Lesson Title and Suggested Placement Within the ELA Curriculum

Grade 6 English Language Arts-Digital Citizenship Integrated Lesson:
Gender Stereotypes in Greek Mythology & Online

Lesson Title and Suggested Placement Within the ELA Curriculum:

Digital Citizenship Integrated Lesson: Gender Stereotypes in Mythology and Online
Unit 2: Between Lessons # 15 and 17, immediately before PBA.

Student Learning Goals/Objectives/I Can Statements:

English Language Arts:

I can apply knowledge of Greek gods and goddesses to explain how mythology relates to our lives in modern times.
I can analyze the characteristics of mythological characters to create a unique mythological character to embed within an original myth.

Digital Citizenship:

I can define gender stereotypes and recognize them in virtual worlds.
I can describe the impact of gender stereotypes on people's identities, both online and offline.
I can analyze opportunities and limitations for gender expression in virtual worlds.

Essential Questions:

English Language Arts:

What life lessons can be learned from the heroes and villains of ancient Greek mythology?
How does an understanding of ancient mythology and allusion enhance a person’s ability to analyze, evaluate, and critique?

Digital Citizenship:

What are gender stereotypes, and how can they shape our experiences online and offline?

Instructional Notes:

This lesson should be implemented after students have built background conducted research or built background knowledge about the Greek gods and goddesses (for example, using the Slam Dunk Meet the Olympians 1). This lesson may be implemented before or during reading of The Lightning Thief or short stories.
Collaboration your school library media specialist to implement this lesson is recommended.
For system-wide accountability in conjunction with the BCPS Growing up Digital initiative, all students in Grade 6 must receive this instruction and complete the BCPS One Quiz for this lesson through English Language Arts classes.

Materials/Resources

Illustrations of Greek gods and goddesses:
The Olympians: by George O’Connor
Close-up images: Ares, Aphrodite, and Athena
Depictions of gender stereotypes:
“Guys and Dolls No More?” newspaper article illustration
”Garfield” comic strip
List of Gender Stereotypes
“What Kind of Character Are You?” worksheet
“Who’s Who Among Greek Gods” resource sheet
Character Cube document
Cube Creator digital tool from Read, Write, Think

Standards Alignment

ELA

RI.6.1. Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
W.6.4. Provide clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

AASL

3.1.6 Use information and technology ethically and responsibly.

P21

IMT.02.c Apply a fundamental understanding of the ethical/legal issues surrounding the access and use of information technologies.

Instructional Sequence

Have students reflect on their prior learning about the Greek gods and goddesses:
Have students compose a list of characters found in the myths they have read in this unit, and those involved in the story in The Lightning Thief.
Have students share the characters on their lists. Record and post their ideas on chart paper, or project the class list.
Have students complete the “What Kind of Character Are You?” document (from ELA Course Map) to group the mythological characters.

Have students examine and compare some illustrations of the gods and goddesses:
Display and have students examine this illustration of Greek gods and goddess:
The Olympians: by George O’Connor. Ask students to describe the physical characteristics of gods and those of goddesses. Record responses on a class T-chart.
Point out Ares, the god of war, in the group image, and then have students examine a Close-up image of Ares to identify and list some of his physical characteristics.
Point out Aphrodite, the goddess of love, in the group image, and then have students examine a Close-up image of Aphrodite to identify and list some of her physical characteristics.
Now point out Athena, the goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare, in the group image, and then have students examine a Close-up image of Athena. Ask students to compare Athena’s appearance to both Aphrodite and Ares, noting any similarities and differences.
Inform students that the purpose of their examination of the illustrations was to introduce the idea of gender stereotypes. Open a discussion to define concepts of gender and stereotypes:
Gender is a social or cultural idea about what it means to be masculine or feminine. Societies have commonly held ideas about how boys and girls should look and act. If someone says their gender is a girl, it means that they feel like a girl and identify with what it means to be a girl in our society.
The teacher may need to explain the difference between gender and sex:
Sex is a scientific word for a person’s biology at birth. Were you born a boy or a girl? That’s your sex.
A stereotype is a popular belief about a group of people, based on assumptions that are often extreme and inaccurate. Sometimes stereotypes are about race or gender.
Gender stereotypes are assumptions about the way people of a certain gender should look, think, or act. For example, “Girls are not good at sports” or “Men do not cook, sew, or do crafts.” These statements aren’t necessarily true; they are assumptions based on stereotypes.
Check for understanding:
Display this illustration from the newspaper article “Guys and Dolls No More?” about gender-based toy marketing; click on the image to enlarge it. Ask: How do the toys and colors in this picture illustrate gender stereotypes?
Display this Garfield comic strip and have students read it. Ask: What gender stereotypes does this comic illustrate?
Provide a List of Gender Stereotypes to help students identify them in various contexts in the following activities.
Connect the idea of gender stereotypes to students’ previous analysis of illustrations of the Greek gods and goddesses. Display or have students look back at the images of Aphrodite, Ares, and Athena. Have students discuss in small groups and then share out:
Do you see any gender stereotypes represented in the way Aphrodite and Ares are portrayed in the illustrations you examined?
How does the illustration of Athena contradict and challenge gender stereotypes?
Have students brainstorm examples of characters or real people who either conform to or challenge gender stereotypes, record examples on a class T-chart:
In literature, in the way male and female characters are described and portrayed in books, plays and stories.
In the media, in how men and women are portrayed in advertising, movies, and TV.
In real life, in the way men and women are treated or perceived at home, school, work, or public places.
Ask students to reflect on how gender stereotypes may influence their own personal lives, and respond to these questions in a quick journal entry:
Do gender stereotypes affect my own choices in hair style, clothing, and other aspects of my physical appearance?
Do they affect the way I act and the things that I say?
Do they influence the way other people treat me?
Ask if students have ever noticed gender stereotypes carrying over into the digital world-- in video games, in avatars (images or characters people use to represent themselves online), or in the way boys and girls are treated on social media or online gaming sites.
Have students use one or more of the following resources to deepen their knowledge of gender stereotypes online:
Real Stereotypes Exist in Virtual Worlds
Virtual Avatars and Player Stereotype Adoption
Can Avatars change the Way we think and act?
Boys, Girls and Media Messages Family Tip Sheet
Then, have students think about and discuss:
How might digital worlds allow people to push the boundaries of gender stereotypes?
In what ways could people use digital worlds and avatars to break free from or challenge gender stereotypes?

Inform students that they will be creating their own mythological character to embed within an original myth that they will write.
While planning their character, the students may choose any type of character from “What Kind of Character Are You?” or “Who’s Who among Greek Gods?” (resources from previous lessons in ELA Course Map)
Encourage students to think about gender stereotypes while creating their original character’s image and characteristics, and to consider the following question:
Will your mythological character conform to gender stereotypes like Aphrodite and Ares, or challenge gender stereotypes like Athena?

Assessment

BCPS One Test/Quiz: Gender Stereotypes Online (REQUIRED)
Creative Assessment:
Distribute the Character Cube document (from ELA Course Map) and review the directions.
Advise students to apply what they have learned about gender stereotypes, by considering whether their original character will conform to or challenge gender stereotypes.
Provide students with time to independently complete and construct the “Character Cube.” Students could also use the Cube Creator digital tool; refer to this support page for guidance.
Allow students an opportunity to share their character cubes with classmates. Have them discuss whether the characters conform to or challenge gender stereotypes.
Instruct students to keep their cubes as a reference for the myth they will compose in Lesson 24.

Grade 6 ELA-Digital Citizenship QUIZ:
Gender Stereotypes Online

1. What does the word gender mean?

A. The character that someone plays in a virtual world or video game.
B. Biological differences between boys and girls.
C. A social or cultural idea about how what it means to be masculine or feminine.

2. What are gender stereotypes?

Beliefs about a group of people.
Ideas about how people are different.
Assumptions about the way men or women should look, think, or act.

3. What roles are generally considered masculine or feminine in American society?
Label each example either M (for masculine) or F (for feminine).

___ Cooking dinner___ Being a construction worker
___ Wearing blue___ Wearing pink
___ Taking care of children___ Having long hair
___ Being able to change a tire___ Being a nurse
___ Playing with dolls___ Playing with action figures

4. Where can gender stereotypes surface in our lives?

In real, everyday interactions.
In literature.
In digital worlds, like in video games or on social media platforms.
All of the above

5. People can choose to represent themselves in different ways online. This includes creating avatars that conform to gender stereotypes, or avatars that challenge gender stereotypes.

True
False

Grade 6 ELA-Digital Citizenship QUIZ – ANSWER KEY:
Gender Stereotypes Online

1. What does the word gender mean?

2. What are gender stereotypes?

Beliefs about a group of people.
Ideas about how people are different.
Assumptions about the way men or women should look, think, or act.

3. What roles are generally considered masculine or feminine in American society?
Label each example either M (for masculine) or F (for feminine).

F Cooking dinnerM Being a construction worker
M Wearing blue F Wearing pink
F Taking care of children F Having long hair
M Being able to change a tire F Being a nurse
F Playing with dolls M Playing with action figures

4. Where can gender stereotypes surface in our lives?

In real, everyday interactions.
In literature.
In digital worlds, like in video games or on social media platforms.
All of the above

5. People can choose to represent themselves in different ways online. This includes creating avatars that conform to gender stereotypes, challenge gender stereotypes, or have no apparent gender (like animals or objects).

True
False