DOCUMENT RESUME ED 352 233 RC 018 883 TITLE A-Gay-Yah: A Gender Equity Curriculum for Grades 6-12. INSTITUTION American Indian Resource Center, Tahlequah, OK. SPONS AGENCY Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC. PUB DATE 92 NOTE 177p. AVAILABLE FROMWEEA Publishing Center, Education Development Center, Inc., 55 Chapel Street, Newton, MA 02160. PUB TYPE Guides Classroom Use Teaching Guides (For Teacher) (052) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC08 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *American Indian Culture; American Indian Education; American Indian History; American Indians; Class Activities; Cultural Awareness; *Cultural Education; Ethnic Stereotypes; *Females; Intermediate Grades; *Learning Activities; Reading Materials; Secondary Education; Sex Bias; Sexism in Language; *Sex Role; *Sex Stereotypes IDENTIFIERS Native Americans ABSTRACT This two-part guide frames gender equity lessons within the context of Native American history and culture, thereby increasing student awareness and knowledge in these key equity areas as they study U.S history and social studies. Part 1, "Understanding Gender Equity," describes activities that increase student understanding of general gender equity issues: sex-role stereotypes, effects of biased language, the relationship between stereotypes and prejgdice, stereotypes in the media, and students' own assumptions and prejudices. Part 2, "Stories That Teach Gender Equity," uses focused student readings and activities to prompt student thought and discussion on cultural and gender roles. Emphasizing critical thinking and cooperative learning, lessons lay out measurable objectives for teachers and include lessont plans, procedures, handouts and worksheets, teacher background information, and evaluation tools. Lessons focus on Cherokee leaders Nanyehi' (Nancy Ward) and Wilma Mankiller; the Kaw (Kansa) initiation rite, a survival test for boys and girls; the Osage ballerina Maria Tallchief; traditional roles of Indian women and their part in the tribal decision-making process; a drama in which four teenage girls discuss major life decisions; and a story of a day in the life of a dysfunctional family. 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At.,1 ,,mtat A GENDER EQUITY rio.,-;,,...Alt4.1 rt.tt111.14,1,1,1i,q,),,It:hAVO,444volAt7 4 ,. -;::;':`+:\:1..i\t'iV.VVitkl.V`;;OltAt' CURRICULUM FOR niltraryik yrklikA iii '41/%4104 $' GRADES 6-12 1'1 34%I.Ito., t,N4ktU tk r'II ' tiN It° AMERICAN INDIAN OFFICE OF EDUCATIONAL ArA RESOURCE CENTER RESEARCH AND IMPROVEMENT TAHLEQUAH, OKLAHOMA U.S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION q' rn ki./N, 4.. III%44 . ' tyti $t,ti( \\\4;\1tirr)1 44] --"7""gri ". I 1.4 . ' ..;' ... k:111Z4. p , ., ...!44.` I .1. T". , ... ..) " : ; U.S. DEPARTMENT OP EDUCATION Office ol Educaborial Research end Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received Irom the person or organization originating it Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction Quality . Pants of WIWI 0, 304.Oaa atalOd &Au' went do not neCeSellrily reptesenl official OEM Dosilton or policy A-Gay-Yah /4 Gender Equity Curriculum for Grades 6-12 3 J A-Gay-Yah A Gender Equity Curriculum for Grades 6-12 Project Director Wathene Young a American Indian Resource Center Tahlequah, Oklahoma Office of Educational Research and Improvement U.S. Department of Education Lamar Alexander, Secretary Discrimination Prohibited: No person in the United States shall, on the grounds of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance, or be so treated on the basis of sex under most education programs or activities receiving Federal assistance. The activity which is the subject of this report was supported by the Department of Education, under the auspices of the Women's Educational Equity Act. However, the opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the Department of Education, and no official endorsement by the Department should be inferred. 1992 WEEA Publishing Center Education Development Center, Inc. 55 Chapel Street Newton. Massachusetts 02160 Cover design by Annie Grear 5 Contents Introduction 1 Part 1Understanding Gender Equity Attitude Check for Teachers 5 Focus Activity What's in a Role? 9 Focus Activity Follow-up Roles People Play 11 Activity 1 Fact or Fiction? 13 Activity 2 Don't Believe Everything You See 17 Activity 3 Line Up: A Human Bar Graph 19 Activity 4 People Search 23 Activity 5 Hidden Clues 25 Activity 6 Cinderella's Only a Fairy Tale 31 Activity 7 Do I Have to Wear a Dress? 37 Activity 8 Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down 45 vi Contents Part 2 Stories That Teach Gender Equity Lesson 1 Nanyehi' (Nancy Ward): Some Warriors Are Born Women 53 Lesson 2 Ta-Na-E-Ka: A New Way 75 Lesson 3 Maria Tallchief: Dancer with a Dream 105 Lesson 4 Indian Woman: Don't Call Her Squaw 121 Lesson 5 Free to Choose: Important Decisions in a Young Girl's Life 141 Lesson 6 Wilma Mankiller. Some Leaders Are Born Women 149 Lesson 7 Charlie's Dad: On Becoming a Max). 165 About the Project Staff 177 Introduction If we teach today'sstudents to live intomorrow'sworld with yesterday'srules, we may as well send them to explore the ocean floor without oxygen. Unarmed with skills and lmowledge and unaware of their options they may be overcome before they even begin. Trends toward equal opportunity for girls and boys will not simply go away if we stick our heads in the sand or scoff at the notion of gender equity. The purpose of this gender equity curriculum is to challenge the old ways of thinking that limited our expectations for girls and boys. Breaking out of the trap where gender determines what is possible means recognizing the limits of our mind-sets, opening our eyes to new options, and encouraging young people to be all that they can he. Who knows what might be possible if we wake up Sleeping Beauty to her own independence and self-determination and give the handsome prince a break from slaying dragons so that he can learn to communicate and relate to others? Why, the world might change for the better and new solutions to serious world problems might emerge! We believe it is worth a try, and that forward-thinking teachers for our young people are the key to these possibilities. This curriculum is designed to assist teachers to provide an equal chance at learning for females and males open students' options to learn subjects and prepare for future education, jobs, and careers place no limits on expectations due to gender encourage both genders equally to develop, achieve, and learn treat male and female students equally There are two parts to this gender equity curriculum. The first part is devoted to classroom activities that create an awareness of or directly teach basic principles of gender equity. These are quick start activities. The overall objectives of part 1 are to explore the meaning of gender roles; to understand the meaning of gender stereotyping, bias, discrimination. and prejudice; to become aware of the existence of gender-role stereotyping, bias, and discrimination; to identify sources of gender-role stereotyping reinforcement and cultural influences on gender-role stereotyping; and to explore the impact of 2 Introdurtion female stereotyping for young people in society today. The second part contains teaching lessons with an applied gender equfty focus. Most of the teaching lessons focus on specific Native American tribes. Cultural customs and practices vary greatly from one tribe to another.It is important in using this curriculum to keep these differences in mind.Because the tribal customs and practices reported in these lessons are not representative of all Native Ameri- cans and may not be familiar to non-Indians, the differences can provide an excellent opportunity for research activities. Use this curriculum in part or as a whole; start in the middle or at the beginning. Just use it. Join us in helping young people think about their ltres with open minds, because we believe that whatwe intend is what we become. 9 Part 1 Understanding Gender Equity This section contains classroom activities that will help 1. promote awareness 2. stimulate thinking 3. generate opinions Attitude Check for Teachers What is gender equity? Gender equity is something we may believe we already promote. It is an equal chance at learning for females and males open options to learn subjects and prepare for future education, jobs, and careers no limits on expectations due to gender equal encouragement for both genders to develop, achieve, and learn equal treatment of male and female students Examples of what gender equity is not Expecting more of one gender than the other: Girls expected to be