Equality explorers

This project kit shows how to deepen pupils’ understanding of gender equality through a series of engaging and collaborative activities.

Image source: Yogendra Singh from corelens

Pupils create presentations about role models, outdated job titles and the history of gender equality that are combined in a collaborative book. The activities aim to raise awareness, promote critical thinking about gender roles and encourage a more inclusive mindset among pupils.

Objectives

Develop research and presentation skills
Enhance critical thinking and reflection
Foster collaboration and communication

Introduction of partners

Show and tell

Pupils from different classes are paired as pen pals and are asked to exchange letters and drawings of role models who promote gender equality. They introduce themselves, discuss their role models and share reflections on each other’s contributions.

Role model poster

Teachers can show short videos of diverse role models from various professions, such as firefighters, chefs and pilots, or invite a guest speaker from the local community. Pupils then discuss in small groups what they have learned about gender equality in these roles. Each group could create a poster featuring these jobs with local examples, such as pictures of the fire station or a well-known restaurant. Depending on the age group, the poster can be made with arts and crafts materials or online tools. The posters are presented to the rest of the class in a video call and shared on the TwinSpace.

Orientation

Gender language

Teachers can distribute a worksheet with examples of gendered job titles which explain that certain jobs were historically considered gender-specific, like ‘policeman’ for men and ‘secretary’ for women. As people of all genders are now able to work in all professions, job titles should be made gender-neutral, such as ‘police officer’ and ‘executive assistant’. Pupils can work in small groups to change these titles and compile their answers on the Twinboard. They then discuss and compare their new job titles, and create a final collaborative list to share on the TwinSpace.

(In)equality poster

Teachers could introduce a gender equality project, explaining what it means to treat everyone equally, regardless of gender. They could show videos to help pupils’ understanding. Together, classes might evaluate statements or activities traditionally associated with boys or girls and decide whether they agree or disagree. Using a Venn diagram, these activities and statements could then be categorised into a boy sphere, a girl sphere or in the overlapping middle if they apply to both. The completed Venn diagram is shared on the TwinSpace, and classes discuss similarities and differences in a video call, ultimately creating a collective poster.

Communication

Pupils form small international groups to create a gender equality e-book. Each group is assigned a person or topic (such as a historical figure or a stereotype) to research and create an ‘e-book chapter’ (in the form of a small poster, drawing, text or video) to explain gender equality. Depending on the age of the pupils, teachers could provide a template.

As part of their e-book, each group could interview guest speakers. Each school would organise an online meeting with the speakers, and all classes collaborate to propose interview questions. The recorded interviews would then be compiled into a chapter of the e-book. These interviews can be shared during a video call with their partner class where pupils discuss their experience and what they learned.

Collaboration

After completing their chapters, pupils can then exchange them with another group for feedback, using a rubric provided by the teachers. The rubric might include criteria such as the quality of the content, creativity and presentation, digital skills and critical thinking. Pupils can also critically reflect on how their chapter relates to others by recording these reflections in a digital document to be included in the final chapters. Each group then makes final edits based on any feedback received.

Evaluation & Assessment

Pupils’ peer review

Students could evaluate each group member’s contribution to the e-book by using a teacher-created scoring table. This table would assess aspects such as the quality and originality of content, the level of participation in group discussions, the ability to provide constructive feedback to peers and consistency in meeting group goals. It should also highlight strengths and areas for improvement.

Teachers’ evaluation

Teachers would assess both individual and group performance by using a skills/competence-based system. The evaluation system should be designed around earning badges for completing specific tasks. Each badge corresponds to a particular skill or competence, such as creativity, communication, collaboration or problem-solving. To earn these badges, students must meet clearly defined criteria for each task. This gamified approach not only tracks pupils’ progress but also makes the learning experience more engaging and keeps them motivated.

Follow up

Documentation

At the end of the project, all book chapters and reflections should be compiled into an e-book, with a preface that includes related activities like posters and worksheets. These activities would also be published separately on the TwinSpace.

Dissemination

To highlight the importance of gender equality, classes could organise a gender equality fair at school for pupils and their parents. At the fair, pupils can show their projects and e-books, and set up areas to display their chapters and other work. Interactive elements such as games and quizzes on gender equality could be used to enhance the event. Local role models interviewed for the project can be invited to speak about their experiences and support for gender equality.

Additional information

Age from:

7
Age to:

11
Difficulty:

Intermediate
Target audience ISCED:

Primary education (ISCED 1)

Equality explorers

Equality explorers

Additional information

School subjects

Key competences