RIGHT TO EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
By: Grethe Cobb

STANDARD:

• All students will be able to recognize gender bias, stereotyping and discrimination in school materials, activities and classroom instruction.
• All students will be able to list strategies to overcome gender bias, stereotyping and discrimination.

GRADE LEVEL: K-4, Guidance

OBJECTIVE (S): Students will be able recognize gender bias and stereotyping by:

1. Identifying the importance of fairness and opportunity for each individual.
2. Proposing strategies for creating this type of environment in their classrooms.
3. Identifying fellow classmates that are good role models for this type of behavior.

TIME: One Class Period

MATERIALS: Teacher’s Guide for the Character Education Institute materials.

PROCEDURES:

1. Introduce the topic of equal opportunity. Using appropriate terminology, depending on the grade level, ask students what they consider to be fair in a play situation and a school situation. Is there a difference?

QUESTIONS: What do we mean when we say something is "fair"? For example, is it fair that Mary gets a better grade than Sally? For example, is it fair that Juan has more ice cream in his dish than Jose? Why is one situation fair and the other not fair? What is fair when playing a game? What makes it fair? (The rules of the game are followed) What is fair when lining up to go to lunch? Recess? What is fair about who gets to play a game?

2. Read the following story to the class:

"LEFT OUT"
(use children’s names that the students may relate to)

During morning activity time, some boy students were working on a puzzle in one corner of the room. Mary (use a boy’s name when reading the story again to the class) was finished with her group activity. Mary asked if she could join in to help make the puzzle. The boys stopped and silence filled the air. The boys looked at one another. Finally, one of the voices said, "Naw we don’t want her and the other boys chimed in with loud voices, "No we have too many already."

Mary went to the other side of the classroom and watched from a distance as the boys continued to work on the puzzle. A few minutes later, she noticed Steve and Mark approaching the group. Before either boy had a chance to say anything to the group, several boys shouted, "Hey guys, come on and play!"

3. Ask the class:

1. Was Mary treated fairly or unfairly?
2. Why do you suppose she was left out?
3. How should Mary try to correct the unfair treatment?
4. How could the situation have been changed? By whom? In what way?

ASSESSMENT: Have students work in teams of two to develop stories that show a girl or a boy being treated unfairly by another girl or boy, or group of girls or boys whose gender is opposite that of the main character. At the end of the story, tell how the girl or boy should be treated and how to make this happen. The teams will have time in class over a period of two days to develop the stories. These will be told to the whole class. The teacher will monitor the development of the stories by visiting with each team to make sure they are staying focused on the theme of gender equity.

EXTENDED ACTIVITIES:

1. Students can share their stories with other classes and/or with their parent(s) or guardian(s).
2. Ask students to identify areas that would promote fairness for all in the classroom and in their school environment. Ask if this could be extended into their communities.
3. Have students propose a plan for a class celebration when recognition of equal opportunity is recognized and practiced by all students. This can be recognized as a school activity, promoting school spirit and school pride.

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