Preparation
Before you get started read the safety and support section. It is essential to plan a debate that does not reinforce existing stereotypes
See the section ‘Understanding Gender’ in UNESCO’s 2018 Guidance for Comprehensive Sexuality Education for developmentally appropriate learning objectives and the relationship between gender norms, gender inequalities and gender-based and sexual violence.
Gather resources from trusted sources such as these (there are more listed at the end):
Let toys be toys
Stereotypes stop you doing stuff
Activity
1. Pick a stereotype you didn’t know about before, for example: ‘All children wear dresses’. (There are some surprising ones summarised here).
2. With the class, research this and other stereotypes from around the world and through history.
3. Create two imaginary lines intersecting your classroom or space. One is a line of history and it intersects with another line of global locations. Stick post-it notes around to identify eras and locations.
4. Share your surprising stereotypes and then ask pupils to position themselves on the lines in time and space.
5 .Open up a debate by taking the stereotype around the world and through history. Are stereotypes useful? If they’re not fixed what does this tell us?
Use visual aids and interesting facts to prompt the discussions, like this article on breeching boys.
Extension Activity
Find a stereotype you didn’t know before and learn all about it, how long it has existed and if it exists across the world.
Use this as your inspiration and fill a time capsule with the stereotypes that you think will disappear in the future and the reasons why.
Take your time capsule on a journey and share it with a class in a different year group.
Help them to join the debate and create and share their own time capsules!
To work more with gender stereotypes read and watch the Welsh Government #thisisme campaign which is all about recognising how gender norms and gender inequalities can have an impact on our lives.
Try out GENDER WATCH BINGO! A participatory creative audit of a whole school approach to gender equality.
DO...
ensure you use positive language when introducing stereotypes. Instead of saying ‘people don’t’, or ‘school children can’t’, make the statement affirmative, such as ‘everyone can’. Introducing topics this way ensures that no one feels singled out if they are already awesome enough to be busting that stereotype!
Download this DIY activity here:
