Boxing for stardom
Brief
The overall aim of these lessons is to teach students about history, culture, citizenship, diversity, work and other aspects of life in Myanmar.
The lesson will be used as educational resources (lesson plans and class materials) by schools in the UK and other English-speaking environments to find out about Myanmar and explore wider socio- cultural issues.
Link: http://kite-tales.org/en/article/boxing-stardom
Duration: 45 minutes Age: 7-14 years
Learning Objectives: To introduce students to a traditional sport in Myanmar; to consider how gender roles impact on what people do and the choices they make – and how difficult it is to challenge these.
Main Aim: By the end of the lesson students will have considered how gender roles affect the choices people make and the importance of role models in helping to challenge stereotyping.
Materials: Kite Tales video (see the link above); images of female and male role models known to the students (class-teacher selected and prepared)
Introduction: Lethwei /leðweɪ/ is a traditional sport in Myanmar. It is a martial art like kick-boxing or muay thai. Lethwei is a male-dominated sport.
The United Kingdom’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. A registered charity: 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland).
Suggested staging and information to help with lesson planning
Stage Aim Procedure Interaction Timing Pre-text To get students Discussion questions 10 to think about Students, in groups, make a list of as group work sports and many sports they know. express ideas Based on their lists, students answer about gender the following questions. roles • Can men and women play (do) this sport? • If yes, why? If no, why? • Are there any sports which are only for men or women? Why?
Rotate students into different groups. Tell them to tell others about their group work answers. Ask students to compare their ideas. Elicit sample answers. Highlight areas of agreement and disagreement.
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Stage Aim Procedure Interaction Timing Text (video) Introduction to Tell the students they are going to watch 5 women’s lives a video about women in Myanmar. Ask Myanmar. them to watch the video and answer the following questions: Reminder: do not introduce • What does the video show the information women doing? about lethwei • Are these activities the same or before the different to what women do in students view your country? the video. Show students the video from 0:00 to pair work 0:25. Have students discuss answers in groups or pairs.
Show the video again; allow students pair work time to briefly amend or add to their answers. Elicit answers.
Page 3 of 8 Prediction and Show students the opening image of the 10 information three young women jogging: video – gathering 0:45 Introduction to Ask the students to predict what the lethwei young women are training for. Elicit predictions and record.
Tell students they are going to find out more about two of these young women. The Phyu Phyu, 19 /teɪ pjuː pjuː/and Phyu Phyu Hlaing, 16 /teɪ pjuː pjuː hlæŋ/
Ask the students, in pairs, to answer the following questions: pair work • What sport are the young women in training for? • What did The Phyu Phyu’s father tell her to do? • What did The Phyu Phyu do? • How do her parents feel about her decision now? • Why does Phyu Phyu Hlaing like about training for lethwei? • How do you think the The Phyu Phyu and Phyu Phyu Hlaing feel about doing lethwei?
Play the video from 0:45-end. Repeat if the students need a further viewing to answer the questions. Elicit answers.
Tell students, in groups, to discuss their opinions about the young women doing lethwei and what other people living in group work Myanmar might think about this. Have students share their answers in groups Ask one student to report for each group.
______flexi-activity______See below.
Page 4 of 8 Considering the Tell the students they are going to find 10 wider socio- out more about the lives of women in political context Myanmar. Tell students, in groups, to predict which five of the ten topics group work (given below) they will hear about. Students choose and note their predictions.
Men Household chores Lethwei Government Clothing Shopping Role models Traditions Cooking food Sport Taking care of children
Show the video 0:26-0:42 with the interview of Patsy Tun Thein. Check students’ predictions. Play this section of the video again and tell students to make brief notes about what she says about
Concept check ‘role model’. Elicit examples from the students that they know of or are personal role models for them. These need not be examples of people challenging gender stereotypes.
Show the image of Aung San Su Kyi and ask the students what they know about her. Ask students why they think she is a role model for many women in Myanmar. Students discuss in groups. Elicit feedback.
Page 5 of 8 While Flexi- Flexi-activity Tell students they are going to interview 10-15 Activity their classmates. To have students think about their They should collect the following individual own responses information to lethwei and • Name whether they are • Male affected by • Female stereotyping. • Would you like to try lethwei? (Yes/No) • Why or why not?
Students discuss their findings in groups. Elicit general feedback from the groups highlighting similarities and group work differences.
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Stage Aim Procedure Interaction Timing Post-text Students Tell the students, in groups (single sex 10-15 (video) analyse a quote or mixed), to think about what The Phyu from the text and Phyu says. think about stereotyping. “I don’t like the idea that men are strong and women are weak. I want to be able do the things that men do.”
• What challenges will The Phyu group work Phyu face? • Would it be different for The Phyu Phyu if she lived in another country/society? • Are only girls/women affected by gender stereotyping?
Elicit feedback highlighting areas of agreement/disagreement.
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Stage Aim Procedure Interaction Timing Extension For students to Students research about other role Dependent on Activities research and models – these can be related to gender how this activity reflect on other stereotyping or other challenges to is arranged. Teachers can role models stereotyping (e.g. ) It could be set focus on one (historical or up as a or all of these contemporary) Students present their information to homework task activities. who have their groups and think about why these group work with challenged people are important in helping to make presentations in stereotyping. changes to society and the way we class. think.
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