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Title: Gender Stereotyping
2. Overview:
This lesson helps students gain awareness of gender stereotyping by guiding students
awareness of their preconceived notions of gender and the factors that influence them: family
and popular culture. This lesson provides students with a foundation for identifying and
challenging gender stereotypes. It also introduces students to important ELA and media literacy
skill such as “questioning” texts to understand them, using evidence to support thinking, and
considering the author, their purpose, the target audience(s), and the impact of all texts. The
students will reflect on their preconceived notions and media messages through writing, read
alouds, discussions, small group textual analysis, and the synthesis and presentation of their new
understandings.
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3. Curriculum Areas and Target Audience:
This lesson was created for a 3rd grade English Language Arts (ELA) block. It aligns
with grade level ELA Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS):
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Reading Standards for Literature K-5, Grade 3
Key Ideas and Details
RS.3.1. Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring
explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
Responding to Literature
RS.3.11. Recognize and make connections in narratives, poetry, and drama to other texts,
ideas, cultural perspectives, personal events, and situations.
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Writing Standards K-5, Grade 3
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
W.3.8. Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital
sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories.
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Speaking and Listening Standards K-5, Grade 3
Key Details
1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas
and expressing their own clearly.
Comprehension and Collaboration
2. Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information
presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
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4. Suggested Frameworks:
• Stereotypes
• Gender studies
• Critical thinking
• English Language Arts
5. Learning objectives for the content area and media literacy:
• Students will be able to recognize and challenge gender stereotypes.
• Students will be able to identify the origins of their stereotypes/preconceived notions (e.g.
family, popular culture) and their impact.
• Students will be able to determine and consider the author, purpose, target audience(s),
and impact when engaging with texts.
• Students will be able to utilize questions to comprehend various types of texts.
• Students will be able to provide textual evidence to support their thinking.
• Students will be able to create an informational poster that identifies and explains a
gender stereotype found in a text.
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6. Vocabulary:
• Gender
• Stereotype
• Target audience
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7. Preparation and Prerequisites:
• Prior to this lesson, students have identified author’s purposes: to persuade, inform, or
entertain. There is an anchor chart in the classroom that illustrates this concept.
• Prior to this lesson, students have experience reflecting through writing and discussions
both small and whole group. They are used to working in partners and small groups.
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8. Time Needed:
• Approximately four 30-45 minute ELA blocks are needed
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9. Materials and Technology:
• Oliver Button is a Sissy by Tomie de Paola
• Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
• Chart paper and markers
• Post-Its
• Student notebooks and pencils to create T-Charts
• Poster Board for each group
• Graphic Organizer for each student (see end of document)
• Student access to the internet and use of a search engine (e.g. Google)
• Multiple copies of children’s magazines (e.g. American Girl, Boys’ Life, Discovery Girls,
Boys’ Quest, Girls World), picture books, and merchandise catalogs (e.g. Toys ‘R Us,
Sears, Target, Walmart, K-mart)
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10. Step-by-Step Procedures:
Session One:
1. The teacher will inform the students that they will be reading books about gender
(define gender if necessary and have students identify their gender). Inform the
students that before reading, they need to share what they already know about each
gender.
2. The teacher will create a T-chart on chart paper: “Boys” and “Girls” while the
students create a similar chart in their notebooks. The teacher will encourage the
students to write down everything they know that will help them describe both
genders.
3. In partners, the students will walk around the classroom viewing and analyzing
students descriptions of boys and girls. The students will use bring post-its to write
down what they notice. Once the students are finished, the teacher will collect the
students T-charts and meet the students at the whole class area.
4. The teacher will begin a discussion by asking: “What did you notice?”,“What are
your impressions from what you just saw?”, “How do we define girls and boys?”.
The teacher will chart the students findings while the students discuss the credibility
of the descriptions being constructed and reflect on where these notions of identity
came from: “Are these descriptions fact, opinion, or something else?”,“What are the
sources of the information, ideas, or assertions?”, “Why do we define girls and boys
like this?”
5. The teacher will introduce the word stereotype to the students and define it. The
students and teacher will work together to create a 3rd grade definition for the
concept “gender stereotype” by using their knowledge of typical gender
characteristics.
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Session Two:
6. “Now that you have asked questions about your own ideas, we are going to practice
questioning texts. Good readers ask questions before, during, and after reading to
understand what they’re reading. They develop their own questions and also listen to
other students’ questions to understand texts. Good readers want to know who wrote
the text (author), why the text was written (purpose), who it is written for (target
audience), and what kind of effect (impact) the text has on the audience. During this
read aloud I’m going to show you how I question what I’m reading. I will chart all of
our questions.” The teacher will create an anchor chart that reads: “We are learning
that readers ask questions before, during, and after reading to understand it. We
consider the author, the purpose, the target audience, and the impact of the text. As
we read Oliver Button is a Sissy we wondered:”
7. During the read aloud the teacher will model the comprehension strategy questioning
which allows students to comprehend text as well as become critical consumers of
text. The teacher will try to model the strategy without disrupting the flow of the
book and allowing for students to ask questions as well.
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• Title Page: What is a ‘sissy’? I wonder why Oliver is a ‘sissy’. What makes him a
‘sissy’?
• Page 1: I wonder who is calling Oliver a sissy. What are boys supposed to do?
What are girls supposed to do?
• Page 13: Hmmm … I wonder why Oliver’s dad changed his mind.
• Page 17: I wonder: why do the boys tease Oliver? And why do the girls stand up
for Oliver?
• Page 20: Why doesn’t anyone stop the teasing? Why doesn’t Oliver tell his parents
or his teachers?
8. After the read aloud, the teacher will initiate a discussion by asking students to
discuss what they noticed using supporting evidence from the text and from personal
experiences: “What did you notice?”,“What are your impressions from what you just
read?”,,“What’s on your mind after hearing the book?”,“What makes you say
that?”,“How do the characters define girls and boys?”,“What’s your evidence for
that?”,“Does anyone else have a different interpretation?”,“Has something like this
ever happened to you or someone you know or another character you know?”
9. Once the students have reacted to the text, addressed gender stereotypes in the text,
and answered the questions that can be answered using textual evidence (checking
them off on the chart paper) the teacher will ask the students to “turn and talk” to
consider the questions: “Why do we have gender stereotypes?”,“What gender
stereotypes exist in the book?”, “Why?”, “Are these stereotypes found in the real
world?”, “Why do you say that?”,“What are the effects of gender stereotypes?” The
students will have an opportunity to share their thinking.
10. The teacher and students will create a working “Gender Stereotypes” T-Chart to
identify and describe gender stereotypes using evidence from the text and personal
experiences.
Session Three:
11. The teacher will add to the questioning anchor chart: “We are learning that readers
ask questions before, during, and after reading to understand the purpose, the target
audience, and the impact of the text. As we read Amazing Grace we wondered:”
12. During the read aloud the teacher will again model the comprehension strategy
questioning. The teacher will ask only a few questions throughout, allowing students
to practice developing and asking their own questions.
• Title Page: What makes Grace amazing?
• Why did Natalie and Raj change their minds about Grace?
13. After the read aloud, the teacher will initiate a discussion by asking students to
discuss what they noticed using supporting evidence from the text and from personal
experiences: “What did you notice?”,“What are your impressions from what you just
read?”,,“What’s on your mind after hearing the book?”,“What makes you say
that?”,“How do the characters define girls and boys?”,“What’s your evidence for
that?”,“Does anyone else have a different interpretation?”,“Has something like this
ever happened to you or someone you know or another character you know?”
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14. Once the students have reacted to the text, addressed gender stereotypes in the text,
and answered the questions that can be answered using textual evidence (checking
them off on the chart paper), students will add to the working “Gender Stereotypes”
T-Chart to identify and describe gender stereotypes using evidence from the text and
personal experiences.
15. The students will now use the anchor charts to compare the two stories. The students
will “turn and talk” to consider the questions using evidence from both texts: “Who
promoted the gender stereotypes?”,“Who challenged the stereotypes? How?”,“Why
do we have gender stereotypes?”, “Where do these ideas come from?”, “Do these
gender stereotypes exist in real life?”,”Why do you say that?”,“What are the effects
of gender stereotypes?”.
Session Four:
16. The teacher will inform the students that they are now going to use questions while
reading and viewing popular culture texts to identify gender stereotypes and consider
why gender stereotypes exist (besides family). The students will be placed into small
groups of 4-5 to examine catalogs, picture books, magazines, and the internet,
searching terms such as girls toys and boys toys. The groups will analyze and reflect
upon the information (author, audience, purpose, impact) in the texts using the
graphic organizer found at the end of this document. The teacher will confer with
groups to help them prepare to present.
17. The group will create a poster-board presentation that identifies and analyzes a
popular culture text and stereotype. The class will conduct two Gallery Walks to view
and reflect upon the posters. Half of the class (groups) will be presenting their posters
and the other half will be viewing the posters and then they switch roles: the
presenters become viewers and the viewers become presenters. The viewers will use
Post-It’s to provide feedback by leaving a note that describes something they liked (“I
Liked”) and one that asks a question (“I wonder”).
18. After the Gallery Walk, the students will add stereotypes to the “Gender Stereotypes”
T-Chart that were presented on peers’ poster-boards.
19. The students will then create and fill out a new T-Chart in their notebooks. The
students will be asked to identify and describe genders based upon stereotypes and
use sources or experiences to support their descriptions.
20. The teacher will guide the students through a discussion that addresses the
conclusions they came to based on their experiences and evidence found: “What did
you learn?”, “What do you still wonder about?”,“What types of gender stereotypes
were most frequent?”,“What messages about gender were rarely included?”,“Has
something you read changed the way you think or feel?”,,“What can you do to
challenge stereotypes?”,“What can I, your teacher, do to challenge
stereotypes?”This discussion may lead to an extension that the teacher or students
choose in order to refine their understandings or challenge gender stereotypes.
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11. Assessments:
• The students T-Charts will serve as an assessment of learning. These reflections will
demonstrate what the students knew and how they felt prior to the lessons and what the
students knew and how they felt after the lessons regarding gender and stereotypes.
• The teacher will observe and write anecdotal notes of whole class discussions, peer
conversations, and small group work: Are students using questions to enhance
understanding?, Are students using questions when the texts causes them difficulty?, Are
they listing to one other and responding in appropriate ways?, Are students supporting
their thinking with textual evidence?. These observations and accompanying notes will
help guide instruction (e.g. writing conferences, reading conferences, mini-lessons,
extensions).
• The small group poster boards and graphic organizers will provide evidence of students
ability to identify and understand gender stereotypes in texts. It will also demonstrate how
students consider the author, purpose, audience(s), and impact of texts when engaging with
them.
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12. Extensions and Adaptations:
• Have students watch a clip (stop at :42) from an interview with Tomie de Paola in which he
discusses his favorite past times as a child: http://www.readingrockets.org/books/
interviews/depaola. Teachers could also read aloud a quote from Mary Hoffman about
Grace and the books purpose: http://marymhoffman.wix.com/maryh1#!grace-books/c1s9x
• Have students create “identity posters” which display information and pictures that define
the student. These posters will allow students to get to know one another better as well as
serve as a tool to further reflect on gender stereotypes. Students can leave their names off
of the posters for a few days to encourage un-biased reading of the posters.
• Have students survey peers to examine gender stereotypes. For example, if a group of boys
was interested in which gender watched Disney princess movies the group could develop
questions, conduct a survey, and present their findings about the popularity among genders.
If the results aligned with a stereotype, the group could analyze and explore why in order
to understand marketing techniques.
• Encourage and allow students to continuously identify and present gender stereotypes they
find in the media to their classmates. Also, encourage and allow students to identify and
present texts that challenge gender stereotypes.
• Have students “talk back” to a gender stereotype through the creation of a gender neutral
text (e.g. class book).
• Engage students in an exploration of stereotypical gender roles (e.g. jobs) with the use of
children’s books, movies, and other relevant texts.
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Name: _______________________________
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Group: _________________
Gender Stereotypes
1. Working together with your group, examine texts for gender stereotypes.
2. While reading and viewing the texts be sure to ask questions and consider: the author, the
purpose, the audience, and the impact of the text.
3. Complete the graphic organizer below to help examine the text, identify stereotypes, and
organize the information found to create a presentation.
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Name of the text (source):
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_____________________________________________________________________________
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Gender Stereotype:
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______________________________________________________________________________
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Author (Who created this text?):
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______________________________________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________________________________
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Purpose (Why was this created? What makes you say that?):
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______________________________________________________________________________
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Target Audience (Who was this created for? How do you know):
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______________________________________________________________________________
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Impact (How does this affect both the target audience and the reader?):
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______________________________________________________________________________
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Reflection (How do you feel about this stereotype or text? How do your group members feel?):
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