Human Development

Gender Lesson Plan

Day 1:

Questions on butcher paper around the room. Ask students to answer all of the questions.

Q: What are the advantages of being female? …Male?

Q: What are the disadvantages of being female? …Male?

Process answers and discuss similarities and differences in the lists. Ask a volunteer to read the lists out loud.

Q: How difficult/easy was it to create these lists and why?

Q: What does this mean/tell us about gender?

Introduce Gender Spectrum.

Maleç______(is there a middle gender?______èFemale

What is gender? Defining terms on matching cards.

Have students read myth and fact cards:

Myth: Youth are identifying as TG just to be trendy.

Fact: Identifying as transgender brings with it challenges and often discrimination. It is not something people do to be cool. Like in many other areas of their life, some students may be exploring their gender expression and the labels they use to describe themselves. Such exploration is a normal part of adolescent development.

Myth: Transgender people are gay.

Fact: Sexual orientation and gender identity are different. A person’s actual orientation is related to whether the person is romantically attracted to men women or both. Gender Identity on the other hand is about the person’s own internal identification as male, female, or a gender in between male and female. Just like non-transgender people, transgender people can be of any sexual orientation.

Myth: Transgender women are not “real” women and Transgender men are not “real” men.

Fact: Peoples true gender is not defined by the sex they were assigned at birth. Our true gender is based on our gender identity. When a person who is transgender expresses an identity that is different from the one they were assigned at birth, the gender they are expressing is their “real” gender.

Using two different colored index cards, ask student to write down questions they have for people who identify as the opposite of them.

Day 2:

Gender Fishbowl Activity

Disclaimer: this activity doesn’t include people who identify as TG, which makes it flawed.

Form two circles, an inner circle and an outer circle.

Use the questions on index cards from the previous class.

1.  Round 1:

·  Males in the inner circle.

·  Females in outer circle.

·  Facilitator reads questions that the females came up with.

·  Males answer the questions.

·  Females listen.

·  Facilitator asks females follow-up questions.

2.  Round 2: (Vice-Versa)

·  Females in the inner circle.

Outer Circle Follow-up Questions

1. How did it feel to hear their discussion?

2. Were you surprised by anything?

3. Did you hear or learn something new?

4.  Do you disagree with anything that was said?

Inner Circle Follow-up Questions

1.  What did it feel like to discuss these issues with (the opposite sex) the males/females listening?

2.  What did it feel like to respond to these questions?

Follow-up Question for whole group

1.  Who has influenced/taught you about your role as a male or female?

2.  What kind of messages have you received from those sources?