Language Arts / Social Studies

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INFUSING EQUITY BY GENDER INTO THE CLASSROOM:
A Handbook of Classroom Practices

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GENDER EQUITY IN FAIRY TALES
By: Kathleen E. van Noort

The overall objective of this lesson is to create an awareness of fairy tale characters as a source of gender stereotyping; especially women as helpless, vulnerable, naïve, and in need of the assistance and strength (protection) of men, making them less than "equal".

STANDARD: All students will be able to recognize gender bias, stereotyping And discrimination in reading material.

GRADE LEVEL: Grades 3-6, Social Studies, Language Arts

OBJECTIVE(S): Students will identify gender stereotyping in Fairy Tales.

TIME: Two class periods

MATERIALS: Fairy Tale Books (e.g. Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White).

PROCEDURES:

  1. Students will be divided into small groups.
  2. Each group will be assigned one fairy tale.
  3. Each group will identify characteristics of traditional male and female roles in the characters.
    1. male vs. female stereotyping
    2. how helplessness is portrayed
    3. how heroism is demonstrated
    4. character traits
      1. which gender is associated with which trait?
      2. can the trait be reversed?
  1. Evaluation: Students will try to rewrite the tale or create their own fairy tale in which character traits of heroism and helplessness are seen in the characters of both genders.
  2. Students will discuss the characteristics assigned to males and females in these stories, and think about the positive and negative implications of these in today’s world.
    3.

 

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Language Arts / Social Studies