Guidance / Language Arts

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

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COUNTERACTING MEDIA STEREOTYPING
By: Sandra Moyer

The overall objective of this lesson relates to the impact of television programs on social behaviors by gender. While the influence of television on behaviors remains a question for further research, the ability of students to assess/analyze what they are seeing and hearing on television is a major challenge of our times.

STANDARD: All students will be able to explain the effects of gender bias, stereotyping and discrimination on access, learning, self-esteem, relationships and behavior.

GRADE LEVEL: 3 -5, Language Arts, Guidance

OBJECTIVE(S): Students will be able to:

  • define gender bias and stereotyping.
  • watch a television program, or read a story, and determine if the females and males are depicted in the same way.
  • rewrite a story showing more equal roles for males and females.
  • use higher order thinking/reasoning skills: deduction, analysis, constructing support for arguments.

TIME: two class periods

MATERIALS: Taped television program or story with male and female characters. The teacher may want to do some preliminary research on the TV programs that his/her students watch so as to be familiar with the characterization of females and males. Tape an episode in which the sex roles inequities are most pronounced. Teacher will need to judge appropriateness of program/story for grade level.

PROCEDURES:

  1. Show a television program or read a story to the class. Then lead a discussion as to the differences in the female and male roles. Are they equally as active in the story? Who are the leaders? Who solves the problems?
  2. Define gender bias and stereotyping (see equity terms handout) and ask students to find examples in the program or story.
  3. Ask students to rewrite the story so that the gender role differences are eliminated. Can the girls be given a more active role? Can the boy be the supporter?
  4. Which programs or stories do they know that show girls as passive and silly or boys as aggressive and uncaring? Discuss how exposure to such stories will influence how students feel about themselves. Students may be assessed on the basis of the insightfulness of their stories, how well they support their arguments, and how well they analyze situations.

 

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Guidance / Language Arts