Teaching sequence

20 minutes

Tune In: Gender stereotypes

20 minutes

Find Out: Defining stereotypes

20 minutes

Take Action: A world without stereotypes

5 minutes

Reflection

Tune In: Gender stereotypes

Preparation

Download the Teacher’s Guidebook prior to the lesson. This resource contains information on the science behind the Embrace Kids Classroom Program, top tips for implementing the program, approaches that are not recommended, and where to go for further support. Definitely a must-read!

This lesson discusses gender, the diverse ways gender can be presented and how this differs from biological sex.

Step 1

What is a stereotype?

Stereotypes are generalisations about a large group of people that people might think is true but is not actually true for everyone in that group.
Taryn Brumfitt, Australian of the Year 2023

We often use stereotypes to help us make guesses about people before we get to know them. Some stereotypes might be:

all teachers love maths
or all art teachers have crazy hair
or all music teachers are really strict.

But there are times when stereotypes can hold us back.

Step 2

Show your students this clip from Embrace Kids.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKMiQP5XxRE

Find Out: Defining stereotypes

Step 1

In the clip, we meet Hamish, who is passionate about dance. He says:

I got a lot of hate for it because ‘ballet is for girls’... I nearly quit… I stuck with dancing, and I’m so glad that I did because if I got bullied out of it, I wouldn’t be the same, I don’t think.

Erin Phillips says:

People said ‘Girls can’t play football’ and look at us now.

How were the people in the clip we have just watched impacted by gender stereotypes? Your students might suggest:

They were told they couldn’t like certain things.
There weren’t options for them to do the sports they wanted.
They were told not to wear certain things.
They were told they were in the wrong bathroom.

Step 2

We form stereotypes to help us try to categorise the world around us but we need to be able to identify these stereotypes and be able to let them go when they start holding us back. Let’s practice letting go of stereotypes with a writing task.

Take Action: A world without stereotypes

Step 1

Students can choose one of three writing prompts:

What I think we need to do to take action on gender equality
A day in the life of a world without gender stereotypes
The stereotypes that affect me most are... and why I don’t believe they are true

Students can choose a format for their writing that suits them and their prompt the best. For example, they might write a:

diary entry
letter to their future selves
press release as president of the world
persuasive article
bullet point list
manga-style cartoon.

Step 2

After students have had time to work on their writing, come back together and discuss some of the ideas and issues that they thought of while they were working.

If you could wave a magic wand, what would you do to change the pressure on people to look a certain way based on their gender identity?

Reflection

To wrap up the lesson, let’s start thinking about the changes we can implement today.

What are some of the things we could start working towards, right now, in this classroom?
What could you say next time you hear someone say something that is reinforcing gender stereotypes?

Embrace Kids: Gender Stereotypes

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Summary

Learning intentions:

Students will...

Success criteria:

Students can...

Lesson guides and printables

Lesson Details

Skills

Curriculum Mapping

Resources Required

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Additional Info

Related Professional Learning

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