Developing School-Age Students\u27 Tolerance and Knowledge of Gender Stereotypes

Studies have found that during early and middle childhood children begin developing their own ideas of gender roles and stereotypes (Weisgram, 2016). Several factors influence children’s gender stereotypes and norms, such as social experiences, familial beliefs, and personal observations (Halim, Ruble, Tamis-Lemonda, Shrout, & Amodio, 2016). As children form their own understanding of these expectations of gender roles, children risk forming negative opinions towards gender expectations which can influence their further development such as how they behave, interact socially, and even perform academically (Andrus, Jacobs, & Kuriloff, 2018). In an effort to increase school-age children’s knowledge of gender stereotypes and broaden their notions of gender norms, I created a two-day lesson plan about inclusivity, tolerance, and acceptance for students in a third-grade classroom at Monterey Bay Charter School located in Pacific Grove, California