Hi! I've been lurking for a long time and this is my first time posting.
I am a counselor at an after school program for girls ages 10-14. We constantly teach feminist topics and ideals but I'd like to teach a class specifically on feminism and I was wondering if anyone had any ideas about how to go about it. I can show videos, play games, do art projects, lead discussion... I just can't show anything from YouTube since we don't have internet access.
I'd really like the girls to be less scared of the word "feminist" and have some idea of what it can mean.
ANY thoughts are appreciated!!!
Thanks, Lauren
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If you have a laptop, you go to the youtube videos that you want to show, let them load, and then you can just push "play" later and you don't need to be online. That's what kids at school always did for presentations and stuff.
I've always found a great way to help people not be afraid to use a word is to put it up on the board (white or chalk) and have your students through out words and ideas they associate with it. I've done this excercise with "choice" and "abortion." You can add in the ideas you are trying to guide them towards, while still adressing stereotypes like man-hating and hairy. It is usually a great way to begin a discussion.
I would also suggest maybe go through and explaining the different waves of feminism. That way, you are teaching them some history and helping them to understand where they will fit into the modern feminist movement.
You can also download Youtube videos by using a website like this one: http://keepvid.com/
A bunch of resources here:
http://www.themissgproject.org/teachers/
I think YouTube videos could be awesome. Show one (like Susie Boyle on Britain's Got Talent), discuss it.
Have them go through magazines and actually count how many people of each race are in it? How many overweight or obese women?
Maybe this is an exercise that works better with slightly older students (maybe? maybe?), but you can ask questions like "what words describe a sexually-active male v. female? what words describe a woman who doesn't get married? do we have a word for men who don't? what compliments do boys v. girls receive? etc."
if you're bold, you can even address "what words describe girls who are boyish? boys who are girlish?" (one situation in which language suggests that boys are confined as well)
You can map out a bunch of these answers on the chalkboard and talk about how these words reflect assumptions society has about gender.
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You could also check out some children's books with boy v. girl protagonists. (then have them get in groups and write their own subversive fairy tale!)
Or bring a full-page/multi-page ad for children's clothing. (you'll notice how often the boys are running/playing soccer, and how often the girls are just posing) then have them draw pictures of girls doing more than just posing -- sports, work, etc.
These are fairly good ways to get your students to think about assumptions they might be making in everyday life.