LETS!

Liberator Education Tools for Sexuality and Gender

Lesson 1 Preview

INTRODUCTION TO THE UNIT

Objective: To introduce what students will be learning in this unit, their roles as social scientists, and create class agreements for the duration of the unit.

Consider combining read alouds, videos, and other visual aids for neurodiversity in learning. These may be read, assigned or played anytime during the day/week that the lesson is taught.

Read Alouds

Take Home Letter

Download the lesson 1 letter for families

Activity One: Warm Up – Wiggle worm

Time needed: ~3 minutes
Materials: None
Rationale: To get students into their bodies and help them release excess energy in order to be able to focus on the following activity.

Teacher asks students to stand up and find a place in the room where they have room to put their arms out. Teacher demonstrates the wiggle worm and explains that it will get the wiggles out. “To do the wiggle worm, shake your arms, legs, hands, head, mouth, face and whole body like you’re a dog shaking off water. Your cheeks might make sound too.” Do two to three 30-second rounds of the wiggle worm, then have students take a seat in a circle for the next activity.

Activity Two: Introduction and vocabulary

Time needed: ~20 minutes
Materials:

  • Dark thick marker
  • Newsprint
  • Projector and computer to play vocabulary videos (if using)

Rationale: To introduce the unit, foundational vocabulary, and lay the framework for students’ roles as social scientists.
Use the italicized paragraph below to explain the unit. Teachers can read, paraphrase, and/or write on a board or newsprint any parts of it.
Vocabulary words are in bold. Here are some ideas about how to teach vocabulary:

  1. Write the word in large, legible letters on a board or newsprint, say it aloud and have students repeat it, and repeat that three times. Then explain the meaning of the word using the definitions below, in the adult companion packet, or your own words. Take comments or questions from one to two students
  2. Create videos ahead of time of yourself explaining the words as if you’re looking at and having a conversation with the students, which can be shown in class.

    Today we are beginning a new social studies unit. This unit is called LETS! Teach Affirm Learn Know (LETS! T.A.L.K.). That means that we will be learning about our bodies and its parts, feelings, relationships, what we like and don’t like, how to talk to each other and to adults, and what YES and NO feels like in our bodies. This is a safe space where everyone can ask questions and get answers. A social scientist is an explorer! A scientist doesn’t fear asking questions— we ask questions so that we learn new things. Practice saying what a social scientist does: “I notice, I observe, I agree, I disagree.”

    In this unit we will use words that might be new, or that we’re not used to saying, like sexuality. We will learn about respect, trust, joy, justice, and empowerment and remember them through all our conversations. I hope that everyone feels more empowered at the end of this unit!

Vocabulary
Justice means that all people, with all kinds of bodies, get to learn true and loving information about their feelings and their bodies. Justice means working for things to be fair. “We all get to learn and feel safe!”

Trust means feeling safe. When we feel trust, we feel like we can ask questions, share our feelings, and be who we are. When we feel trusting, our bodies feel safe, our minds feel appreciated, and we feel accepted just as we are. “We trust each other. We trust our friends!”

Joy is in the word enJOYable! It means happiness. Here, it means learning about ourselves in a way that feels fun, where we can feel proud of our bodies and all of the amazing ways that they feel.

Respect means that there are no silly questions and nobody is laughed at when they ask a question. It means that all people are free to express themselves truthfully. Respect also means listening when others are speaking, and not interrupting. We know that we are all here together to learn and to have fun, and we try to remember that in order to learn and have fun, everyone must feel safe and included. When we respect each other, it is safe to be different – with different bodies, different ideas, and different feelings. Respect is a big word, and it includes a lot of different ways to be kind. What are some examples of respect? “I respect myself. I respect my friends!”

Empowerment means feeling strong in yourself, and knowing that you are able to do , big, challenging, hard things! You can feel proud about how fast you run, the way you draw, the way you read and write words, you can feel proud of your body and how you feel, or the way you dress, to name a few examples of what empowerment can feel like. Can you name some other ways you feel proud of yourself, or empowered? Having good information and knowing how to find answers to our questions can help us to feel empowered too. “I am confident in myself. I feel strong in my mind, my body, my feelings and I love who I am !”

Activity Three: Create class agreements

Time needed: 10-15 minutes
Materials:

  • Dark thick marker
  • Newsprint

Rationale: Establishing class agreements that are written and remain posted throughout the duration of the unit will help to create safety and confidence among the students as the class embarks on new and sometimes challenging topics. They also set common boundaries for students and adults.

Based on the concepts in this introduction, please establish “class agreements” to ensure a safe, respectful, and welcoming environment in which to have these conversations. Aim for 4-6 agreements, write them in large, easy-to-read letters on a piece of newsprint, and post them on the wall for the duration of the unit (or longer!).

Guide the students to come up with 4-6 appropriate agreements, and make sure that they include the following ideas:

  1. Listen while others are speaking (don’t interrupt)
  2. Ask questions if you have them; all questions are welcome here!
  3. If something comes up that you are not comfortable talking about in front of the group, the teacher is available after class, or you can talk with another trusted adult.
  4. What is shared or said in this class stays here (confidentiality)
  5. Let’s all try our best to participate. You don’t have to do anything you aren’t comfortable with. You can always decide to pass if you need to.
  6. Don’t name specific people without asking their permission first.

Closing Activity: Play the recording of Starting Place

Time needed: ~1 minutes
Materials:

  • Speaker or stereo system that can connect to a computer
  • Recording of Starting Place

Rationale: To introduce students to the LETS! T.A.L.K. theme song!

Let students know that this is the theme song for the unit, and you will learn the words and sing it together next time. Play the recording of the song once, twice or a few times.

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