Lesson: Gender Roles
This lesson plan and accompanying activity are designed to be taught after showing the jsk stories gender equality presentation. Feel free to change, adjust, and customize these plans according to your classroom or circumstance. The lesson and activity go well together, but can be split into two days.
Concept 1 – Avoid gender stereotypes.
- Discuss: Why would making judgements about someone based on their gender be harmful?
- Expecting people to make certain choices based on their gender is problematic because we are all unique individuals.
- Gender is a part of who we are, but we are also so much more than that. We are dreamers, go-getters, adventurers, and knowledge-seekers! No matter what path we choose in life, our gender shouldn’t stop us from following those dreams!
Concept 2 – Be yourself!
- Discuss: Should gender determine my interests or my activities?
- When in doubt, always follow your heart and your passions. No matter what anyone says, you have the ability to like and find interest in things no matter your gender.
- For example, saying things like boys only like blue and girls only like pink closes our mind to seeing people as themselves. Not all boys like blue and not all girls like pink. Just like we should be ourselves, we should accept others as themselves as well.
Concept 3 – Create a safe space.
- Discuss: How can I create an inclusive and equal environment for me and my friends?
- Always be respectful. Not everyone may be educated about harmful gender stereotypes so it’s important to respond in a respectful manner if someone says something insensitive.
- When choosing activities, give everyone an opportunity to say what they want to do. Sometimes we may assume that because of someone’s gender they may want to do a certain activity. Allow others to speak for themselves and don’t speak for them.
- If you notice someone being bullied because of their gender, be sure to report that to a trusted adult or teacher. Change only happens when we speak out!
Activity: Dream Journals
Materials needed:
- Mini Notebooks
- Pen or Pencils
Hand a notebook out to each student. Make sure they have something to write with. Each day for a week give the students the following prompts:
Day 1: What do you love about yourself?
Day 2: List things that describe your personality. This could be colors, items, seasons, or even food! List them and explain why.
Day 3: What are your favorite activities and hobbies?
Day 4: What are some activities or skills you would like to learn?
Day 5: Where are some places you would like to travel in the future? Why?
Day 6: Who is your hero? What are some things about that person that you admire?
Day 7: What types of careers are you interested in pursuing in the future? Why?
After day seven’s writing prompt, invite the students to share their experiences with the class or partner. How did they feel when writing in their dream journals? What new things did they learn about themselves? You could even invite them to read one of their favorite journal entries if you feel prompted. Remind them that getting to know yourself for who you are is more important than what other people expect from them. These self-esteem exercises will help students realize that their gender is just a part of who they are, and that gender doesn’t determine their interests or role in life.