Living in a Straight World: Equality for Gays and Lesbians in America

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Living in a Straight World Equality for Gays
and Lesbians in America

• Lindsay Mohr
• Education 200
• Curriculum Project
• April 30, 2004

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The Classroom

• Context
• Magnet school
• 8th grade social studies classroom
• 5 consecutive class periods of 80 minutes

• Demographics
• 16 students
• 8 female
• 8 male
• Multiracial
• 13-15 years old

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Objectives

• Students will
• Be able to define relevant terms i.e. gay,
  lesbian, marriage, family through Jigsaw II
  method
• Sharpen critical thinking and debating skills
  necessary for living in a democratic society
  through role play and writing from different
  perspectives
• Through Socratic seminars, Engage in active
  deliberation about conflicts over the good-Amy
  Gutmann
• Examine the issues that affect gays and lesbians
  everyday through readings and handouts, and
  assess what changes could be made to foster
  greater equality between homosexuals and
  heterosexuals
• Challenge their current beliefs and opinions
  about gays and lesbians through daily activities
  and reflective journal entries taking other
  opinions into account is an important feature of
  political and social life in a democratic society
  

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Day 1Stereotypes

• Activities
• 1. Journal entry web diagrams on
• stereotypes gay, lesbian, marriage, family (20
  Min)
• Example
• 2. Jigsaw II 4 groups of 4, each member becomes
  an expert on one word, experts agree on one
  definition, members teach their group the
  definitions to write in journal (30 Min)

• 3. Class Discussion
• Sample questions
• do the definitions coincide with your
  stereotypes and expectations?
• where do your stereotypes come from? (30 Min)
• Homework
• Journal Entry If you had a choice, would you
  rather be gay or straight in American society?
  Why?

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Day 2Marriage Rights

• Activities
• 1. Exploring Equality and Discrimination through
  role play (60 Min)
• a. Class separation 2 groups of 8
• b. Defining terms civil union, domestic
• partnership, 2nd parent adoption
• d. Assigning roles All straight couples
  married? Divorced? Kids?
• e. Role play Hospital (visitation rights),
  Workplace (sick leave, health insurance), Govt
  (social security), Law office (survivors rights)

• Class discussion based on role play
• (20 Min)
• a. Reactions to the activity
• b. How would you feel if you couldnt visit
  your loved ones in the hospital?
• c. Is it fair that straight couples get health
  insurance for free while gay individuals must pay
  taxes on their partners insurance?
• Homework
• Read No Child Left Behind?
• by Sarah Tobias and Sean Cahill
• Outlines the struggle of a woman who is dying and
  her partner and daughter who do not have access
  to the same rights as a straight family such as
  health insurance and survivors rights

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Day 3 Marriage Rights and Family Values

• Activities
• Socratic Seminar on article No Child Left
  Behind? (40 Min)
• a. Review article
• b. Why is this situation fair or unfair? The
  first time you speak, begin each comment with I,
  Lisa/Lynn/the daughter, believe our situation is
  fair/unfair because
• Speaker/s from the anti-gay viewpoint (40 Min)
• a. Speaker/s will review position against gay
  marriage and 2nd parent adoption
• b. Students will have the opportunity for QA
  with the speaker/s
• Homework
• Part 1 Journal entry write from an anti-gay
  point of view
• Why are gay marriage and 2nd parent adoption
  wrong?
• Part 2 Think of questions or comments that a
  person from the pro-gay point of view would say
  to a person with an anti-gay point of view
• i.e. if you think gays shouldnt get married
  because they cant reproduce, should people who
  are infertile be able to get married?

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Day 4Marriage Rights and Family Values

• Activities
• Speakers from the gay/straight ally standpoint
  (40 Min)
• a. From PFLAG, Love Makes a Family, other
  organization that promotes acceptance of gays and
  lesbians and promotion of equality
• b. Speakers will review the standpoint that
  supports gay marriage and 2nd parent adoption
• c. Students will have the opportunity for QA
  with the speakers
• Partner debate With a partner, each defend one
  position, either pro-gay or anti-gay, and have a
  discussion about gay marriage and second parent
  adoption from that p.o.v.
• Vote with your feet and defend your position (25
  Min)
• 1. No legalized union gay couples should have
  no benefits that are attained through marriage
• 2. Domestic Partnership gay couples should
  have some benefits that are attained through
  marriage
• 3. Marriage gay couples should have access to
  all benefits that straight spouses have access to
  through marriage
• Homework
• Journal entry Do you want to get married some
  day? Why?

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Day 5Other Issues of Discrimination

• Activities
• Presentation of additional issues
• (20 Min)
• a. Discrimination in the workplace 36
  States
• b. Military Dont ask, dont tell
• c. Immigration deportation and taxes
  because same-sex couples are not considered
  family
• d. Boy Scouts article about Bush
  legislation
• e. HIV/AIDS statistics
• QA (40 Min)
• a. Issues that were discussed
• b. Other questions, comments, concerns
• c. Was this unit helpful? Would you
  recommend it to be taught next year?

• Quiz (20 Min)
• define the terms gay, lesbian, marriage,
  family, civil union, 2nd parent adoption,
  domestic partnership
• Homework
• Journal writing
• a. Write definitions for the words gay,
  straight, family, and marriage, according to what
  you think they SHOULD be and NOT necessarily how
  they currently are defined
• b. Imagine you are gay or lesbian, write a
  paragraph about why you think it is advantageous
  or disadvantageous to be gay or lesbian in
  American Society
• c. Look at your original web diagrams and
  highlight all of the negative stereotypes you
  thought of. Do you still hold these views?

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Evaluation

• Students will be evaluated at the end of the unit
  based on the following
• Active participation in class discussions
  especially those in the form of Socratic seminars
• Completed journals containing all 7 entries
• Quality of entries proving thought, time, and
  reflection based on activities and previous
  entries
• Short vocabulary quiz

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The End