Lesson plan

In-Person Classrooms

The International Day of the Girl Child, October 11, was launched in 2012 by the United Nations general assembly. The day focuses on issues of education, equality, child marriage, access to services regarding puberty and sexual health, and addressing issues around gender-based violence.

Silhouette of a girl reading a book below a stylized mountain range with the words "Girls Education International" below.

Educating girls has a positive impact on the individual girl, her family, and her community.

Girls in many nations and cultures face obstacles that limit their access to education.

Girls Education International supports girls in Pakistan and Tanzania so they can overcome those obstacles.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

These objectives target both cognitive (academic) and affective (social-emotional) learning.

Students will be able to:

Consider how society and culture influence a girl’s life.
Discover how communities benefit by educating girls.
Compare and contrast challenges that hinder or prevent girls’ access to education in Pakistan and Tanzania.
Describe how Girls Education International helps girls pursue schooling.
Imagine the impact they want to make on the world.
Commit to helping increase girls’ access to education.

If you'd like to send a letter to students' families about this learning experience, we've got one ready for you to use (just add your name). Click here.

Learning outline

This lesson is organized around essential questions. It can be taught as one 2.5-hour learning experience, or in modules that combine as few or many of the essential questions as time allows. It is designed to be taught in the order below:

25 minutes: How is a girl's life influenced by her society and culture?
10 minutes: How do communities benefit by educating girls?
40 minutes: What challenges hinder or prevent girls' access to education in in Tanzania and Pakistan?
30 minutes: How does Girls' Education International help girls pursue schooling?
20 minutes: What positive impact do I want to have in the world?
25+ minutes: What can we do?

How is a girl's life influenced by her society and culture? (25 minutes)

Introduction: Introduce this learning experience as a collaboration with Girls Education International in celebration of the International Day of the Girl Child, October 11.
Warm-Up Activity (15 minutes): What Does It Mean to Be a Girl?

First invite students to (individually) consider how their lives are influenced by their society and culture by answering the questions on this worksheet (5 minutes). (Note: Student answers to the questions on the first two pages can be private, while the reflection questions on page 3 are meant to be discussed.)

Next, hold a class discussion about the reflection questions on page 3 (10 minutes).

KWL Chart (5 minutes): Girls' Education

The KWL chart helps students (1) prepare for the learning to come by considering what they Know about a topic and identifying what they Want to know, and (2) reflect on that they've Learned at the end of the lesson.

Invite students to fill out the "K" and "W" columns of the KWL chart. Ensure students keep these charts so they can fill out the "L" column during the "What Can We Do: Take Action" section/module of the lesson.

How do communities benefit by educating girls? (10 minutes)

Prediction: How do communities benefit by educating girls?

Hold a class discussion.

Video: Show The Girl Effect: The Clock Is Ticking (3:04)
Discussion: How do communities benefit by educating girls?

Hold a class discussion

What challenges hinder or prevent girls' access to education in Tanzania and Pakistan? (40 minutes)

This section has two parts, investigation and discussion*.

Investigation (20 minutes)

Divide students into groups of no more than four (or use previously formed groups).
Have students investigate:
- Challenges that hinder or prevent girls from going to school in Tanzania or Pakistan.
- The impact education has on their communities.

Resources:

Tanzania:

Pakistan:

Invite students to organize their group's thinking using a T-Chart.

ALTERNATE: Investigate Tanzania and Pakistan together as a class. For each country, in turn:

- Print or project the "My Life Elsewhere" website and hold discussion about the information. Watch the video(s) together. Then, have students work on their T-Chart in small groups.

Discussion (20 minutes)

Share: Invite groups to share their T-Charts. Record student responses in a T-Chart on the board.
Ask these questions for some of the challenges groups have shared:
- What would you do if you faced this challenge?
- How would you help a friend if they faced this challenge?
- How might the lives of girls vary within a country, region, or community? (Hint: While girls in a country, region, or community will face certain challenges in common, not all girls are the same! Religion, socioeconomic level, family occupation and composition, rural/suburban/urban, and other factors can create a variety of experiences).
Think-Pair-Share: Have students consider these questions with a partner (individual writing 2 minutes, sharing 4 minutes):
- Imagine what would happen if the girls in Tanzania and Pakistan didn't face these obstacles.
  1. How would their lives change?
  2. How would their communities change?

ALTERNATE: Invite groups to place up to five challenges on sticky notes (one per note) under the headers "Tanzania" and "Pakistan" on the board /chart paper. As a group, arrange the challenges into categories.

*This entire section can also be conducted as a full class or students can work individually.

how does girls education international help girls pursue schooling? (30 minutes)

This section has two parts, investigation and discussion.

Investigation (15 minutes)

Divide students into pairs.
Have students investigate how Girls Education International helps girls overcome the obstacles they face in Tanzania and Pakistan using GEI partner websites (below).
Students write one issue, challenge, or solution related to how GEI helps girls in Tanzania and Pakistan per sticky note.

Resources:

Project Wezesha in Tanzania
Bedari in Pakistan
Sticky Notes

Discussion (15 minutes)

Draw a big Venn Diagram on the board. Label the left circle "Bedari in Pakistan" and the right "Project Wezesha in Tanzania."
Have one group place place their sticky notes in the appropriate circle. Invite the remaining groups to add any sticky notes not already posted.
Hold a full group discussion about which issues, challenges, and solutions Pakistan and Tanzania have in common, and which are unique to the area the girls live in and how Girls Education International helps girls pursue education there.

ALTERNATE: Instead of the sticky-note activity, pairs or small groups can use this Venn Diagram to record their learning about Bedari and Project Wezesha.

What positive impact do I want to have In the world? (20 minutes)

Individual Writing Activity

Have students read "Meet Bernadeta" and answer the reflection questions at the end (print and hand out or use online).
Invite students to share their responses with a partner.

What can we do? Take action (25+ minutes)

Video: Show Hira Ijaz Wants to Become a Teacher. (You may want to read the subtitles aloud to increase comprehension.)
KWL Chart: Invite students to fill out the "What Did I Learn?" column of their KWL chart.
Brainstorm how to help girls overcome obstacles to education, whether close to home or around the world. This can be done with the full class or in small groups using this Brainstormer.

- Visit our Take Action page for ideas to get started.

Co-create a plan of action and make a difference!

Please share your feedback with us.

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