Teaching Tool - Gender and Sexual Diversity: Stereotypes and Assumptions (Grade 6)

These resources help students assess the effects of stereotypes and assumptions on different aspects of people's lives (i.e., gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, culture, etc.).

Learning goals

I will assess the effects of stereotypes and assumptions
I will identify how stereotypes and assumptions can affect a person, inclusion in society and relationships with others
I will find appropriate ways to respond to harmful assumptions and stereotypes
I will develop strategies to respond appropriately to harmful social attitudes

Core knowledge content

Core knowledge content provides the teacher with the background information needed to prepare and teach this health class.

Stereotypes and assumptions core knowledge content

Ontario curriculum expectations

Grades 1-8: Health and Physical Education (2019)

D3.3 assess the effects of stereotypes and assumptions about gender roles and expectations, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, culture, mental health and abilities on an individual's self-concept, social inclusion, relationships with others and proposes appropriate ways to respond and change harmful assumptions and stereotypes that can lead to destructive social attitudes including homophobia and racism. This specific expectation is also connected to the social-emotional learning expectations A1.1 Emotions, 1.4 Relationships, 1.5 Self and 1.6 Thinking.

Learning activities

Gender and sexual diversity: Stereotypes and assumptions presentation

This presentation teaches students the effects of stereotypes and assumptions related to gender roles and expectations, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, culture and others.

Stereotypes and assumptions PowerPoint presentation

Spotting stereotypes

For this activity, students will analyze media clips and images from popular TV shows or movies with gender and sexuality stereotypes.

Spotting stereotypes instructions

Question box

Question box: This activity gives students the opportunity to ask questions anonymously. The questions might be about things that they feel are awkward, embarrassing or uncomfortable to ask in front of their classmates.

Question box instructions

Supplementary resources

Building healthy relationships (Ontario Physical and Health Education Association): In this lesson, students will learn to apply their relationship and self-awareness skills and critical thinking skills to assess the effects of stereotypes and assumptions on an individual's self-concept, feelings of inclusion and relationships. Students will also learn to identify ways to appropriately respond to and change harmful assumptions and stereotypes that lead to destructive social attitudes about others.
Educators (Sexual Health Options Resources Education Centre): This resource shares inclusive language and suggestions to remove gendered terms about bodies and sexual diversities such as sexualities, genders, bodies and romantic orientations. Refer to adapting sexual education language to be more inclusive.
Exposing gender stereotypes (Media Smarts): For this lesson, students will take a look at assumptions about what it means to be a man and what it means to be a woman.
Gender identity, media and stereotypes (British Columbia Teachers' Federation): This lesson explores the difference between a person's biological sex and gender identity and that gender roles and expectations are socially constructed and influenced by media.
Gender stereotypes and body image (Media Smarts): This lesson makes students aware of the dangers of gender stereotyping and the media's role in showing gender stereotypes.
Grade 7 lesson plans (Teaching Sexual Health): This resource identifies the effects of social influences on sexuality and gender roles and equity. It analyzes the messages and approaches the media uses to promote certain body images and lifestyle choices. Refer to lesson 3: Gender, body image and social influences.
Influences on our self-concept during adolescence (Ontario Physical and Health Education Association): This lesson helps students learn how to apply self-awareness skills to understand the impacts of viewing sexually explicit media, including pornography.
Mapping the media (Gender Spectrum): This lesson plan highlights how our society gets various messages about gender from different places such as through popular media.
The destructive effects of stereotypes and assumptions (Ontario Physical and Health Education Association): This lesson will help students apply their relationship and self-awareness skills to assess the effects of stereotypes and assumptions on self-concept, feelings of inclusion and relationships. Students will use critical thinking skills to respond to and change harmful assumptions and stereotypes that lead to destructive social attitudes about others.
The impact of gender stereotypes (Media Smarts): This lesson encourages students to develop their critical thinking about culturally inherited stereotypes and the images presented in the media such as film and television, rock music, newspapers and magazines.