Lesson 1
Lesson 1: Introduction to Gender Identity!
This lesson is the first of three that are designed to teach advanced students English through content-based instruction, while also taking the opportunity to focus on important global issues. Introducing students to the concept of gender identity is daunting, as it is a large concept that is just one part of the LGBTQ+, a community that has spanned the entirety of human history and has roots in every part of the world. In this lesson, students will begin with the broad concept of LGBTQ+, including terminology, some etymology, pop culture, and first-hand accounts. This provides a base for not only the main activity of this lesson but also for the entire unit. While gender identity is the main focus of the unit, pronunciation is also the main focus of this particular lesson. Students will receive a vocabulary list which, through the hot-button activity, they will concentrate on pronouncing confidently. To focus on both learning content and on understanding (not just memorizing) the terminology, students will complete the main activity focused on transgender history, which is intended to flow into Lesson 2.
CLICK HERE TO USE THIS LINK TO SEE THE LESSON PLAN IN A DOCUMENT
Warm-up Activity
Begin the class by going over the agenda for the lesson, giving students an idea of what to expect
Icebreaker
Have students get into groups of 3-4 and answer the questions on the slide
Goal is to create a friendly, open environment and encourage thoughtful communication
Main Lesson:
Begin the main lesson by introducing students to what the LGBTQ+ community is
Frame this section with the slide of all the letters in the acronym:
“LGBTQ+ is an acronym for “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer” with a "+" sign to recognize the limitless sexual orientations and gender identities used by members of our community.
Play the 2:00 minute video introducing the concepts of sexual orientation
Next, carefully go through the slides describing what it is to be a lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans
Next, have a class discussion based on the prompts on the slide.
This gives students time to reflect on the new content they’ve learned and discuss it with their peers before moving on to a more focused topic
This discussion should last about 10 minutes
Next, explain that for the unit, you will be focusing on gender identity
Play the 7:00 minute video introducing the more specific aspects of transgender identity, terminology, and expression.
Having watched the video, go through the slides with the corresponding vocabulary that is on the student’s papers
Call on students to read out the vocabulary words and their definitions, making sure to focus on pronunciation
Hot Button Activity:
Designate any item as the “button” (ie. a hat, a desk, the board, etc.- just something the students can touch)
Have students form two lines
Explain that you are going to read out the definition of a vocabulary word, and the two students at the front of the lines have to race to the button.
Whoever touches the button first must correctly identify which vocabulary word you defined, and must pronounce it correctly.
If the student does not name the correct word OR does not pronounce it correctly, the other student will have a chance to name it
Whoever does it correctly gets a point for their team (their line)
You can record points on a white board or paper or cell phone
The two students go to the back of the lines and the cycle continues until all students have had a turn
This should take 10 minutes
Main Activity:
Transgender History Around the World
Have students form groups of 3-4
Assign each group a period/region
Ancient Greece/Rome, Middle Ages Europe, Colonial America, Modern Thailand (with historical context), Arabia (throughout history), Modern Indonesia, Inca Empire, Edo Period Japan
Explain that they are to research what instances of gender diversity occurred during their period and in what ways
How was it recognized, if at all?
Language, religion, etc.
Was there a single significant transgender historical figure or was gender diversity part of the culture in some way?
In what ways were these instances recorded?
Personal writings (poems, diaries, etc.), religious texts, legislation, folklore
They will have 20 minutes to work
They are to come up with a summary of their findings to present to the class, using at least 3 vocabulary words
Their summary should take 3-4 minutes to present
No visuals needed, just reading what they wrote
All members of the group should have an equal amount of speaking time when presenting
Conclusion / Closer Activity:
Come together as a class and have students volunteer to talk about what their favorite part of the lesson was, such as one of their peer’s summaries or a certain identity they learned about
Resources Needed:
Printer
Paper
Computer
Projector
Caveats:
If you do not have:
internet access
a space to project the slides
the ability to print the handout
See the options in the linked document
