There are many kinds of differences we need to respect, accept and come to value. Two important areas of difference are gender identity and sexual orientation. You may not have encountered these concepts before. While exploring these topics, we need to be open to learning new information and listening to everyone. Our classmates and teachers may share comments and feelings about these subjects that surprise us. Being ready to learn about different gender identities and sexual orientations will help us understand the discrimination that can exist.
Check the glossary for definitions of words you don’t know
Despite the fact that there are many people around the world who have different gender identities, most forms we fill out still ask us to check off male or female. However, there have always been places where more genders are accepted and even welcomed.
In the Indigenous cultures of North America, two spirit people are said to contain both male and female ‘spirits’.
In the Philippines they use the term siya which encompasses all genders.
In Indonesia, the Bugis ethnic group has 5 genders: makkunrai (female women), oroani (male men), calalai (female men) and calabai (male women) and bissu (transgender priests).
Indigenous Australians use sistergirls to describe people with a gender appearance inconsistent with their assigned sex, with a female spirit and female roles in the community. They use brotherboys to describe people with a gender appearance inconsistent with their assigned sex, with a male spirit and male roles in the community.
Watch the video to learn more about the range of gender identities.
Click here if there are words you are not sure of. There is a glossary!
Just like it is important to say a person’s name correctly, it is also important to use the pronouns they want you to use.
Sexual identity or orientation is about who you are attracted to. There are many different kinds so it takes TWO videos! Here is the first one!
Click here to go to the glossary!
Plant The Seed - Unpack Your Thinking
The visual thinking routine we are learning about this week is
I Used to Think … Now I Think …
It is a routine for reflecting on our thinking and exploring how and why it has changed.
Before you watched the videos about gender identity and sexual orientation, you had probably had some ideas about what they meant. In a few sentences, write what it is that you used to think about gender identity and sexual orientation. Take a minute to think back and then write down your response to “I used to think …”
Now, I want you to think about how your ideas about gender identity and sexual orientation have changed as a result of the videos we watched and our discussions. Again, in just a few sentences, I want you to write what it is that you now think about gender identity and sexual orientation. Start your sentences with “Now, I think …”
Modelled Thinking
Here is my thinking – Anne LeBlanc ‘The Global Write’ Team Member and Google Slides Prompt Creator for the weekly Wakelet.
MPORTANT: Teachers don’t forget to take a photo of your students thinking and post them to ‘The Global Write’ Wakelet.
Here is my thinking – Bronwyn Joyce ‘The Global Write’ Creator
Let's Write
Prompt 1
Choose one of the ideas below. Use Buncee or draw a poster and upload the photo to Buncee. If you need ideas, go back and watch the videos again.
- Make a picture showing someone asking someone else to use their preferred pronouns.
- Make a picture telling the world it is OK to have and celebrate your unique gender identity. This is one way to be a LGBTQ+ ally (helper – see the glossary for more details)
- Make a poster showing people that all kinds of sexual orientations are accepted and valued, for example, you could draw two people who love each other or a whole family. Another way to be an ally.
Prompt 2
After you watch the video, think, do you have any other respectful questions for Nanta about being a gender non-conforming person? Write your questions in a document and upload it to wakelet.
Prompt 3
After watching the video, write a persuasive speech to those countries who are not upholding human rights when they discriminate against, and even jail people for their gender identity and / or sexual orientation. Name the human rights the those countries are violating. Click here for a list of human rights.
The world needs allies like you
Let's Create with AMAZELAB
Add the creativity of STEAM to learning, new ideas each week brought to you by the sensational team at AMAZELAB in the UK.
Turn yourself into a RAINBOW
Investigate how a rainbow is formed in nature as you go on a hunt around your home or school looking for rainbows and turning yourself into a RAINBOW!
IMPORTANT: Make sure your remember to take a photo of your rainbows and post them to ‘The Global Write’ Wakelet
Teacher Resources
For more information on I Used to Think… Now I Think… the thinking routine go to http://www.pz.harvard.edu/resources/i-used-to-think-now-i-think
More Resources
Newsela activity “On Gender” https://t.co/WP5Se74npd?amp=1
Geder glossary cards on Quizlet https://t.co/44f39KjBrf?amp=1
Websites:
Elementary and Secondary lesson plans:
https://bc.sogieducation.org/sogi3
https://www.welcomingschools.org/
https://wordpress.oise.utoronto.ca/diversityinteaching/lgbtq-learners/
https://bctf.ca/SocialJustice.aspx?id=6106
Worldwide LBGT+ news https://www.openlynews.com/
Videos:
Elementary and up
Gender pronouns with Jake Edwards: MTV UK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXLFdYNEl_I
Expressing myself my way from Amaze.org https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITRdvGnplLU&list=PLwKLUKhFLWhYJS3icnPOO049G6k0lm1jq
Trans students explain why pronouns are important https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iKHjl5xAaA
Grade 9 and up
Bill Nye on Sexuality and Gender Spectrum https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQDBNJ3mPa0
Glossary
Different words are used in different countries and by different people. You may use or hear other words in your area.
Ally – a person who is not part of the LGBTQ+ community and supports and stands up for members LGBTQ+ community and their rights
Asexual – a person who is not attracted to anyone, regardless of their gender identity
Binary genders – the concept of male and female as the only genders is binary (bi=2)
Gay – can refer to someone attracted to another person of the same sex, or used specifically to refer to a man attracted to other men
Gender non-conforming – this adjective relates to gender identity. It describes a person who does not want to act or dress like society expects someone of their gender to. Check out this great video which explains it well.
Gender fluid (also genderfluid) – a person whose gender identity shifts between different gender identities.
Intersex – a person who physically has male and female reproductive organs or chromosomes of both sexes
Lesbian – a female who is attracted to another female
Non-binary means a person who doesn’t identify with either gender.
Straight (Heterosexual) – someone who is attracted to a person of the opposite sex (male to female and male to male).
Two-Spirit – In the Indigenous cultures of North America, two spirit people are said to contain both male and female ‘spirits’.
Pansexual – a person who can be attracted to a person of any gender identity
Queer – a person who is not straight, for example, they may not be sure if they are bisexual, gay or pansexual so they identify themselves as queer
Transgender (or trans) – a person whose gender identity is different than the one they were born with, for example – someone is born a boy and identifies as a girl
Acronyms
Acronyms – an acronym is an abbreviation for a list of words. In different parts of the world, different acronyms are used.
LGBTI means Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Intersex
LGBTQIA means Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual
LGBTQ+ means Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender + indicates other possibilities
LGBT2SQ – Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender, Two-Spirit, Queer and Questioning
The UN Sustainable Goals and Good Life Goals we are supporting this week are:
