WEEK 1
Essential Question: How do we understand gender and gender roles in society?
Students will be asked to challenge their preexisting knowledge of gender and the gender roles they play in their day to day lives. Points of interest include: Toxic Masculinity & Femininity, Stereotypical Gender Roles, Gender Expression v. Relationships (initial understandings).
OBJECTIVES
Students will challenge their pre-existing knowledge of gender
Students will understand the terms masculinity and femininity
Students will reflect on their initial understandings of gender
Students will establish guidelines toward making their class community a safe space
WEEKLY ACTIVITIES & ASSESSMENTS
Hook the students with the Good Man / Real man activity --> ask students what it means to be a Good vs Real Man and record their answers on the board in chart form
Repeat for Good Girl / Bad Girl and then ask them to reflect in writing on their answers
Ask the class why this topic is difficult to discuss in a school environment, and from the discussion segue into the following activity
Create a class contract (if you have not already done so) to establish a safe space
Begin a know-wonder-learn chart, either as a poster or a digital document that students may revisit
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Role playing improvisation game with students around roles that are often stereotyped (eg. football player; nurse)
Read Jamaica Kincaid's short story "Girl" and analyze according to First and Second Stage reading technique
Have students compose their own version of "Girl"
Students can volunteer to read their story aloud
Use class discussion as formative assessment
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Students begin work on their Digital Journal (via Google Slides) for their reflections on learning
RESOURCES
Jamaica Kincaid on reading, her life, and the New Yorker YouTube video - for an excerpt of her reading "Girl" skip to 33:50
'Boys to Men' New York Times article (with Good Man / Real Man activity description)
