Discovering New Literary Realms

Media Literacy Lesson Plan:
Disney–One Bad “Stereotypical” Gender Egg

Context:
# Grade: 10th
# Unit: Stereotypes
# Students are in the midst of a unit on stereotypes and are learning about how stereotypes affect other people’s actions and thoughts.
# Due: Students will have completed a writer’s notebook entry and a graphic organizer from the day before.
# Today’s class will focus on stereotypes found in animated children’s Disney movies such as Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and Mulin. Previously, students were taught how to create their own class blog pages. The skills they have learned from this will now be applied to newly introduced concepts in this lesson.

Rationale: By showing three short clips from animated Disney films students will see how the Disney corporation creates a prescribed gender stereotype for females, even though it attempts to balance out gender roles through cultural ethnicity and in other ways. Students will be able to analyze these three clips to see that although these films appear to be balanced or equal to a particular culture they are in fact, creating an Americanized version of this culture rather than the culture itself. This idea of a stereotypical female is unacceptable since it is so distorted from the original culture.

Objectives: Students will use listening, visual, speaking, reading, and writing skills to document, examine, and analyze three Disney film clips with a focus on discovering how female stereotypes are reinforced from a very early age. Students will also engage in literary response and expression verbally and in written form as they critically analyze and evaluate the topic of gender roles and stereotypes (ELA standards – 1–1,2, 2–1, 3–2, 4–2).

Materials:
*DVD’s - Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and Mulin. *Writing Utensils and notebooks. *Short biography on Walt Disney. *Teacher note sheet. *Computer. *Projector. *Screen.

Procedures:

Opening Link:
# Teacher will introduce the concept of “gender stereotypes” to students.
# Students will brainstorm ideals of where gender stereotypes can be found.
# Bring up concept of Disney films at a young age.
Main Inquiry Activity:
# Using listening and visual skills, students will watch a clip from Beauty and the Beast.
# After watching the clip students will briefly discuss what they see and how women are portrayed in the clip (Is this a well-balanced movie masked by seduction).
# Using listening and visual skills, students will watch the second clip from The Little Mermaid.
# After watching the clip students will briefly discuss what they see and how women are portrayed in the clip (Character is forced to mutate her form in order to fit in).
# Using listening and visual skills, students will watch a clip from Mulin.
# After watching the clip students will briefly discuss what they see and how women are portrayed in the clip (Recent shift from Westernized-based folktale storytelling to specific non-Judaic culture, but the female stereotypes are still there).
# Note: For each video clip students will be looking for the symbols of beauty such as the big hair, pouty lips, skimpy clothing, delicate appearance, skinny waist, soft-spoken, and a stunning voice. Generally each character is very sexually appealing. This is the image that American culture foists upon young girls through the video media. The young girls ingrain this image and then feel obligated to work towards attaining a fantasy image that is not usually attainable.
# Other questions/information to ask or include:
–Stereotyping usually leads to prejudice, discrimination, and bigotry.
–Unchecked stereotyping leads to discrimination, violence, and even genocide.
–Propaganda can easily spread prejudice.
–Use of slang to dehumanize particular groups of people is usually a precursor to discrimination, isolation, and violence.
Culminating Activity:
# Briefly, describe the Mickey Mouse Club and show a short clip that features pop star Britney Spears. Have students discuss the types of stereotypes that can be found in this clip.
Debriefing:
# How are the clips similar?
# How are the clips different?
# How are females portrayed in each film clip?
# How are stereotypes reinforced in these clips?
# What kinds of stereotypes are present in these clips?

Self-Directed Study – Homework: Students will have access to all three video clips through links on the class blog. Other information will also be posted there and students will be directed to create their own blog responses to the video clips and discussions held in class. In addition, students will be asked to view a Disney video clip of their own choice, this can be from the internet or a video watched at home. Students should be looking for similar examples from what they have learned in class today. Once they find a video clip/scene students will then blog their observations about how female stereotypes and or roles are portrayed. Students will need to come up with some type of a conclusion regarding female stereotypical roles based upon the three clips from class and the fourth clip they have viewed on their own. Students may include the culminating activity based upon Britney Spears. Students should respond to at least three of their classmates blogs.