Final Project: Gender Roles

Overview:
Challenging the views of society and what is expected of genders will be
discussed in class. The ideals will also be brought home when given take
home activities to do with parents and family. The activities will allow
students to think critically. The activities will allow students to think
critically, because it will make them evaluate there own lives, and to think
about the whys of society. It will make them push the norm and to think
about how stereotypes and gender roles can be broken. It will give my upper
level elementary students the background knowledge to think about where
the ideals of genders come from. It will challenge their previous thoughts of
why they should be a certain way. It will also reassure both female and male
students that they are able to become whom ever they want. They are able to
break gender roles.
This lesson will also introduce the Womens Suffrage Movement. This lesson
is very important, because we are in a time when the students will no longer
have relatives that experienced the suffrage. They will not understand that
the rights women now have, were once fought over and taken seriously.
Students will also be able to learn the history of our nation, and they will
begin to learn the life they live, is far different from the lives their past
relatives did. I want to teach them about the Womens Suffrage Movement,
because I strongly believe that history repeats itself if not learned. It is
important to show students that they are able to overcome any gender
obstacle. I know that gender stereotypes are still in full effect in our society
and I want to teach my students that it is okay to be your own person. Its
okay to be a person that doesnt fit the norm.
The lesson plan is designed to teach elementary students the gender roles
that have been set by society. Students will discuss the reasons behind the
stereotypes and how gender roles can be broken. The history behind the
positive changes in society will be discussed, as well. The impact of the
Womens Suffrage on the next generation and what changes have been made
will be toward the end when student grasp the concept of how gender affects
everyday life. Students will work in small groups, class discussions, and
individually to complete drawings, investigation of famous Americans, and
the in class activities.
Objectives:
Identify the stereotypes set by society
Explain how stereotypes came to be
Show that males and females can be their own person
Examine people who have broken gender roles
Explain how gender roles are shifting
Learn the history of the Womans Suffrage Movement

Final Project: Gender Roles

Vocabulary:
I have chosen these words listed below, because I see these words as
challenging and difficult to understand for elementary students. I have also
chosen these words because they will be words that will be unfamiliar to
students, and to understand the topic of gender roles, they will need to
understand the basis of these words. To get students to learn the vocabulary,
at the beginning of the lesson I will introduce the words and definitions.
Throughout the week, I will have fun vocabulary techniques for students to
play and work with. For example, to have them play memory, or quiz each
other along with the other words for that week. The vocabulary will also be
in the weeks words to know. (In the classroom I plan to have Words to know
which will be a few words from each lesson that I believe the student should
know.) Some of the words below will be on the quiz at the end of the lesson.
They will not know which ones will be on the quiz, therefore they will be
expected to know all of them.
Gender
Gender roles
Stereotypes
Expected behavior
Activities:
What I Want to Be When I Grow Up Drawing:
I will use this activity to introduce the lesson of gender roles. It is a
simplistic activity to discuss what the students want to be when they grow
up. It will give me an opportunity to ask them why they chose the career or
job. The ideas of gender will be brought up in this discussion. Example: did
you chose to be a firefighter because it requires a strong person and being
strong is what people look to find in a male? I also chose this activity because
it gets the students involved hands on, and makes them interested in
learning. Everyone learns in different ways. I chose hands on to be in the
first activity, because it will get them excited to start a new topic.
Investigate of Famous woman who broke gender barriers:
(Find people that have had a career that were not the norm)
I will use this activity to give the students the opportunity to learn
more about a certain person that has broken the gender barriers. It will show
them when the role was reversed and to show them that will a little heart
and determination one is able to do what ever they put their mind up to. This
activity will not only teach them how to do small research projects or
searching for information; it will force them to work on their public speaking
skills as they present to the class. In my activities I want to be able to give
them more than one lesson learned. In this activity not only will they learn
the history of womans accomplishments, they will learn to research using
articles and educational websites along with presenting.
Video Clips:

Final Project: Gender Roles

This activity will allow students to visually see the gender roles and
characteristics. I think by visually seeing the areas in which I want them to
see it will be easier for them to make connections and understand. These
childrens video will also open the door to help explain why children and
adult believe genders should be a certain way. It will show that society is
taught from an early age to what is expected by each gender. I will pause the
clips and talk about each characteristic individually, thus helping them see
each gender roles these films show.
Cinderella http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggS61GeN-dA
Beauty and the Beast http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUmT-T6n4PA
Sound of Music http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJTRZI2HThU
A League of Their Own http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7krYJUfFv4
Day One:
Objectives:
For students to begin to understand what is gender, and the stereotypes and
expectation of gender. Students will engage in class discussion to gain a
better understanding of why we have stereotypes. Students will express their
dreams of a career. We will discuss why their career is desirable to them. Is it
because of gender norms and expectations?
Beginning DiscussionHere I will introduce Vocabulary and definitions and then go straight into
why we have these words this week.
Do you think a baby boy girl is treated differently than a baby boy?
Why do you think these thoughts?
Give me examples of evidence to thoughts.
What do you think is expected of boys and girls?
Can only certain genders do certain activities?
I anticipate this discussion to go pretty rough. I believe it will be rough
at first because I think students are going to be very opinionated
about girls vs. boys. I think it is important to get all opinion on the
table and to help students understand that there is a reason to their
opinion. I will explain to students that even though some of our
opinions my be different that they are obligated to respect their peers
to maintain a safe classroom environment. I will also explain that no
matter our differences in opinions, gender, and etc. we are all humans
and we all deserve to be respectful in the way we handle this
discussion.
Individual Activity:
Drawing what you want to be when older.
I have chosen to have students engage in the project What I Wanna Be When
I Grow Up, because it is a way to break the ice in the discussion of gender
roles. The basis of why children want to be a certain person or have a certain
career is because they have been taught by society. Society has taught
children what is expectable and what is not. Children dont yet understand

Final Project: Gender Roles

this is why they rule out careers. The students will be able to give me reasons
why they chose it, maybe because its a boys job or I want to be just like
my mom, a mother. Children know there are differences in how we boys and
girls, but I want them to learn more about why we have made these
expectations.
Final Discussion:
With my final discussion I want to make sure students grasp the idea
that young people are taught to want to be certain career, or to be a certain
way. Not that being these things is bad by any means, I just want my students
to understand where and why the idea of a certain career comes to interest
to them. Maybe it really is something they truly love and are interested or
maybe it was an idea that seems pleasing to society. I will have the students
explore those ideas by asking questions such as the ones listed below.
Why did you choice this career?
Did someone in your family do this career?
Are you expected to do this career?
Assignment:
To have students make categories of boys and girls. I will have the students
make a list of objects, ideas, games, and etc. Then they will put them under
the column in which they believe fix best.
Day Two:
Objectives:
To have students be able to reflect on their own opinions and ideas about
gender. Students will explain why they chose to put items in the categories
they did. In our Discussion, they will begin to understand that the ideas they
hold about gender have been taught to them through media and society. We
will learn if the issues of gender inequality are positive or negative. Students
will begin to learn how these issues affect both males and females. Are girls
and boys suppose to have certain characteristics?
Beginning Discussion:
Vocabulary: MEMORY GAME IN SMALL GROUPS
At the beginning of class I will have students explain why they put objects
and ideas under the categories of boy or girl. I will then transition into the
what I am having the students look for in the clips from the Disney Movies. I
will have them look for specific things that both male and female characters
are doing. For example Cinderella does domestic household chores, and
Prince Charming is strong and powerful, military. Are they supposed to have
good looks, wealth, strength. What is the difference between boys or girls?
Class Activity:
As a class we will watch short clips from Disneys Cinderella and Beauty and
the Beast. After watching the short clips as a class we will discuss the gender
roles in which they witnessed. I will ask questions that will make the

Final Project: Gender Roles

students think critically to the reason why the characters are given these
roles. How do this same roles apply to the real world.
Final Discussion:
At the end of day two I want my students to be able to tell me, the teacher,
what gender roles are and how society portrays them. What each gender is
suppose to do to be the so-called norm. I want them to take away from day
two that gender roles have shifted through time. After watching the film
clips, I want students to be able to tell me what they have observed from
films that is different from the lives they life day to day. I will engage them in
a conversation that will consist of the following: discuss how gender roles
have changed over time. What is different in the way women go about daily
life? Are they able to get more jobs and be who they want to be? I am looking
for students to be able to tell me that girls are expected to do only domestic
things, they can play sports, and run with the boys. Women can hold
numerous jobs now and dont have to worry about judgment from employers
any longer.
Day three:
Objectives:
Students will be introduced to history of the Woman Suffrage Movement.
They will become engaged in the fact that woman once did not have the same
abilities they have in the 20th century. Students will learn the main concepts
of the campaign and the length of time it took the woman to finally reach
more equality.
Beginning Discussion:
Vocabulary: Dry Erase game in pairs (write a word, partner say definition)
At the beginning of class I will have students name off activities woman are
able to do. I will be looking for things such as: play sports, vote, hold political
jobs, education, and hold a household.
Group Work:
I will split the class into groups. They will draw a name of a famous woman
that over came gender norms. These women could include Amelia Earhart
(flew airplane across Pacific), Sally Ride (first woman astronaut), Hilary
Clinton (woman in high political standings), and woman in the 1940s
(worked in factories while men were at war). I will have students investigate
their person to find out what barrio they broke, how they broke it (with
help/by themselves), when event happen, why is it so important that this
woman broke their barrier? I will give student the whole class time (45 min
to an hour) to complete their activity. They will complete a poster or a
creative way to compose their found information. Groups will present their
project the following day.

Final Project: Gender Roles

Day Four:
Beginning:
Vocabulary: Flash Card game with small groups
Group Work:
Students will present to the class their finding of barriers broken. I will ask
each group to explain why they think it was important for say woman to be
able to work in factories during the war. I will be looking for an answer along
the lines of it opened up more opportunities for other woman in the future to
hold jobs outside the home. I will ask them if other females are able to do
what these woman set to do. Are other women able to be Astronauts like
Sally Ride? Or was that a one-time thing? Did this woman open a new door of
opportunity? Do you admire your person you investigated?
Assignment:
Day five:
Objective:
To have students analysis the modern world. I want my students to be able to
tell me if they think women same rights of guys or not? Are girls and boys
treated the same why or why not?
Beginning Discussion:
Based on what we have learned in the last week what are the gender roles of
modern day. Do we still have some of the same stereotypical ideals we had in
the past?
Group Discussion:
Do you think there will ever be 100% equality why or why not? Students can
take this either way in a positive way saying that both genders are equal,
because they now have the same rights as males. They can do what ever they
want with their live without barriers. Students can also take it in a way
saying that women are not treated equally. Yes they have the same rights but
do not necessarily get treated differently. For example girls are picked on if
they would rather play in the mud then play dress up and vise versa boys are
teased for wanting to do more girly activities. I will explain to students that
yes females now have the same rights as males, but are not always treated
any different than before Womens Suffrage Movement. In different
environments and situations females are treated very differently. For
example: in schoolboys will continue to tease girls for being more boyish and
vise versa. Also this idea continues, as we get older, the ideas of gender seem
to begin to get better. But not everyone will agree so it will depend on peers
and their personalities and opinions to the ways gender is brought up.
Final Discussion:
Even though woman have come a long way from where they once stood.
They are able to vote and have more a say in their day-to-day lives. There is
still unfortunately stereotypes woman face everyday. They are expected to
hold a value in society to have children and to be wives, but men also have to
stereotypes they struggle with to. They are expected to be strong and mighty.
In modern day it is more expected to be your own person.

Final Project: Gender Roles

Last Assignment:
Have students complete the 10-question quiz based on the topics discussed
throughout the week. This quiz will help me as a teacher evaluate the
students understanding of the concepts of Womens Suffrage, Vocabulary,
and the topics of gender roles and ideals.