Lesson Plan: Day 1

DAY ONE

1. WARM-UP/DO NOW: Upon entering class, students respond to the following prompt in their journals (written on the board prior to class): "Make a chart in your paper or online journal with two columns, labeled 'Female' and 'Male.' You will hear different professions being read aloud and flashed on the screen. As soon as you hear or see each profession, put the word in the column under the gender with which you immediately associate that word." Go over an example first with the students by using the word "teacher." Then slowly read a list of at least ten professions, allowing students to record their answers into the appropriate column in their chart. The list may include such professions as doctor, nurse, secretary, business executive, physicist, mail carrier, artist, police officer, fire fighter, security guard, flight attendant, lawyer, dancer, musician, soldier, writer, chef, etc. For ESL students, allow them extra time to use a previously prepared list of professions linked to an online dictionary.

Then after a few minutes, allow students to share their responses. As a class, discuss the topics raised by this activity. Do the answers that students gave correspond to what they see in society (i.e. if students associated doctors with males, how many students in the class actually have male doctors)? What are stereotypes? What is meant by a "traditional" role for a male or a female? Where do these stereotypes and ideas about tradition come from? Encourage students to share their own encounters with tradition and stereotype. Also allow students to spend 5 minutes looking through a list of online resources linked to songs, short video clips, images etc.

Then, present the learning purposes to this unit to the students and develop a rubric for assessment with them. E.g. how do they think they can demonstrate their learning? What makes a good essay/presentation etc about the topic?

2. As a class, read and discuss the article "From Broken Lives, Kenyan Women Build Place of Unity" (http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/featured_articles/20041208wednesday.html), using the following questions for self-assesment:
a. What makes the village of Umoja different from other villages in northern Kenya?
b. Who "runs the show" in Umoja, and why is this "odd"?
c. What does "umoja" mean?
d. Who is Rebecca Lolosoli, and how does she view men, according to the article?
e. How many residents live in Umoja?
f. What are the reasons why its inhabitants have taken up residence in Umoja?
g. What legal actions are in place regarding the accusations against British soldiers for rape?
h. Why are some of the women who are making these accusations considered to be "opportunistic"?
i. How did Joseph Kukulet respond to the news that his wife had been sexually assaulted by a soldier?
j. Why was Mr. Kukulet angry at his wife?
k. How do the women in Umoja sustain themselves financially? Who buys the necklaces that the women make?
l. What do the women do with their earnings, and how is this different from the decisions of their husbands?
m. How do some of the local men respond to Umoja?
n. Is divorce possible in Samburu culture? How do the men react sometimes when their wives flee to Umoja?
o. How do the women of Umoja respond when asked about the men in their village?
p. Are there any men in Umoja? What are their roles?

At the end of this activity, students will be provided with a self-assessment checklist for them to reflect on whether they have fully understood the article they just read. Information from the article will also be put into a graphic format to better illustrate the article.

3. Divide the class into groups of six. Explain that each group will research information about of women in a particular country, using available resources. The purpose of their research will be to prepare for participation in a class "Women in the World Forum." The purpose of the forum is to allow participants representing various regions around the world to describe conditions for women faced in their home countries/areas. The whole group will then discuss why this information sharing is helpful and important.

Assign each group one of the following regions/countries: China, Kenya (including Umoja), India, Iraq, Afghanistan, Japan, and the United States. If students suggest a country on their own accord, allow them to use the country of their choice. Each group member will be responsible for answering a focused question about the group of women in the country she or he has been assigned. Assign to each group member one of the six areas of inquiry below. (If groups must contain more than sixmembers, pair some members to work together on an area of inquiry.) Once each group member has researched and answered his or her question, the entire group should come together and put their findings on either a poster board, a powerpoint presentation or video, which should include both textual and visual information about their group of women.

List the following areas and guiding questions on the board as well as post them online for easier student access:

Group Member #1: CIVICS-What is the role, if any, of women from this country in politics? -Are women allowed to hold elected, appointed or hereditary offices? -What official laws apply specifically to women in this country/region?

Group Member(s) #2: EDUCATION-Does public education exist in this country? -What rights, if any, do women from this country have to be educated? -What is generally the highest level of education that women achieve? -What obstacles or limitations, if any, do women face with regard to education?

Group Member(s) #3: HOUSEHOLD-What is the traditional role of women from this country in the household?-What expectations is she held to as a wife, mother and/or daughter?

Group Member(s) #4: WORKPLACE-What jobs in society, if any, can women from this country hold? -Are there "typical" jobs for women? -Are there jobs that are traditionally held only or primarily by men? Why or why not? -What differences in status or salary, if any, are evident between men and women in this country?

Group Member(s) #5: SOCIETY-Do women from a particular social class in this country have a different role than women of a lower or higher class? Why or why not? -Are women considered to be of a lower class than men? If yes, in what ways?

Group Member(s) #6: RELIGION-What religions are practiced in this country? -What are the primary ways in which women participate in these religions?-Are there religious honors, titles or ceremonies that are off limits to women? If so, which ones? Why?

Group Member(s) #7: TIMELINE -How have the roles of women in this country changed over time? -What events or policies helped to bring around these changes?

4. WRAP-UP/HOMEWORK: Each group should complete their research and create their posterboards/presentation or video. Students will also be provided with links with movie clips, songs and artwork to do with gender issue to further enrich their research as well as engage them.