March Week One

 In commemoration of International Women's Day on March 8th, we discussed women who we admire and who have made a positive impact in our lives.  In some classes, we also used the Equality Wheel to discuss equality in relationships and how to reach gender balance.

Listening:
Learners can try an activity about US Citizenship Podcast: ESL Lessons for Women's History Month  or some What it Takes Episodes from influential women such as What It Takes - Sally Ride, or What It Takes - Nora Ephron.

For original version, try Women's History Timeline with audio.  Or try a fascinating podcast about consent called In the No Part 1 and In the No Part 2 .

Reading:
Learners can try a reading comprehension activity about International Women's Day - 5 Minute English or Seven Women Who Made History .

For original version read an article by Arlie Hochschild: Housework Isn't 'Emotional Labor' from The Atlantic or some relevant articles from the Guardian.
 
Writing:
This week for writing, please write an essay using one of the following prompts:

• How much do you and your friends adhere to gender norms?  What would happen if one of you broke a big norm (such as a boy wearing a dress or a girl getting a buzz-cut)?
• Do people who break gender norms get treated differently from people who adhere to them?  Why or why not?
• What would the world look like if there were true gender equality?  How would that differ from today’s world?
• How do gender norms contribute to gender inequality?  Give an example and explain.
• Historically, some cultures in the world operated as matriarchies.  Do you think a matriarchal society would be better than a patriarchal society?  Why or why not?

Best,
Kelly