Supporting transgender students

http://www.newnownext.com/transgender-student-pennsylvania-school-district/09/2016/?xrs=synd_facebook_logo

12 year old Ari Bowman made a speech at a meeting of his School District in East Penn USA, defending his right to use the boys changing rooms at school. Ari is transgender and made the speech after another child at the school argued that she would not get changed in the same room as a transgender student.

Ari started using male pronouns two years ago and came out as trans this summer. In his speech (see the link above) Ari says, "I knew I was transgender before I knew that gender was a word but I didn't know how to express it." He then goes on to say, "I hope you understand what being transgender means. It doesn't make me any less or any more. It makes me me and no one can change that."

After Ari spoke, many people at the meeting supported him, including a Presbyterian minister. The School District Superintendent then spoke and promised, "to uphold the rights of transgender students and to support them in whatever ways possible in their often difficult personal journey."

- What do you see in the picture?

Explain the story

- There are some people today who say that Ari should use female toilets and changing rooms. Why do they say that?
- What does Ari want to do?
- When Ari was born, people told him he was a girl because of the way his body looked on the outside. How did Ari feel on the inside? What did Ari start to do as he grew up?
- How do you think Ari felt at school when he was told to be a girl?
- If Ari came to our school, would we tell him he had to be a girl?
- What would we say to Ari if he came to our school?
- What would you say to the girl in Ari's school who said she wouldn't get changed next to a transgender student?
- Why do you think the Superintendent of Schools in East Penn is supporting Ari? What does this show about ideas changing?
- Why is this story about No Outsiders?
- What can we learn from Ari?, What can we learn from Ari's school district?


No Outsiders in our school: Teaching the Equality Act in Primary Schools by Andrew Moffat

equalitiesprimary.com

Alzheimer's Story

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/son-sings-carpool-karaoke-style-with-dad-who-has-alzheimers-for-charity_us_57b205fce4b069e7e506227c

Simon McDermott has found a way to help his Dad, Ted McDermott, who has Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's is where a person's brain becomes ill and has difficulty doing the jobs that brains do. The person has problems remembering, thinking or speaking. They may appear to be a different person.
https://kids.alzheimersresearchuk.org/young-kids/what-is-dementia/test-question-1-2/

Simon knew his Dad was a singer when he was young so he tried taking Dad out for singing car trips to help him feel better. This idea worked and now Simon and his Dad go for regular drives singing songs that Dad used to sing in clubs many years ago. They sing songs like "Volare" and "Quando Quando Quando".

Simon put a video on to Youtube of him and Dad singing and hoped to raise £1000 for Alzheimer's research. People have donated money and in four months they have raised over £100,000. Now Ted has been asked to record a song which will raise more money.

What's happening in the picture?

Explain the story?

- What is Alzheimer's?
- How does Alzheimer's affect a person and their family?
- Why do you think Simon is taking his Dad driving and singing?
- How do you think Dad feels when he is singing?
- How do you think Simon feels when he hears his Dad singing?
- Why have so many people donated money when they don't know Simon or Ted?
- Why is this story about No Outsiders? (because Dad is different but Simon makes sure he is not left out. Simon finds a way to make sure Dad feels included)
- In our school do our bodies work in the same ways, or are we different too? We work together and find ways to make our school safe for everyone.
- What can we learn from Simon in this story?


"No Outsiders in our school: Teaching the Equality Act in Primary Schools" by Andrew Moffat

equalitiesprimary.com

The Most Diverse Street In The UK

photos Leicester Mercury

http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/world-street/story-28655305-detail/story.html

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/britains-most-diverse-high-street-7302465

Narborough Road in Leicester has been named as the most diverse high street in the UK because there are shop keepers from 23 different countries. The picture above shows where in the world the people come from. There are business owners from Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Poland, Lithuania, Hong Kong, Canada and many more countries. 11,000 people live in the community. 

The business owners say they have a mutual respect for each other. Lloyd Wright who is half English and half Polish and runs a music shop said; "There are people here from all over the world but there is no tension. It's a very relaxed atmosphere. We all seem to rub along fine. There is a mutual respect." 

Dr Suzanne Hall from London School of Economics, interviewed many of the shopkeepers and concluded; "It is the world in microcosm. All these people from all these different places, different cultures working together and living in harmony."

What do you see in the picture?

What do you think the map picture shows?

Explain the story

-What does diverse mean?

- What makes Narborough Rd the most diverse road in the UK?

- What does Dr Suzanne Hall mean when she says it is a 'microcosm' of the world?

- Some people say different people can't get along; what would they learn if they visited Narborough Road?

- Why is this story about No Outsiders?

- What can we learn from Narborough Road?

- Are there any streets like Narborough Rd in the city where we live?

"No Outsiders In Our School: Teaching the Equality Act in Primary Schools" by Andrew Moffat

equalitiesprimary.com

Gender Neutral Toilets

Photo:Jennysmutty/instagram
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-37187370

The Canadian National Exhibition Centre in Toronto has introduced all-inclusive gender neutral public toilet facilities, adding the words, "We don't care" to signs on the washrooms.

Photos of the signs have gone viral as many people see the signs as showing support for people who are transgender. Some states in America have laws that say transgender people must use the bathroom for the gender they were assigned at birth. This makes using a washroom very difficult for a person who is transgender because they now identify as a different gender.

However, there are many businesses and educational settings in both Canada and America who are enabling people, whether transgender or not, to use the bathroom of their choice by installing gender neutral toilets.

- What do you think the sign means?
- Where do you think the sign is?

Explain the story behind the sign

- Why are many places starting to use gender neutral toilets?
- Are the gender neutral toilets only for transgender people? (no, they are for everyone)
- Why do some laws say people should not be able to choose which toilet they use? (because not everyone agrees with No Outsiders. Some people don't understand we are all different)
- More and more places are starting to have gender neutral toilets; what does this show about how the world is changing?
- Why is this story about No Outsiders?
- What can we learn from the Canadian National Exhibition Centre?

"No Outsiders in our school: Teaching the Equality Act in Primary Schools" by Andrew Moffat

equalitiesprimary.com

Football Player - No Outsiders

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/this-college-football-players-heartwarming-act-left-a-mom-in-tears_us_57c6ce26e4b0e60d31dc3a5a

A team of Football players in Florida, USA, were visiting a school in August 2016. At lunch, Travis Rudolph noticed a child sitting alone eating lunch. The football player decided to join the child and eat lunch with him. The child is 6th Grader Bo who has Autism and often eats alone.

Later, Rudolph said, "I asked if I could sit next to him and he said, 'sure, why not?' I just felt like we had a great conversation."

What's happening in the photo?

Explain the picture

- Why do you think Bo often sits alone at lunch?
- There is a large gap between Bo and the other students on the table; how do you think Bo might feel at lunch time?
- Is Bo treated like an 'Outsider' at lunch time? What in this picture suggests Bo is treated like an 'Outsider'? (the large gap)
- Would that happen in our school? Why not?
- Why do you think Rudolf sat with Bo?
- What was the impact on Bo when Rudolf sat down with him?
- What do you think was the impact on the other children in the hall?
- What can we learn from Rudolf?
- Why is this about No Outsiders?

No Outsiders In Our School: Teaching the Equality Act in Primary Schools by Andrew Moffat

www.equalitiesprimary.com