Lesson Plans:

Advertising and Male Violence (Grades 11-12)
To make students aware of the ways in which male violence is used and promoted in advertising.

Comic Book Characters (Grades 5-7)
In this lesson, students look at how male and female characters are depicted in comic books.

Exposing Gender Stereotypes (Grades 8 – 9)
In this lesson, students are encouraged to develop their own critical intelligence with regard to culturally inherited stereotypes, and to the images presented in the media – film and television, rock music, newspapers and magazines.

Female Action Heroes (Grades 6-8)
In this lesson, students identify stereotypical images of girls and women as represented by female action heroes.

Gender Messages in Alcohol Advertising (Grade 7-10)
In this lesson, students think critically about culturally inherited gender stereotypes, and explore how stereotypes about men and women are promoted and reinforced through the images and messages in alcohol ads.

Gender and Tobacco (Grades 7-9)
In this lesson, students explore gender-related influences on smoking. They discuss the numbers of male and female smokers in Canada and around the world, and the strategies used by tobacco companies to reach both men and women.

Learning Gender Stereotypes (Grades 8-9)
In this lesson, students are encouraged to develop their own critical intelligence with regard to culturally inherited stereotypes, and to the images presented in the media – film and television, rock music, newspapers and magazines. The lesson begins with a review of stereotypes that are associated with men and women and their possible sources – including the role of the media. Students deconstruct a series of advertisements based on gender representation and answer questions about gender stereotyping about articles they have read.

Marketing to Teens: Gender Roles in Advertising (Grades 8-12)
In this lesson students explore gender roles in advertising by taking an ad campaign they have seen which is specifically directed to one gender, and redesigning the campaign to target the opposite gender.

Media Kids (Grades 4-7)
In this lesson, students deconstruct gender portrayal and depictions of boys and girls in the media.

Suffragettes and Iron Ladies (Grades 10-12)
This lesson considers how the media portrays women in politics. Students explore capsule biographies of female political leaders, from ancient times to current events – crafted from snippets of media coverage such as newspapers, magazines, TV news and encyclopedias – to understand bias in how female politicians are portrayed.

The Girl in the Mirror (Grades 7-9)
In this lesson, students look at how gender stereotyping may discourage young women from becoming involved in politics.

The Impact of Gender Stereotypes (Grades 8-9)
In this lesson, students are encouraged to develop their own critical intelligence with regard to culturally inherited stereotypes, and to the images presented in the media – film and television, rock music, newspapers and magazines. The lesson begins with a discussion about how self-violence may be promoted by the fashion industry when men and women put their health at risk to attain impossible standards of attractiveness and thinness. Students also explore how stereotypes about masculinity can fuel male violence.

TV Dads: Immature and Irresponsible? (Grade 6-8)
In this lesson, students explore the nature of stereotypes by looking at the negative image of the TV dad as presented in situation comedies (sitcoms) and advertisements.

What’s in a Word? (Grades 5-7)
In this lesson, students become sensitized to the ways in which the use of language in the media can imply inequality between men and women.