Gender

This lesson is the fourth in a series called Expanding Voting Rights. The overall goal of the series is for students to explore the complicated history of voting rights in the United States. Two characteristics of that history stand out: First, in fits and starts, more and more Americans have gained the right to vote. Second, over time, the federal government's role in securing these rights has expanded considerably.

This is the final lesson in the Using Photographs to Teach Social Justice series. Preceding lessons explored a variety of social justice issues through the lens of photographers and their pictures. This activity will offer students several different options for showcasing their understanding.

When our school decided to give single-gender classes a try, the first thing teachers wanted to know was whether or not they had to take the boys. I know folks who would rather take extra duty than have 25 boys in one room. But boys shine when they don’t have to worry about girls. I had a “boy homeroom” this past year and loved it.

When I took the opportunity to co-teach a mixed-grade level coed dance class, I expected some of the boys to be reluctant to participate in the ballet portion for fear of being seen as gay or at the very least feminine. To cut this off before it started, I used a Teaching Tolerance lesson plan that allows students to explore gender stereotypes. I put labels on each student’s back with the name of a profession. I assigned traditionally male careers to girls and traditionally female careers to boys. Students had to figure out their profession by asking yes or no questions of their classmates. Afterwards, they reflected on their reaction to the assigned profession. This activity set the stage for breaking down stereotypes as we also introduced ballet as a dance form.

In this lesson, students compare and contrast two photographs of women. In doing so, they evaluate how a photo creates a mood and how photos can encourage or challenge stereotypes. This activity is part of the Using Photographs to Teach Social Justice series.

A group of talented young poets has emerged at my school, Life Academy, over the last three years. They call themselves “Rapid Fire.” When they speak, there is heat, and their words do catch. They’ve met critical success in district and area slam competitions. This year, the team placed second in the preliminary Unified District Poetry Slam sponsored by Youth Speaks and went on to place second in the finals. Not only are their words deliberately beautiful, but their messages can transform and teach tolerance. 

Photographs may tell a story or make a statement about a greater concept or ideal. Sometimes photographers use the subjects in a photo to convey a message. This lesson is part of the Using Photographs to Teach Social Justice series.

I distinctly remember watching the very first space shuttle blast off on April 12, 1981. I was 8 years old, and I watched it while eating breakfast before school. Awe-inspiring, everyone talked about it for days. I recall watching the astronauts board the shuttle that morning and wondering, “Where are the women astronauts?”

In this lesson, students will analyze photographs that show people with different abilities and of different ages to explore assumptions about ability, age and activism. This is part of the Using Photographs to Teach Social Justice series.

In this lesson, you will analyze two photographs, each dealing with a different element of identity. This is part of the Using Photographs to Teach Social Justice series.

Michael needed help.

He was in the dress-up center trying, with little luck, to shimmy a shiny turquoise mermaid dress over his head. Clearly he had no clue what he was doing. But the look on his face told me he really wanted to wear the frock. I walked over and helped.

As part of our bedtime routine, I was excited to share a new book with my 4-year-old daughter. My Princess Boy by Cheryl Kilodavis would be our story for the evening. We began, as always, by reading the title and looking at the illustrations.

Imani walked down the hall with a paper cup in her hands.

She stopped and held up the cup to me. Inside of its paper walls were soil, water, and seeds—all those humble and elemental things that build a third-grader's scientific knowledge.

Imani was growing cabbage. 

Going to graduate school at New York University was often a literal walk through American history. A row of brownstones facing Washington Square housed school offices, and it was hard not to think of Edith Wharton each time I passed. The urban campus, which spread out along the blocks surrounding the square, included converted early 19th-century stables and one-time factory lofts refashioned into classroom and office spaces.

The most infamous of those lofts was the Asch Building. Today it’s a science center with a bronze plaque that lets you know it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places. On March 25, 1911—100 years ago—it was the site of one of the worst workplace accidents in American history, the Triangle Waist Company fire.

The boys in my study hall think I hate them.

Because I am constantly demanding silence, because I am constantly reminding them to be courteous of those who are trying to work, because I don’t let them leave the room at will, the boys say I hate them.

I can honestly say I have never hated any student. But this combination of boys is so disruptive and thoughtless in the way they behave, that they do drive me crazier than I’d like. 

There are three questions students of history should always ask:

1. What’s the context?
2. What’s the context?
3. What’s the context?

Yes, I know, it’s a play on the old real estate joke (location, location, location), but the importance of understanding how a quote or an event sits in terms of what’s happening around it cannot be overstated. 

For me, the main activity of the first few days of 2011 has been the big “P.”

Purge. Purge. Purge.

Together, with my two children, we tossed “Baby Einstein” videotapes, Elmo board books and clothing for babies and for toddlers, into giant boxes destined for Goodwill.

We filled an entire mini-van. And, I now feel lighter.

A good cleansing can be so refreshing.

Our food supply depends on immigrant labor. Seven new Teaching Tolerance lessons bring this important message into the classroom.

Science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) classes have long been dominated by white males. Here are ways to make these fields more attractive to girls and students of color.

This lesson features activities that will make students aware of the roles that undocumented immigrants play in the harvest and processing of food and other necessary products, help them understand the status of and choices that face undocumented workers in our country and appreciate the importance of human rights.

There is a growing generation gap when it comes to LGBT issues. A recent poll showed a roughly 50-50 split in public opinion over the issue of gay marriage. But when age was taken into account, the results shifted dramatically. Nearly six in 10 Americans under the age of 50 think that gays and lesbians have constitutional right to marriage.

In this lesson, students will explore what teen rights actually are. They will also read about some recent cases where teens felt their rights were violated. Students will debate the nature of rights and will discuss what they believe are appropriate rights for teens.