wedding dress

 

https://www.upworthy.com/bride-wears-tactile-wedding-dress-so-her-blind-husband-can-feel-her-beauty

Anthony and Kelly Anne Ferraro got married on 2nd October this year. Anthony is a blind Paralympian and in 2018 he won Gold in the USA National Judo Championship for Blind and Visually Impaired. Traditionally, when people get married, the bride's dress is an important part of the day and their partners don't get to see it till they walk down the aisle. Kelly Anne wanted Anthony to share in that experience so what do you think she did?

Kelly Anne surprised Anthony by having a dress made that felt amazing to touch. Anthony said, "Kelly wanted to make it really special for me. She went above and beyond to make a dress that was tactically pleasing with chiffon, lace, silk and velvet."

"She wouldn't let me know anything about it until she came down the aisle and I got to touch it, so it was incredible. It was so beautiful to me... I could picture her in my head perfectly. The textures are everything. I can see through my fingers and through my hands and through touch."

On social media, people are responding by saying that beauty is not just what we see with our eyes; one person wrote, "The wedding dress sends a wonderful message to the rest of the world. Every couple are different, every person is different. But when we branch out and learn to experience the world the way others do, we can find beauty in places we never imagined."

- what is a wedding for?

- why do people often keep their wedding clothes secret from their partner?

- what did Kelly Anne know would be different about her wedding to Anthony?

- what does tactile mean?

- how do you think Anthony felt when realised he could touch the different parts of Kelly Anne's dress?

- why would this have been important for Anthony and Kelly Anne?

- "I can see through my fingers and through my hands and through touch." what does Anthony mean?

- ""The wedding dress sends a wonderful message to the rest of the world." what message is the dress sending?

- "when we branch out and learn to experience the world the way others do, we can find beauty in places we never imagined." what does this mean?

- what can we learn from Kelly Anne and Anthony?

- why is this about No Outsiders?

No Outsiders: Everyone different, everyone welcome by Andrew Moffat

www.no-outsiders.com

 

advert

 

https://metro.co.uk/2021/10/15/the-new-john-lewis-insurance-advert-is-just-that-an-advert-15428452/

https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/10/22/john-lewis-advert-mum-star-trolls-online/?fbclid=IwAR1d3JkyTXzn_DF_kjLHRQavFgSg0t5yS-jbiR_q0lT-e0zcjR2L1y2WoCY

A recent advert has got a lot of attention with some people saying it is inappropriate for children and others saying it's just a bit of fun.

The advert, for John Lewis home insurance, shows a nine year old boy, wearing a dress and lipstick, dancing around a house and making a mess. The last line in the advert is, "Let life happen."

Some people don't like the advert, arguing it shows a boy being destructive in a house without care for consequences. Some people argue a boy should not be wearing lipstick and a dress and dancing like that. 

The young actor's name is Reggie and his Mum has argued back. She says she is shocked about the controversy; "How can anyone be so upset about something fun and innocent? I've read comments from people with old fashioned mindsets who don't want to see a boy in a dress."

Mum said Reggie was really excited to play the part in the advert and the family was thrilled. His school friends love it and his teachers played it in his class.

Reggie read some of the comments online and responded; "I'm not transgender but even if I was what would it matter? It's just a boy dressing up and having fun: it's over the top as it's supposed to be funny.  Even if I was transgender of gay, it doesn't make me who I am or change my performance. I like the LGBTQ world but actually it shouldn't be a thing and everyone should live in one world. A person is a person."

A similar John Lewis advert in 2015 showing a young girl dancing around her house received no criticism. Watch the two adverts here

 boy 2021: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5od8Wuv_AAY

girl 2015: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko1vVA107ac

- What is home insurance, what are the adverts saying about homes and children?

- What are adverts for? What do adverts need to be successful?

- How are the two adverts similar, how are they different?

- Why do you think the 2015 advert did not get any criticism? Is the girl being destructive?

- Why do you think the 2021 advert has attracted criticism? What do you think some people are upset about?

- "How can anyone be so upset about something fun and innocent?" why does Mum use those words?

- Why does Reggie say, ""I'm not transgender but even if I was what would it matter?"

- "Even if I was transgender of gay, it doesn't make me who I am ...  A person is a person." what does Reggie mean?

- What does, "Let life happen," mean, why do you think the advert uses these words?

- Is this advert about being transgender or gay?

- if this advert was real, what would the character need to do next?

- What can we learn from Reggie?

- Why is this about No Outsiders?

No Outsiders: Everyone different, everyone welcome by Andrew Moffat

www.no-outsiders.com 

racism challenged (KS2-KS3)

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-58330286

A dad has spoken about having racist, homophobic and sexist attitudes in the past and how he changed his ideas. Neil says he used to use racist words in conversation and, "wasn't a very nice person." He says he's not ashamed to admit it but he is ashamed of what he was; "it's who I was and it's not who I am anymore."

Neil has a daughter, Millie, and he says it is because he wanted to be a good role model for her that he changed. Millie says Dad used to say she wasn't allowed to have a black boyfriend and that when they walked past 'Big Issue' sellers, dad would tell her to only buy from English people. Neil says, "I learned from Millie that what I was was unacceptable."

You can watch an honest interview with Neil in the link above.

When asked why he thought it was ok to use racist language in the past, Neil says it was learned behaviour. he talks about not knowing any black families when he was growing up so when he moved to a bigger, more diverse city, "it was a shock to the system, I didn't know how to deal with it. So I just followed what everybody else was doing."

Neil talks about going to football matches and going along with the racist and homophobic chants because it was normalised; "Everybody else is doing it so that's great, I'm joining in same as everybody else." He says "Looking back now, that's not the person I am now."

Millie says, "It's nice to know that he can change and that other people can change as well."

Neil says, "If I can, anybody can. I'm not just not racist, I'm anti-racist... I've got a lot of respect to Millie because she stood up to me and showed me what I was."

- what is racism, sexism, homophobia?

- where does racism, sexism, homophobia come from?

- Neil says his racism was learned behaviour, what does that mean?

- Neil says he didn't know any black families when he was growing up and that's why he learned racist attitudes. What is your response to that?

- "It was normalised -  just followed what everyone else was doing." why did Neil do that?

- why do you think some people at football matches use racist/ homophobic chants? "Everybody else is doing it so that's great, I'm joining in same as everybody else." What can be done about this?

- Neil says Millie started to look at him in disgust and stood up to him, how did that affect him?

- "I'm not just not racist, I'm anti-racist." What does this mean? What is the difference?

- "Looking back now, that's not the person I am now." Can people with racist ideas change?

- what can we learn from Millie?

- what can we learn from Neil?

- why is this about No Outsiders? 

No Outsiders: Everyone different, everyone welcome by Andrew Moffat

www.no-outsiders.com 

headteacher statue

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-58721710

A statue has been unveiled in Cardiff to honour the first black head teacher in Wales. It is the first statue of a named, non-fictional woman in an outdoor setting in Wales. 

Betty Campbell was born in the docklands area of Cardiff in 1934. You can see a short interview with Betty in the link above. When she was 15 years old, she told her head mistress she wanted to be a teacher, and her headmistress replied, "Oh get the idea out of your head right away. You'd have insurmountable problems." Betty says, "Even at that tender age of 15, I knew that she meant, if you're black that's your lot, you're not going to get very far in teaching. And I say down and cried and that's the first time I ever cried in my life over a colour problem."

Betty went on to be a teacher and then a head teacher. She worked on race advisory committees  throughout her career and was a pioneer in multicultural education and black history in schools.

People in Wales were asked who they wanted to honour with a statue and thousands voted for Betty.

A study of UK statues in Britain in 2018 found that only 1 in 5 statues were of women and most of those were fictional characters or un-named. 

Prof Uzo Iwobi of the Race Council Cymru said, "Wales has shown that this black woman truly matters to us all."

Betty died in 2017 and her daughter was at the unveiling. She says, "I think she (mum) would have been a bit humbled and said, 'why are they making all this fuss about me' but deep down I think she would have appreciated it"

- why do we have statues?

- Most statues today in Britain are of men; why do you think this is? What dies that show about soiciety today and gender equality?

- why do you think so many people voted to have a statue of Betty Campbell?

- why do you think Betty's head teacher told her in 1949 she would never be a teacher?

- "insurmountable problems" what does the headteacher mean?

- "If you're black, that's your lot!" what does Betty mean?

- How was life different in 1949?

- what does this show about society and change?

- how does change happen?

- what do you think that head teacher would say if she could see the statue today?

- what can we learn from Betty Campbell?

- what can we learn from the people of Cardiff?

- why is this about No Outsiders?

No Outsiders: Everyone different, everyone welcome by Andrew Moffat

www.no-outsiders.com 

cyclists

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-58651483

The photo shows a GPS map of routes travelled by 2 cyclists. The two cyclists have spelled out "Refugees welcome" by cycling across the south coast of England. They are attempting a Guinness World Record for the largest GPS drawing by a bicycle team.

David Charles and Georgie Cottle travelled 1491 miles and raised £55,000 for a refugee charity. David said they wanted to raise awareness of the "artificial barriers that are thrown up to prevent refugees from getting on with their lives."

Although the route was completed by two cyclists, a team of 30 kept them going and David said success was down to "hundreds of ordinary people doing a little something to help. Whether it's a shop keeper in South Brent giving us free snacks, a group of hikers on top of Ditchling Beacon emptying their purses in to our collection buckets... we won't ever forget that moment when we swooped down from the clifftops and in to Dover, bike bells ringing, to be met by a cheering crowd."

what do you see in the photo, where is it?

- how have the letters been drawn?

- what do they spell?

- David and Georgie wanted to break the record for the largest GPS drawing; they could have drawn anything. The current record by an individual is held by a Japanese man who created a "Marry Me" GPS drawing to propose to his girlfriend. Why do you think David and Georgie chose to spell out the words "Refugees welcome"?

- David talks about "artificial barriers that are thrown up to prevent refugees from getting on with their lives." what does he mean?

- why do you think they chose to do the cycling along the south coast of England?

- They talk about hundreds of people along the way helping them; what does this show about many people today in the UK and attitudes towards refugees?

- what can we learn from David and Georgie?

- why is this about No Outsiders?

No Outsiders: Everyone different, everyone welcome by Andrew Moffat

www.no-outsiders.com

We don't go to school without our sisters

 

https://scoop.upworthy.com/afghan-schoolboys-protest-taliban-diktat-against-girls-wont-return-classmates-regressive?fbclid=IwAR0XnE-lU3GdjBZucO04FiWe4UCJblIYjdWObu7qa1BADcH5mmoi38HHuBM

Many boys in Afghanistan are protesting about the Taliban not allowing girls to go to school. The Taliban have re-opened high schools but only for boys. Videos have emerged (see link above) of boys saying they will not go to school without girls. Children are posting pictures on social media with signs saying "We don't go to school without our sisters," which has become a hashtag.

A boy called Rohulla said, "Women make up half the society. This shows that the Taliban haven't changed. I will not show up at school until girls' schools are open too."

The Taliban have vowed to be more open in their new rule, but in a statement they said, "All male teachers and students should attend their educational institutions.". The Taliban has also said men can return to work but women need to wait till arrangements are in place.

Many Afghan people are using social media to register protests. After the Taliban announced women should wear black hijabs, women posted pictures on line of clothes they wanted to wear. Sodaba posted the photo below and tweeted, "This is what an Afghan woman looks like. This is our culture, this is our traditional dress. We love lots of colour, even our rice is colourful and so is our flag"

- who are the Taliban, where is Afghanistan?

- what does the Universal Declaration of Human Rights say about education?

- what laws do we have in this country about boys and girls and education?

- what is the name of the law in the UK that ensures you can't face discrimination because of your sex? (The Equality Act 2010)

- why might some people say girls can't go to school? (They don't understand yet about diversity and equality. Some people are afraid of difference and want everyone to be the same. It's the opposite to us - we love difference and at our school everyone is welcome. They need to come to a school like ours so they can learn about difference and diversity.)

- why do you think some boys are holding up signs saying "We don't go to school without our sisters."?

- what do you think is the impact of the boys doing that?

- Why has Sodaba posted a picture of herself wearing a white dress and no head scarf?

"This is what an Afghan woman looks like" what does Sobada mean?

- what do these photos show us about many people living in Afghanistan today? (they are different and they are strong.).

- How can we help people like Rohulla and Sobada? (listening to their words, sharing their message, supporting them.)

- what can we learn from Rohulla, Sobada and the people of Afghanistan today?

- Why is this about No Outsiders?

No Outsiders: Everyone welcome, Everyone different by Andrew Moffat

www.no-outsiders.com