Goals
Brief description of the issue
A strong endorsement of gender stereotypes is associated with higher school dropout rates, for boys as well as for girls. These stereotypes are widely shared through the media, which children see basically every day. However, stereotypes can have a negative impact on children’s development and, later, can prevent them from having healthy relationships. This is why gender stereotypes are a big part of the sexuality education program in Québec. It is therefore important to put specific activities on this topic in place (like this one!) to break down gender stereotypes with children.
ACCM, an organization that provides information about and contact information for various health services in Montreal, has created a bank of free sexual health and education lesson plans adapted for elementary and high school teachers in Québec that you can access online.
As gender stereotypes are a big part of the sexuality education program in Québec, very interesting activities can be facilitated to break down gender stereotypes and meet the goals of the program at the same time. This particular activity looks at what gender stereotypes are, where they come from, why they matter and how we could redefine them. It focuses on the stereotypes found in movies and the media at large.
Click on the links below to download the lesson plan and the handout for students.