are a boy or a girl?

• Post a chart with two headings: “What do you need to bake a cake?” and “What do you need to play baseball?”

• Ask children to call out a list of the things that are needed in order to do each of these activities. Responses may be things like “hands to throw” under the “Play Baseball” list or “hands to stir” under the “Bake a Cake” list. Other responses may be “eyes to see,” “others to play/work with,” “directions or rules,” etc.

• Once the children are satisfied that they have included all of their ideas, read each item, asking, “Who has…” (fill in all of the characteristics from the list.) It is likely every child will raise their hands every time. Respond with reassurance that this is true and empowering. Point out how exciting it is that all of them can do all of these things.

• Ask the children to consider why it is that people make decisions about what children can and can’t do. Discuss that children and grown-ups have choices and may like to do all kinds of things. Ask what might make people not choose an activity that they might really like to do.

• Have the students think of ways to respond to assumptions or limits that are created by others. Encourage them to use the things they listed in forming their responses. Ask how they could support others in trying new things and participating in non-traditional activities.

EXTENSION • Have children break into small groups and act out parts of the story where someone

could behave in a way that would make a main character feel better sooner than they do in the story. This gives students a chance to demonstrate ally behavior

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ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION • Ongoing teacher observation and class discussions on whether or not gender-based

teasing is recognized more often, becomes less frequent or is eliminated.

• Ongoing teacher observation on whether or not students feel comfortable making choices outside gender expectations.

• On going teacher observation of kindness, respect and ally behavior when children participate all kinds of traditional and non traditional work and play

ADDITIONAL BOOKS FOR STUDENTS Amazing Grace, Mary Hoffman. The Art Lesson, Tomie dePaola. Brothers of the Knight, Debbie Allen. The Duke Who Outlawed Jellybeans, Johnny Valentine. Jacob’s New Dress, Sarah and Ian Hoffman. Just Like Josh Gibson, Angela Johnson. Kate and the Beanstalk, Mary Pope Osborne. The Knight and the Dragon, Tomie dePaola. The Paper Bag Princess or La Princesa Vestida con una Bolsa de Papel, Robert Munsch. Red: A Crayon's Story by Michael Hall.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AVAILABLE FROM WELCOMING SCHOOLS • Understanding Gender • Children’s Books to Understand Gender and Support Transgender and Non-Binary

Youth

Developed by Emmy Howe, Open View Farm Educational Center, Conway, MA www.openviewfarm.org, with Aimee Gelnaw, M.S