Curriculum Unit Lesson Plan

Lesson title: Princess and Prince (Lesson 1, Learning Segment 3)

Grade: 2

Learning Objective(s)

Evidence for assessment

Rationale

Students will identify gender stereotypes and describe the negative effects of a strict
gender binary.

Venn diagram: This is a pre-assessment for the lesson. Students will use
this tool to reflect on their ideas and beliefs regarding gender.

This lesson is the first in this learning segment. In this lesson students will critically
examine their thinking, begin discussions about the negative impacts of gender
norms, and be introduced to the ways children defy them.
The New York City Department of Education K-8 Social Studies: Scope and
Sequence
Thinking skills

comparing and contrasting, drawing inferences and making conclusions,

distinguishing fact vs. opinion

Image Analysis Skills

decoding images (graphs, cartoons, photos)

Prerequisite Knowledge Students will have already created observations and inferences about gendered
advertisements.

Learning Experience

Starting It (15 min)

Assessment

Ask students to describe a princess and

a prince

Introduce Princess, Prince, or Both?

Game

Students responses to
Princess, Prince, or Both?
Game

Doing It (15 min)

On one side of the room post a

photograph or drawing of a tiara with a
label that says princess taped on the
wall. On the other side of the room
post a taped image of a crown and the
word prince

Read to students a series of I am

statements (I study sword fighting, I
am good at math, I like the color blue,
I wear dresses, I am good at sports, I
take care of babies, I am a quiet
person, I like to sing)

To convey whether they think this

mystery person is a princess, prince, or
could be both, students will either
walk to the side of the room with the
princess or prince images or stand in
the middle of the two (during this
activity a teacher or a student-helper
will glue the I am statements to the
place in the Venn diagram which
communicates the majority rule)

Once the game is over and students are

back in the meeting area, introduce the
Venn diagram and explain its purpose

Read to students The Paper Bag

Princess

Turn and talk: after looking at the

cover and reading the title, ask
students for their justified predictions

Think aloud: once Prince Ronald is

taken away by the dragon and the
princess vows to save him say, Wow,
this surprised me because usually the
prince saves the princess!

Students turn and talk

responses

Finishing It (10 min)

Turn and talk: after Prince Ronald

insults the princess ask, how is the
paper bag princess different from most
princesses?

Turn and talk: after finishing the book

ask students, how is this fairy tale
different than most? (guide them
towards comparing the princesses and
princes in most stories to those in The
Paper Bag Princess)

Review the Venn diagram

Ask students what they are noticing

(highlight the stereotypes which are
present)

Ask students whether their views have

changed (make sure students provide
their reasoning, stress how these
stereotypes are unfair and restrictive)

Turn and talk: ask students, how are

these stereotypes weve identified
about prince and princesses similar to
stereotypes about boys and girls?

Students share their responses with the

class

Link: tell students they will continue

discussing their ideas on gender in the
next lesson

Students turn and talk

responses

Accessibility

Students will be able to participate and show their thinking through kinesthetic and
verbal forms of communication. Students will work in a whole group and
partnerships

Materials Needed

Chart, glue, I am sentence strips, The Paper Bag Princess