Objective: To understand gender and the difference between sex and gender.

Activity

Refer to or create your working agreement. Set this out at the beginning to agree behaviour and language expectations (see teacher notes).

1. Ask students to imagine a child has been born. They are told the sex of the child.
2. Ask:
   • Are people told the gender of a child when it is born or is it just assumed that it will go in line with the sex of a child?
   • How much does (or should) gender matter when a child is born?
   • What do you think about this?
3. Allow a few moments of discussion before explaining the differences. (We have added some definitions and links below for your reference).

Definitions

• Sex refers to the biological aspects. The Collins Dictionary states: ‘The sex of a person or animal is their characteristic of being either male or female.’ So, a way in which ‘people and animals are divided according to the function they have in producing young.’ However, ‘An intersex person has genitals or other sexual characteristics that do not clearly fit the usual definition for a male or female body.’
• Gender is harder to define. The Collins Dictionary states: ‘Gender is the state of being male or female in relation to the social and cultural roles that are considered appropriate for men and women.’ However we ‘can use gender to refer to one of a range of identities that includes female, male, a combination of both, and neither.’
• Trans is a term Stonewall describe as: ‘an umbrella term to describe people whose gender is not the same as, or does not sit comfortably with, the sex they were assigned at birth. Trans people may describe themselves using one or more of a wide variety of terms, including (but not limited to) transgender, cross dresser, non-binary, gender queer.’
• Cisgender is a term the Collins Dictionary defines as: ‘a person whose gender identity corresponds to the assumed gender assigned to them at birth.’

Objective: To look at unconscious bias and how it influences our thinking.

Resources

• Stopwatch/timer
• 2x working walls/interactive displays or 4x large pieces of paper
• a coloured pen per student

Activity

• Do not share the objective until the end of the activity.
• Refer to or create your working agreement - set this out at the beginning to agree behaviour and language expectations (see teacher notes).
• Ask the class to divide themselves into two equally-sized groups – keep this pacey.
• Ask each group to write the following headings on their working wall/paper:
  • Boys/men
  • Girls/women
• Explain you’re going to set a timed task. Remind them they will need to work as a team and make sure that everyone is included.
• Using a stopwatch/timer to keep on track, tell the class that they have one minute to write as many words to describe boys/men as they can. Give a ten second countdown.
• Repeat, giving the groups one minute to write as many words to describe girls/women as they can. Give a ten second countdown.
• Once the two minutes are up, go through the words from both teams noting down any similar words and those written by both teams on a flipchart or board.
• Explain to them that the words they chose show how powerful gender stereotyping, and the language people often use when referring to different genders, can be.
• Ask them why they think you made this such a tightly timed activity. (Tell them it was to demonstrate how we all have a certain level of unconscious bias in us and we are more likely to succumb to these when under pressure e.g. a time constraint).
• Explain what unconscious bias means. The Collins Dictionary says: ‘Bias is a tendency to prefer one person or thing to another, and to favour that person or thing.’ And ‘if feelings or attitudes are unconscious, you are not aware that you have them, but they show in the way that you behave.’
• Discuss their thoughts and feelings. Use this as an assessment of your students’ understanding around the issues of gender stereotyping and gaps that you will need to address during future sessions.
• Remind students that if they feel uncomfortable about anything raised in this session they should talk to an adult they trust. (Parents/carers, other school staff or maybe ChildLine who are open 24/7 for everyone up to the age of 19 on chat, text or call.)

Extension ideas

• Discussion: Where do gender and other stereotypes come from? How do you feel about this? Why?
• Film: Show the ‘Gender stereotypes and unconscious bias’ film from The Royal Society to further explore this topic (2:59 minutes long). Watch it through before you show it to students and prepare the video so you can stop at certain points to raise discussion about certain issues.

Note: Be sure to make gender non-conforming students feel part of this, and where necessary adapt this activity to accommodate your cohort’s needs. E.g. BEFORE teaching the lesson, make sure you find time to talk to them about what you’ll be covering in this activity and check that they are happy to take part. If not, talk through some different options and see if you can adapt these to work in your class. For example, would they like to add another element or have a chance to educate the class on their interpretations in this or another session?

Objective: To challenge misconceptions around gender equality.

Resources

• PowerPoint
• 3x large pieces of paper with #sexism, #toxicmasculinity and #feminism written on each before the lesson begins
• assortment of coloured pens
• stopwatch/timer

Tip: Use a carousel set up, with three grouped tables. You can run this activity with six tables if you’d prefer smaller group sizes.

Activity

Create or refer to your working agreement. Set this out at the beginning to agree behaviour and language expectations (see teacher notes).

1. Show the three hashtags in the form of various tweets. Discuss these without giving away what the actual definition of each is. Keep this pacey.

2. • Show instructions for the activity and divide the class into three groups for a carousel activity.
   • Place one of the large pre-prepared pieces of paper (and a selection of pens) on to each of the tables.
   • Explain you’re going to set a timed task. Remind them they will need to work as a team and make sure that everyone is included.
   • Using a stopwatch/timer to keep on track, tell the class that they now have two minutes to discuss and write their thoughts about what they think the hashtag in front of them means. Give a ten second countdown before asking students to move to the next table.
   • Repeat, giving students two minutes to add to previous comments. Repeat the activity one final time so students can visit and contribute to each of the three tables and hashtags.
   • Once back in their starting places ask:
     • What do we think these words mean?
     • What do these words mean to you personally? Remind them of your working agreement, respecting others but also being non judgemental.
3. What are the formal definitions? Inform them the correct meanings of these terms by showing the definitions of sexism, feminism, toxic masculinity.

4. • Reflect on what they have learnt and discuss any surprises or misconceptions.
   • If there is time, go back around the carousel allowing students to add any further thoughts to each.
   • Remind students that if they feel uncomfortable about anything raised in this session they should talk to an adult they trust. (Parents/carers, other school staff or maybe ChildLine who are open 24/7 for everyone up to the age of 19 on chat, text or call.)

Definitions

• Collins Dictionary: ‘Sexism is the belief that the members of one sex, usually women, are less intelligent or less capable than those of the other sex and need not be treated equally. It is also the behaviour which is the result of this belief.’
• Macmillan Dictionary: ‘Sexism is the belief that men and women should be treated in a different way and are suited to different types of jobs and different positions in society.’
• ‘Toxic masculinity refers to harmful behaviour and attitudes commonly associated with some men, such as the need to repress emotions during stressful situations, and to act in an aggressively dominant way.’ The Independent, 2019.
• Collins Dictionary: ‘Feminism is the belief and aim that women should have the same rights, power, and opportunities as men.’

Extension ideas

• Discussion: How does the media/social media fuel misunderstanding, stereotypes and hatred?
• Discussion: How are these terms used online? What are the debates and tensions around them?
• Exploration: Look at other hashtags e.g. #tradwife, #MeToo and search for articles on tender masculinity. Have they come across these before? What is being discussed?
• Activity: Introduce the Equality Act 2010 and consider gender equality within the eyes of the law.

Objective: To understand how each of us is influenced by gender conformity.

Resources

• PowerPoint
• IOP Challenging Stereotypes animation
• flipchart
• paper
• assortment of coloured pens

Preparation

Create or refer to your working agreement – set this out at the beginning to agree behaviour and language expectations (see Teacher Notes).

Starter

1. Watch the IOP Challenging Stereotypes animation. Go back to the beginning and stop after 00:15; reiterate the statistic they have just heard: ‘In a society where by age 7, most children’s idea of what they’ll do is already influenced by their social background, ethnicity, and gender...’
2. Ask students:
   – Slide 3: What do you think about this statement? – Slide 4: What do you think might influence young children’s ideas about what jobs they can do?
3. Discuss but keep it pacey, writing down any ideas on a flipchart.
4. Go back to the animation again and play from 00:27 and stop at 00:50.
5. Ask students:
   • Slide 6: What do you think?
   • Slide 7: Do you think you have been, or are affected by this? If so, how?
6. Discuss, again keeping it pacey.

Main

1. Explain to students that you are going to do a reflective activity, looking for evidence in their lives of what might have shaped them.
2. Outline that gender, and gender identity, are not the only things that will have shaped them: their background, ethnicity, environment, faith, culture, class, personal experiences etc. will all have had an impact on them, making them unique.
3. Highlight that whilst today they’re going to make gender the focus, they’ll need to consider other aspects of who they are, as we can’t look at these things in isolation e.g. many black women and women of colour may have faced racism and sexism. Many men may have faced different experiences of notions of masculinity.
4. Hand out the Student Worksheet and ask everyone to:
   • Complete the My identity activity
   • Create their own Personal timeline as they consider how their gender may have shaped them. They could write about and/or draw their experiences. Remind them they only have a certain amount of time to get this done.
5. When developing their timelines students should break their lives into chunks and consider:
   • Before birth: Does anyone know if their parents found out what sex they were before they were born?
   • At birth: What’s the first question everyone asks? What toys were you given as presents? What types/styles of clothes did you wear?
   • Early childhood: What TV programmes did you watch? Did you have a favourite book? How were you talked to and treated compared to siblings/classmates etc. What sport(s) did you play, or clubs did you attend?
   • Now: What influences your thoughts at home, school, out and about etc.?
6. Students complete the activity, adding their personal journeys and highlighting any specific events/memories that could have shaped them and their expectations of themselves in terms of their gender.

Plenary

1. Students look back over their work and notice where they could have been shaped in some way without realising it.
2. Discuss as pairs and/or as a whole class (if they feel comfortable) what they have learnt from doing this. How do they feel about this?
3. Remind students that if they feel uncomfortable about anything raised in this session they should talk to an adult they trust. (Parents/carers, other school staff or maybe ChildLine who are open 24/7 for everyone up to the age of 19 on chat, text or call.)

Extension ideas

• Activity: What else has shaped me? Students consider different aspects that might have shaped them e.g. background, ethnicity, environment, faith, culture, class, personal experiences etc. and add/layer these to their timeline. Go through the working agreement again so everyone is respected and feels safe to explore this further without judgement.
• Discussion/debate: Do you think you can take steps to counteract inequality? If so, how?
• Discussion/debate: Where does bias occur? Use timelines to look for evidence of bias. Discuss the impact words and/or actions can have, even when there is no intent to cause harm or offence. (Go to ‘My Choices’, the ten-minute activity, to recap on what unconscious bias is.)

Objective: To consider whether anyone benefits from gender roles.

Resources

• PowerPoint
• Challenging Stereotypes animation
• laptops/computers for research
• resources for presentations

Beforehand

Create or refer to your working agreement. Set this out at the beginning to agree behaviour and language expectations (see Teacher Notes).

Starter

1. Watch the Challenging Stereotypes animation. Go back to 00:53, play and stop at 01:12.
2. Slide 3: Reiterate the phrase they’ve just heard: ‘There’s no way of telling whether this is a male brain or a female brain. The only big difference is in how individual brains work. So, who does this system work for? Men might get paid more than women for doing the same job, but the fact that men die younger suggests that there aren’t really any winners…’
3. Slide 4: Ask students:
   • What do you think about this statement? Why are women often paid less? What effect might childcare and other caring responsibilities have?
   • Can you think of any reasons why men on the whole die younger? How about working conditions, and mental health? Do you know of any other gender related facts?
   • Have you heard any discussions about other related issues?

Main

1. Explain to students that they are going to do some research, taking a look behind this phrase, to consider whether anyone benefits from gender roles.
2. Students divide into pairs/groups to undertake research, focusing either on employment and the gender pay gap or men dying younger.
3. Pairs/groups report back in whatever style is suitable for your cohort e.g. presentation, film, blog or vlog, a piece of art or poster etc. Have all the resources required available so the research task remains the focus.
4. Allow time for everyone to feed back and share their findings and thoughts with the class. Take note of any relevant points on a flipchart or whiteboard to aid future learning/assessment.

Plenary

1. Allow time for students to reflect and consider what they have learnt in view of their research. Discuss in groups and/or as a whole class asking:
   • What have you learnt from doing this research?
   • Do gender roles really benefit anyone in society? If so, how and why?
2. Remind students that if they feel uncomfortable about anything raised in this session they should talk to an adult they trust. (Parents/carers, other school staff or maybe ChildLine who are open 24/7 for everyone up to the age of 19 on chat, text or call).

Extension Ideas

• Discussion/activity: How can they personally challenge stereotypes to find the right path for them, now and in the future?
• Activity/homework: Research other areas of life that are affected by gender stereotypes e.g. career choices.
• Debate: Having learnt the correct rules and etiquette of debating, students put forward a motion related to the objective and challenge the two differing perspectives of this motion in a class debate.