Teaching about Gender Diversity: Teacher-Tested Lesson Plans for K-12 Classrooms is designed to support all educators in enhancing curriculum development skills with a focus on fostering learning experiences and environments that welcome “all possible ways of living gender.” The text is grounded in understanding gender as a complex continuum of ever-changing identities and expressions. This book is of vital importance, emphasizing that learning about gender diversity is essential for all and that “rigidly imposing gender norms and categories is a bad thing, for everyone.”

The resource extends multiple entry points for educators and students, recognizing that everyone brings their own lived experiences and previous understandings to learning about gender. As educators, it is imperative to acknowledge and appreciate that gender diversity exists within and beyond the spaces that we share with students, caregivers and colleagues. With this in mind, we encourage all educators to review terminology in the glossary and read the introduction, rereading this material especially if and when using the lessons. These portions of the text provide educators with opportunities to build background knowledge, investigate school climate and reflect upon their own readiness for engaging in this learning.

Teaching about Gender Diversity includes contributions from more than 30 educators guide to use a variety of materials to respond to design challenges, and/or as a sample to identify and describe an art form they may see in their visual experiences (e.g., architecture). It also can be used to assist through STEM skills and connections by both describing and investigating practical applications of science and technology concepts and a way to address real-world problems. This book is also a great introduction to spatial sense in math, showing how Hadid explored and took on the challenge of recreating the shapes of nature in her architecture.

While the lessons do not directly reference Ontario curriculum expectations, they do offer frameworks for educators of language, math, science, health and other subjects to consult when seeking to embed learning about gender diversity in read-alouds, discussions, inquiries and more. All lessons identify potential learning goals, key terms and concepts, and related resources.

In recognizing the importance of educators responding to students we serve and reflecting critically on experiences we facilitate, each lesson also emphasizes differentiation and advance preparation, focusing on conditions, knowledge and materials necessary for meaningful experiences.

While there is no perfect resource and all resources must be accompanied by ongoing learning, Teaching about Gender Diversity is a valuable text for educators seeking to build their equity lens and capacity with a focus on gender.

Kristin Rahian is a member of the Waterloo Teacher Local.