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1. What does the word culture mean to you?

2. Does your family celebrate your culture in any way?

3. Have you ever learned about or celebrated a different culture?

4. What misconceptions are there about your culture?

5. What holidays do you celebrate in your culture?

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1. How do you think your race has effected your life?

2. How has stereotypes effected your thoughts about race?

3. What does racism mean to you?

4. How can you promote inclusion of all races?

5. What race do you belong to ?

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1. What does gender diversity mean to you?

2. What are gender stereotypes?

3. How have gender stereotypes affected your life?

4. How are words and colors effected by your perception of gender?

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1. What does the word identity mean to you?

2. What identity do you identify as ?

3. Do you think your friends and family have effected your identity?

4. What parts of your identity are most important to you?

5. What do you think about your own identity?

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My big idea is diversity and inclusion. The targeted grade level for my assignments will be first grade.

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I promise by Lebron James is a great book for all ages. Its starts by having children promise to go to school and be respectful. This book celebrates what makes people different and has students always promising to do their best at whatever they do in life. At the end of the story it also talks about the I promise school Lebron helped build and the promises that they make while being their.

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This is a story about a little girl. She gets told that she is a big girl while growing up and this makes her self conscious. This story talks about little comments people make to young girls that make them self conscious. The girl later confront these people about the things they say. Some say they're jokes and others say they didn't mean it in "that way". They didn't understand that these comments hurt the girl. At then end of the story the girl excepts who she is.

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This story is about how each student is enough. Children's race, gender hair color and differences do not define their worth. People should live with love in their hearts and not with fear. This book is about children of all different races and creeds playing together and getting along in-spite of their differences.

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This story is about a girl named Zuri that has a "mind of its own". She talks about her hair and all the different things it can do and how it makes her feel. For example, she say when she had braids in her hair she feels like a princess. However, on this morning she struggles to do her hair and her dad helps out. Her dad at first struggles himself and then offers her a hat. He later figures out to put her hair in funky puff buns and this makes her feel like a super hero.

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Eyes that Speak to the Stars by Joanna Ho

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Eyes that Speak to the Stars by Joanna Ho

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This book is about a boy who gets hurt by a picture his friend drew of him. He was drawn in the photo with two lines as eyes. He goes to his family for help and they provide it for him. They told him to put his eyes to the skies and can that he can read the stars. He later learns that his eyes are perfect just the way they are. He also learns that he can see his future through his eyes and that they make him a visionary.

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Eyes that Speak to the Stars by Joanna Ho

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Our Skin by Megan Madison, Jesica Ralli and Isabel Roxas

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Our Skin by Megan Madison, Jesica Ralli and Isabel Roxas

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This story discusses the topic of race. It shows how you see people of different races at the grocery store and everywhere you go. It also discusses how the term race started and explains what racism is. In the end the author explains how people still are facing and fighting racial injustice today.

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Same, Same But Different by Jenny Sue Kotsecki-Shaw 

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Same, Same But Different by Jenny Sue Kotsecki-Shaw 

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This story is about two little boys who are pen pals. One of the little boys is from America while the other is from India. They communicate through letters and learn that their lives are not much different. They share many of the same interests, even though it might look different.

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This story is about a little girl Unhei who moves to America and finds out her name is very different from all of the other children in her class. She goes on a quest with her new classmates to pick a new name for her but in the end finds out the name that suits her best is Unhei, her original name.

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This story encourages young readers to think about the influence of color on gender identity. It allows children to explore the idea that girls and boys can like whatever they please, even if it is against social norms.

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This story is about a Native American family and friends making fry bread together. The kids soon learn that fry bread is apart of Native American culture and history. Just like fry bread Native Americans come in all different colors and textures. They also learn that how the bread is made, depends on where the people who make it come from. This story ends with a list of Native American names and tribes that are in the United States.

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This book is about a young girl who lives in Guatamala. She very badly wants to learn how to weave and sell them to pay for her education. Her mom however, thinks she is to young and is afraid to waste material. She goes around and tries to collect her own natural material. She has many ups and downs but though the help of her friends and neighbors is able to get what she needs. In the end she is able to sell her work at the market and is happy to carry on her ancestors traditions.

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This book follows a non-binary student throughout their typical day. The book does not use any pro-nouns or refers to any gender. Instead it shows how people can only be who they are and how that should not change for anyone.

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This story follows the life of a little girl named Kanzi. Kanzi was a student who immigrated to America from Egypt. On the first day she comes to school and forgets her lunch. Her mom then has to come and bring her one. All of the students make fun of her moms hijab and how she called her daughter haibibti. She is disappointed and turns to her family for help. She writes a poem in Arabic about her quilt and is excited to show the class the next day. She shows the class and they are excited to make their own quilt filled with Arabic names.

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This story is about a young child named Hannah that struggles with telling people she is not a girl. His parents don't understand why he doesn't act like a girl. His teachers and friends tell him he should be happy to be a girl. However, he is not happy with how everyone reacts to his thoughts and feelings. After a birthday wish he gets the courage and strength to tell everyone how he feels.

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This story is about a young boy named Casey that has many different interests. He likes "typical" boy things like trucks and puzzles. He also however, likes sparkly things like the watch his grandma wears and the tutu his sister Jessee wears. Kids pick on him for wearing "girl" clothes, However; he is happy to be who he is.

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This story discusses gender stereotypes such has pink is a girl color and how blue is a boy color. The kids however, ask who made these rules and why. They soon realize that these stereotypes are made up and their allowed to like and play with whatever they want.

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This book is about how all people should be included. This book centers around boys, girls and children with disabilities playing together. This book aims to show no matter your gender or disability, everyone can work together and be friends.

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This story is about a young girl named Zhao Di and her friends celebrating Chinese new year. They go out every night until the fifteenth day and release lanterns. They get excitement from avoiding the boys and going out in their villages night life. They enjoy participating in the traditions their ancestors have done before them.

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This book talks about the families land and what makes it so great. In the book it states that the land has never been sold but instead has been worked by the family for generations. The book points to and thanks the sun and rain for making the crops grow and how healthy the environment is. This is all so they can pick the kalo in the mud to make the poi for the families lu au.

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Spanish Is The Language Of My Family by Micheal Genhart 

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Spanish Is The Language Of My Family by Micheal Genhart 

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This story is about a young boy who is training for his schools spelling bee. When he gets home he asks his grandma and mom to help him with words that he doesn't know and is struggling to learn. His grandma explains to him that she was only allowed to speak english in school and his mom states how spanish is his families language. They then explain all the rich heritage that his family has and how times have changed.

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This story is about a young girl named Zubi. Zubi is super excited about her first day of school but this soon changes. She over hears her mom talking about how she's to big and this makes makes Zubi self conscious about her own size. She later realizes that size doesn't matter and that everyone is beautiful in their own way.

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The Reflection Of Me by Marc Colagiovanni 

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The Reflection Of Me by Marc Colagiovanni 

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This story is about a young girl who enjoys being herself. She looks in a mirror and has multiple conversations about all the things she likes looking back at her inside and out. For example, The mirror comments on how her eyes sparkle and also how smart she is. In the end the girl says she wants to be herself forever.

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The Reflection Of Me by Marc Colagiovanni

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This story starts with a group of girls learning about everything women had to do to obtain equal rights. They learn to work together and stand up for one another. All of the girls follow their dreams no matter what the job is. They are able to do this because they area girls and girls can do anything.

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No Difference Between Us by Jayneen Sanders

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No Difference Between Us by Jayneen Sanders

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This book revolves around two main characters named Jess and Ben. They are twins and are growing up together in the same house. They soon learn that they can do everything the same (including having things like the same emotions). Even though their are small differences between them, they learn they are equal in all of the big ways.

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No Difference Between Us by Jayneen Sanders

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Video Source #1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fbQBKwdWPg

My first video is an episode from PBS KIDS. In this episode they have actual kids talk with adults about race and racism. This video explains how race is a social construct and how people of all races are the same. Watch to learn more!!

Video Source #2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk_HYAiS26I

This second video is a short clip from a show called Sesame Street. In this video Elmo is asking about race and what makes skin color different. In the video they explain how people are like leaves and can be all different shapes and colors.

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Award-Winning PBS KIDS Talk About: Race & Racism | FULL EPISODE | PBS KIDS

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Video Source #1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbhd-23mloc

This video is about gender stereotypes and how they can effect kids. For example, the girl in this video gets told to stop acting like a boy because she is good at soccer. In the end she learns that anyone of any gender can do anything.

Video Source #2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3Aweo-74kY

This video has students draw different occupations. This reveals to the students different gender stereotypes they may subconsciously have. This video is eye opening for students of any ages.

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Help kids learn about gender [with Foxy]

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Source #1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-P3wm1Fvv4

This video was created by Milton Hershey School. In this video they ask elementary students what culture means to them. In the end students and teachers from different cultures all come together and work in the same place.

Source #2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOEB87B0Zas

In this video they discuss what the word culture and traditions mean. They talk about how things such as food, holidays and music can be apart of both culture and tradition.

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What Is Culture, According to Kids?—Milton Hershey School

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Video Source #1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om3INBWfoxY

This video explains to kids what the word identity means. It talks about the importance that identity has for each individual person and discusses how values can effect a persons identity.

Video Source #2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjM6QxXknms

This video also focuses on identity for kids. In this video they discuss how people form their own identities. It also discusses how a lot of a persons identity is how they view themselves.

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Wellbeing For Children: Identity And Values

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Text Source #1: https://www.pbs.org/parents/talking-about-racism

This article Talks about how you are never to young to learn about diversity. No matter the race all people should be treated equally. Their are also videos and other supports attached to this article.

Text Source #2:

https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2020/08/children-notice-race

This article discusses racism and when children start to notice race. It goes over how students start to notice far before adults want to talk about it. It dives into common misconceptions and how to properly address the conversation.

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Children and Racism

Racism is the belief that some people are inferior, and others are superior based on their race, ethnic group, or the color of their skin. This leads to treating certain people as if they are worth less than others. Racism can cause problems at school, work and in relationships. It can also lead to problems with getting access to basic needs like health care, housing, and food.

When people are affected by racism, they feel like they do not belong and are not safe or protected in their community. This stress, on top of the usual stressors of day-to-day life, is referred to as 'minority stress'. People can start to believe the messages they receive from the world that they are 'lesser than'. This can lead to depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems.

Sometimes current events can bring increased attention to racism in our society. News coverage of protests, police brutality, and discussions about social inequality can lead to questions from your children and provide an opportunity to talk about racism.

These conversations can be hard. Here are some tips for parents on how to talk to children about racism:

You may want to learn more about the history of racism around the world and in the United States. It may be helpful to provide your child with the history of slavery, segregation, and the Civil Rights Movement. You can include the history of Black Americans, American Indians, and those of Asian, Hispanic, or Arab origins.

It is also useful to explore your own beliefs, or biases, about race and ethnicity. Sometimes we carry biases, without even being aware of them.

Set aside uninterrupted time for your child to ask questions. Explore your child's feelings about what they may have seen or heard. You can use examples in your own life or in your community that you think your child may understand.

Children will have different levels of understanding based on their age:

For toddlers and preschoolers, limit your child's exposure to news clips of violence, as they may not be able to understand their own feelings and reactions. Children in this age group notice racial differences and can form opinions based on their observations. They understand the concept of fairness and can begin developing attitudes towards others.

School-age children may experience fear or worry about what they have seen on the news, or they may be angry when hearing of mean acts happening to others. Help them feel safe and let them know that one person's actions are not true of all people. For example, one person in a position of power behaving badly does not mean all people in positions of power behave badly.

Be aware that biracial children, children of mixed ethnicity, or children of a different race than their parents (for example a black child adopted into a white family), have the added challenge of figuring out their racial identity. Their reactions may include mixed feelings and confusion.

Teenagers understand more about the world and are capable of abstract thinking. They may be idealistic and passionate about the world. Be prepared for questions they might ask or discussions they may want to have. This is a good time to talk to them about racism and your family values. You can help them find ways to express their views and desire for action.

Lead by example: your children are watching and listening to you and naturally model their behavior after yours. Set the example for how you want your children to be thinking about and addressing racism in our world. For those who have been victims of racism, remind your children of your own strength and resilience and what is helpful to you.

Children have the power to be agents of change for a better future. Encourage your child to be friends with anyone of any race, ethnicity, or skin color. Help your child understand that having friends with different backgrounds is a good thing and a chance to learn about each other's worlds. Help your child embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Related Facts For Families

For more information and suggestions AACAP has developed a Racism Resource Center with links to websites and videos that may be helpful.

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Racism can cause problems at school, in work environments, and problems with access to health care, housing, and food.

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Text Source #1: My first text source is linked above. This article talks about gender equality and how to avoid stereotypes surrounded around gender.

Text Source #2: https://mojdigital.blog.gov.uk/2024/03/08/breaking-gender-stereotypes-a-personal-reflection/

This text is about breaking gender stereotypes. It talks about how different things such as relatives, shows and media can have an effect on how we view gender.

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In honor of Women's History Month, we're going to discuss how teachers and homeschooling parents can educate their children or students about gender equality. This is because gender identity and perceptions of others start in early childhood. Children need to know that gender roles do not shape their identity, capacity, or professional preferences. Teaching gender equality for kids is a vital topic in early childhood.

The clear benefit of reducing gender inequality is improved mental health, self-confidence, and dignity of both men and women, but there are other far-reaching benefits to society in general.

According to the International Labor Organization, increasing gender equality would also increase the employment rates, improving the global economy. Other studies confirm the link between gender inequality and child mortality, even gender inequality and lack of environmental awareness.

Considering these important implications, we must be prepared to revise the educational curriculum and implement practices that positively influence children's cognitive and emotional development. Experts agree that even the little things, like exposing kids to non-stereotypical characters through literature, movies, or games and dividing work-assignments (also at home) equally, can redefine their behavior and perception of gender roles.

Nonetheless, that's not all you can do! Keep reading to find out how to implement the topic of gender equality for kids in formal education regardless of age!

Teaching Gender Equality for Kids

Before you start teaching anything, the golden rule is to test the waters. If you naively ask kids to tell you the difference between boys and girls, beyond physical characteristics, you'll be surprised to hear that even preschoolers have already formed some stereotypes. Unfortunately, this is usually learned from hearing or seeing how adults behave or while watching TV.

What are the most common stereotypical perceptions that young children can have? Here are several examples:

Boys are stronger and faster than girls.

Boys like blue colors and girls like pink.

Boys like to play with trucks, while girls like dolls.

Girls wear makeup, boys don't.

Girls gossip more.

You might not get these answers immediately, but if you ask tricky questions like who's smarter, or who likes sports more to encourage them to share their opinions, you'll get them talking.

The Starting Point

Now that you've evaluated your students' or kids' way of thinking, where do you go from there? Our advice is to use that knowledge as a starting point and introduce the topic of gender equality in age-appropriate language. What does this mean?

Well, let's say that your students or children have already formed some gender-based stereotypes. You can proceed by explaining how those kinds of assumptions are faulty observations and not real knowledge. Continue to explain that all people make these faulty assumptions, even in situations when we feel like we really know it's true - it's not. So, how do we recognize that we're wrong? We'll recognize our mistakes by learning about gender, gender roles, gender bias, and discrimination. Finally, make sure to explain to kids why it's important to learn these things - our mistakes and words can hurt other people and put them in a very bad position!

On the other hand, if your students or kids haven't been exposed to gender-based stereotypes, proceed by telling them the typical examples that they might hear in the future. Then continue to describe how such examples are wrong and bad, just like we've explained in the previous paragraph.

With this introduction, you're ready to dive deeper into the topics you've just mentioned.

How to Teach About Gender to Preschoolers

Let's start from the most basic concept, the first thing you need to explain to kids is gender. What exactly is gender and how it's different than sex?

Most parents and teachers dread this conversation thinking it might get uncomfortable, but it doesn't have to be like that! By showing pictures of different kids, ask kids to guess whether they're a boy or a girl, and make sure to include non-stereotypical photos of kids such as a boy dressed in pink, playing with a doll, or with long hair and vice versa. Regardless of whether they answered right, ask them - how do we decide who's a boy and who's a girl?

They might be confused a little, or assume that the differences that are easily observable, like "boys don't wear dresses" are somehow determining their gender identity. This is completely normal and understandable. In early childhood development, around 5 to 8 years old, children form their identity by comparing themselves to others - defining an "I" versus "everyone else."

You can see how this developmental process without proper knowledge and guidance from adults can lead to stereotypical behavior - "If I am a girl and she is a girl and we both wear pink dresses, but he is a boy and wears only pants, then a girl is someone who wears dresses and a boy is someone who wears pants."

Another example of this phenomenon is when you introduce your child to a friend who's a doctor and they say all confused "But, doctors wear white coats!" If they only see doctors in the hospital, they'll assume that the concept "doctor" means someone who wears a white coat.

The easiest way to prevent such misguided assumptions is to, first, expose kids to diversity, and then explain why these differences make sense and are okay.

Biological Sex

When it comes to gender and people's sex, explain to kids that boys and girls can be very different because what makes someone a girl or a boy is their biological sex only. This is a word that describes the differences in bodies between men and women. For example, men are usually bigger and taller than women, they're also hairier, especially on the face - men can grow a beard, but women can't. On the other hand, women have bigger breasts and wider hips. They can be pregnant and give birth. But, we can't always see these things when we look at someone, which is why people have invented another word - gender.

Gender

While a person's biological sex tells us whether they're a boy or a girl, a man or a woman, a person's gender tells us how most people will look or behave based on their gender.

Make sure to highlight the very nature of gender - it's not accurate and it doesn't tell us how things should be, but only how things typically are. The problem with this is that while it's very easy to spot these characteristics when we see someone, they can be misleading. Most girls wear dresses, while most boys don't, but if some boy wants they can also wear a dress, and this is okay.

Another way you can make the distinction between sex and gender is to tell kids that sex is what people can or can't do, while gender is what people most frequently do or don't do. A good example of this would be - women can't grow a beard even if they wanted to, but they can have short hair! Men can't get pregnant and give birth, but they can wear dresses if they want to!

This brings us to the next step - gender equality as people can do things that are not typical for their gender if they wanted to!

Definition: Gender Equality for Kids

To give children a memorable definition of gender equality, make connections between the concepts that we've already defined. For instance, we've just mentioned that gender refers to differences that don't apply to all people and differences that can be changed - if women want to have short hair, they have the right to do so!

This is why gender equality means that all people have the same rights! If men want to wear dresses, they have the right to do so! If they want to wear makeup, they have the right to do so! If women want to wear pants, they have the right to do so! If they want to play with trucks and cars, they can do so!

Keep the examples simple and relevant for the child's age so they can understand the main idea behind the concept.

According to UNICEF, gender equality means that all children have the same rights, resources, opportunities, and protections that can help them fulfill their full potential.

Explaining Gender Bias and Discrimination

While the definition of gender equality sounds great, children might ask, why do we need it? Does it mean that sometimes boys and girls don't have the same rights? Now that kids know about gender and gender equality, take some time to discuss these things, encouraging kids to think of examples when boys and girls don't have the same rights.

If you put it like this, it might sound too abstract for little children, which is why you may show kids pictures of people who break the stereotypical grande roles - a man with long hair, holding a doll, wearing a dress, a tiara, or anything else that's typically considered feminine. Also, a woman with short hair, wearing a suit, lifting weights, fixing a car, etc. After this, ask kids are these pictures weird or funny, and why? If men and women had the same rights to do everything they wanted to, why do we think that some things are funny or weird? This is a great introduction to the concept of gender bias and discrimination.

Ask kids whether they would feel good if other kids would laugh at them. Then proceed to explain that when we treat people differently, when we accept one thing as normal and another thing as funny or weird, we're doing something that's called discrimination. And, when we're discriminating against someone just because he's a boy who wants to do a thing that most girls do or the other way around, we say that we have a gender bias.

It would be a smart idea to show kids examples of sayings or conversations and to encourage them to recognize whether people are discriminating against someone based on their gender. Make sure all the examples are relevant for the kids' age and their everyday life.

Teaching Feminism: How to Explain Feminism to a Child?

At this point in the lecture, it would be very easy and it would logically make sense to associate our history with the development of the concept of gender equality.

Once you're showing kids examples of sentences or conversations, you can slowly move toward older commercials and typical conversations or speeches when women didn't have the right to vote, to work, or even to study. If kids understand the concepts we've covered so far, they'll react to these examples. Tell them that they're right and that we know this now, but unfortunately, this was not the case a long time ago.

Briefly explain to kids how people in the past didn't know a lot of things. They couldn't explain these things as we do now, so they believed that there are many differences between boys and girls - which is false! In our article, "The Parent's Guide to Teaching Kids About Cultural Diversity and Inclusion ", we go into the details of how being uneducated and not knowing things can lead to stereotypes and prejudices, so don't hesitate to check it out if you want more information regarding this part.

Continue to give examples of the things that people believed in the past and all the things that women were not allowed to do, including simple things like wearing pants, going out with friends, owning property, voting, and so on.

So, how and when did things change? When did we realize that we need gender equality?

Here's when you introduce the concept of feminism. While the women in the past that first demanded equal rights are known as suffragettes, belonging to the Suffragette movement, they are also considered feminists, it's just that the word feminism was not that popular in the past.

Feminism is the belief that all people are equal in social, economic, and political aspects. According to this definition, a feminist is a person who beliefs that all people, both boys and girls, are equal, having the same rights in society.

As we mentioned, in the past, people didn't know better and they didn't believe all people are equal, which is why those that did believe we're all equal were called feminists.

Check out our worksheet bundles on Suffrages, Women's Equality Day, as well as our article on Women's History Month for Kids, to get more details on how to teach kids about feminism and gender equality.

Examples of Gender Bias and Discrimination Through History

To support your arguments that people in the past discriminated on the basis of gender and were biased, you need to give real examples to kids, bringing the topic closer to them and making it more relatable. In addition, you'll also pay respect to the women who were overlooked in history, yet deserve the world to know and celebrate them.

In the following paragraphs, we'll describe four inspirational women through history, but there are many more, which you can find browsing through our "Inspirational Women Through History" section on our website.

Rosalind Franklin is probably the most frequently mentioned name when it comes to sexism in science and gender inequality. Why? Well, when the time comes, kids will learn that Watson and Crick discovered the double-helix structure of DNA, without ever learning the name of Rosalind Franklin. The reason why some people argue that this is unfair is that Rosalind Franklin also worked on the same problem. It was her picture and information that Watson and Crick used without permission to publish their discovery.

Marie Curie was not quite overlooked as the greatness of her work could not be overshadowed, yet she too faced a lot of injustices and obstacles in her life due to sexism. Her application to the French Academy of Sciences was rejected just because she was a woman, and she also wasn't allowed to study in Poland, so she attended an underground, unofficial university.

Jocelyn Bell Burnell is not a name we know all too well, even though Burnell's work is considered "one of the most significant scientific achievements of the 20th century." She discovered the first radio pulsars in 1967. After her discovery, Burnell faced extreme discrimination just because she was a woman, and had to battle sexism to pursue her career. Her colleague Antony Hewish was honored with a Nobel Prize, instead of her.

Another woman with a genius mind is Ada Lovelace who's today known as the "the first computer programmer" - a profession which even today is dominated by men. Ada lived a long time ago, from 1815 to 1852, and people seem to forget her legacy when they tell the story of computer science. However, you can help future generations to celebrate and remember her name.

How to Promote Gender Equality in Education?

Throughout the article, we mentioned some ways you can promote gender equality in education, but there are many ways to teach kids about gender equality. Here's what you can do:

Be a role model. Treat children equally and objectively. If you see stereotypical behavior, address it and explain why it's not okay.

Revise the reading materials and the required literature before assigning it to kids. Make sure it's not sexist. Try to include as much diverse materials as you can, so you can expose children to different situations where the gender roles are not traditionally illustrated.

Include both boys and girls in sports activities equally.

Include some gender equality activities whenever possible.

Use gender-neutral language when referring to children.

Include many toys for kids to choose from and make sure to encourage kids to play with different toys regardless of their gender.

Don't use colors associated with gender, or make sure to mix the colors - boys' names in pink, girls in blue, etc.

Gender Equality Activities for Kids

In our articles about Women's History Month and International Women's Day, we composed a detailed list with several activities that promote awareness and gender equality, so don't hesitate to check them out.

In the meantime, here are a couple of activities on gender equality for kids:

1. Are you acting like a man or a woman? - Understanding the stereotypical expectations in society and being comfortable breaking from those predefined roles. For this activity, divide the students into two groups and let them create a list with two columns. In the first column, the students try to identify what people think women should act, and in the other how men should act.

2. Man's work or woman's work? - Give students a checklist with different occupations or housework tasks and ask kids to write next to each occupation whether it is a woman's work or a man's work. After this, have a discussion about why we perceive some occupations as men's or typically women's jobs and whether both sexes can actually do that job.

3. Watching a gender equality documentary.

4. Drawing an inspirational figure from the opposite sex.

5. Participating in reverse role activities - girls do boy's typical activities, while boys do typical girl's activities. For example, all girls play football, while all boys dance and cheer (for one day).

Teaching Resources on Gender Equality

We can't cover everything in this article, so here are some amazing resources for you to find more information and dive deeper into this topic.

1. World Atlas of Gender Equality in Education by United Nations.

2. Worksheet bundles and autobiographies of inspirational women through history.

3. Girls into science: a training module by Clegg, Andrew.

4. Little Leaders by Vashti Harrison.

5. Diversity and Marginalisation in Childhood: A Guide for Inclusive Thinking 0-11 by Paula Hamilton.

6. No Difference Between Us: Teaching children about gender equality, respectful relationships, feelings, choice, self-esteem, empathy, tolerance, and acceptance by Jayneen Sanders.

7. Gender Equality in Primary Schools by Helen Griffin.

8. Why Gender Matters, Second Edition: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know About the Emerging Science of Sex Differences by Leonard Sax M.D. Ph.D.

Before You Leave

Gender equality is a highly important topic that should be introduced in early childhood. As we've seen in this article, that's not a challenge once you have the right information. Hopefully, our article provided just that. We tried to explain everything in detail and shared some relatable and simple examples that you can use for kids of all ages.

Nevertheless, you can find much more information on our website, so don't hesitate to follow the links and download any bundle that seems relevant. All of our worksheets are easy to edit and follow, saving you a lot of time and energy. Best of all, kids will learn while having fun!

Finally, don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter and visit our blog because new insightful pieces are coming soon!

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In honor of Women's History Month, we're going to discuss how teachers and homeschooling parents can educate their children or students about gender equality. This is because gender identity and perceptions of others start in early childhood. Children need to know that gender roles do not shape their identity, capacity, or professional preferences.

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Source #1: https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/culture/399913

This article is all about culture and traditions. This article goes over the definition of culture and how it can change.

Source#2:https://kids.kiddle.co/Culture

This article discusses different cultures with students. It talks about some of the main ideas of culture as well as tradition, lifestyle and folklore.

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Culture is a pattern of behavior shared by a society, or group of people. Many different things make up a society's culture. These things include food, language, clothing,...

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1. I will read off a list of jobs and ask the students to draw or write what they think of when they think of the job. At the end we will discuss it as a class and I will show how words or jobs can be related to gender.

2. In class we will watch a short video about Amelia Earhart and I will have my students research and make a poster about women's history. They will focus on a list of women I put on the white board and choose one to research.

3. The third and last engagement will be a gender equality video and word search. I for example will show one of the videos I have linked in this project and will give the students a word search with words surrounding gender equality.

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1. I will play a video to my students about diversity and inclusion. I will then have the students pick a racially diverse book from the library and partner read with a friend.

2. The students will be given an assignment to research one racially diverse member from history. I will give the students a list and will let the students use books, articles, computers ect.... I will then have the students share what they learned.

3. The students will create one slide on google slides about race. They will be allowed to add video, text and audio recordings. This will be a group project and it will be shared with the teacher and class.

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1. The students will research their own culture with their families (optional) and come up with how they want to share it with their class.

2. The students will research a different culture and pick one tradition to learn about. The student must then create that tradition to introduce it to the class.

3. The students will be put into groups and create a poster for cultures around the world. They will have to research and incorporate different traditions represented on the poster.

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1.https://readlikearockstarteaching.com/teach-young-kids-about-identity/

This text source talks to students about identity. It emphasis all the different facets that are included in a persons identity. It also discusses how a persons identity is all about how they view themselves.

2. https://firsttee.org/2022/05/18/three-ways-to-help-kids-develop-a-positive-self-identity/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwnqK1BhBvEiwAi7o0X-wdZNub9vyFXjBD5hctZ8thcBmJ9xHhk7Bv9kq4zmEBnoSoJ1Z5TBoCrmQQAvD_BwE

This article is a little different from the rest I have found for this project. This article is for teachers and focuses around how to create positivity around students identities.

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What do Kids Learn?

When I first started to teach young kids about identity, I found that they didn't really know what I was talking about. What is identity? I wanted to make space for them to dig deep and get to know themselves. I wanted them to understand who they were at their core, and become aware of what made them, THEM.

What did they like?

What did they dislike?

What did they value?

What were the important parts of their culture to them?

Have any parts of their identity changed in any way?

These discussions were so insightful, because kids could uncover and name parts of themselves. If they weren't sure, it allowed them space to think about ideas they hadn't considered before. For example, one child was thinking about what she valued in a friendship. She had never thought about it before. Spending time on identity gave her time to pause and think about what really mattered to her. While one may value humor, another may value honesty. As kids shared with each other, it was nice for them to see their classmate's (or family's) various identities and the diversity that was there all around them!

"Different people do different things in different ways."

It is important to teach young kids about identity for so many reasons. Kids who understand their own identities will be more self-aware and confident, which leads to better self-esteem. By walking through all these parts of identity and having discussions with each other, kids can feel seen and valued by their classmates. They also learn one of the biggest lessons- "Different people do different things in different ways." When kids notice one person is monolingual, but another may be bilingual, it decenters themselves and opens up a wide world view and rich discussions. (If you have been having discussions on diversity or race, this is a great next discussion to have!)

My Experiences

I have found that when I teach young kids about identity, initially they give me blank stares. The conversation will go something like this:

Teacher: Who are you?

Student: I'm Brayden.

Teacher? What else?

Student: I'm 6.

Teacher: What else?

Student: *crickets*

After a few days of exploring identity, the conversation will sound something like this:

Teacher: Who are you?

Student: I'm Brayden. I am biracial, and 6 years old. I like baseball and the color green. I really love vegetables but don't like spinach! I value humor and integrity in my friends.

Student 2: Right now I'm a kid, but I know I'll grow older. I want to get better at riding my bike.

Student 3: I love to read books and want to read more!

Student 4: What!? You like telling jokes? Me too! (a friendship blossomed.)

These conversations are real answers from my students. Most went into the conversation not being able to say who they were. They came out knowing exactly who they were in this moment. How wonderful is it, that kids can clearly and articulately name who they are? They are confident in themselves. When classmates and adults know and accept them as they are, it boosts self-esteem. At the same time, they really start to understand that it is ok to be different, and for others to be different too.

Notes for Adults

When we begin to teach young kids about identity, unfortunately some adults may get anxious at the potential for pushback. Included in this lesson are easy teacher guides to help you on your way, as well as parent communication to ease the nerves. Being upfront and open can make things easier. Also included are worksheets to allow kids to name and write down the parts of their own identities. As you read the stories below, allow children to add and change their own pages. This will deepen their understanding of all the parts of identity and allow them to reflect on themselves. Maybe they didn't think about how a language at home or a ritual with someone is a strong part of their identity.

If you are a parent, this is definitely something you can teach at home. These topics are actually a rich treasure trove in uncovering thoughts your kids already have, as well as nudging them deeper when needed.

Books to Continue Learning

You can pull out an identity conversation with almost any book, especially if you are reading diverse stories. Here are some great titles to get you started.

1. A Kids Book about Identity, by Taboo and Jennifer Goldstein

2. The Day You Begin, by Jaqueline Wilson

3. My Name is a Song, by J. Thompkins-Bigelow

4. Hair Love, by Matthew Cherry

5. Sulwe, by Lupita Nyongo

6. Eyes That Kiss in the Corners, by Joanna Ho and Dung Ho

7. Jack, not Jackie, by Erica Silverman

8. Neither, by Airlie Anderson

9. Where Are You From? By, Yamile Saied Méndez

10. Home is In Between, by Mitali Perkins

11. Bilal Cooks Daal, by Aisha Saeed

12. Stolen Words, by Melanie Florence

13. The Bagel King, by Andrew Larson

This book list explores stories from various cultures, genders, food, and language. It will help kids pull out many different aspects of their own identities and learn about their classmates.

Follow Up Questions

Some good follow up questions to ask while reading these stories:

1. What are some of the parts of _________'s identity?

2. Is this a like/dislike/value/cultural piece?

3. Did any character have part of their identity change? What was it?

Looking for More?

If you're looking for more support in facilitating these discussions, I created a multi-day lesson to help you. You can read the e-book walking kids through all the parts of their identity, pausing to reflect and write. We had a really great week discussing, exploring, and learning about ourselves.

Click on the images below to check out a few different identity resources.

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Teach Young Kids about Identity - Naomi O'Brien - Read Like a Rockstar

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What do Kids Learn? When I first started to teach young kids about identity, I found that they didn't really know what I was talking about. What is identity? I wanted to make space for them to dig deep and get to know themselves. I wanted them to understand who they were at their core, [...]

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1. I will have the students pick a song that best represents their personal identity. They will then play that song for the class and tell us why they picked it.

2. The students will get a human body out line with a key in the corner. The students will color in the picture with colors and will have to write what the color represents in their identity. For example, I might shade a leg in blue and say that represents me as a teacher.

3. The students will create their own youtube video about their identity. I will give the students complete control about what they want to say or use to express themselves (as long as its school appropriate). They will then have the option to send it to me personally or show it to the class.