An Illinois school district has unveiled plans to begin teaching preschoolers and elementary school students about sexual orientation and "gender identity."
Students in 6th through 8th grade will learn about legislation relating to transgender students playing sports and be forced to "take action" against them.
The lessons are part of the Evanston/Skokie School District's "LGBTQ+ Equity Month" which adhere to "social justice standards."
In a letter to parents, the school said that there will be different lessons for grades from preschool through 8th grade on topics including "allyship," "stereotypes," and "family structures."
"Throughout the month, educators and prek-8th grade students will broaden their understanding of identity of self and others, allyship, family structures, vocabulary, gender expression, stereotypes, colors on the intersectional pride flag, and the historical contributions of LGBTQ+ people. Each grade level engages in a selection of these topics," the district said.
The district has links to the topics covered for each grade level on their website.
For preschoolers, the district says "students will learn about the purpose of flags and will learn about the Pride Flag. Students will focus on 2 colors, their meanings and interpretations a day. Students will make a class flag as well as individual flags."
Those in First Grade will begin learning about pronouns.
"Students will learn how to introduce themselves using their name and pronouns and will practice using others’ names and pronouns," the lesson plan states.
The week will be centered around the book "They, She, He, Easy as ABC," by Maya Christina Gonzalez."Fast-paced rhyming keeps the flow of text upbeat and rhythmic, and naturally models how to use a wide range of pronouns. There’s no room for stereotypes on THIS dance floor with spirited imagery that keeps names, clothes, hair and behavior fresh and diverse. The combination creates a playful and effortless practice to expand ideas about gender while learning the alphabet and makes being inclusive as easy as A-B-C," according to the book's description on Amazon.
The children will learn how to use pronouns including "ze," "zir," and "hir."
Students in 6th through 8th grade will be trained on how to be a LGBTQ activist.
They will learn about "recent bills that aim to limit transgender athletes from participating in school sports," and "actions they can take about these bills."
"Students will read facts and an article about recent legislation that has been proposed to limit the participation of transgender atheletes in sports. Students will discuss the big ideas from the article they read and will consider how they feel about the information and how they may take action," the lesson plan states.
On the final day, students will "take action."
"Students will take action based on what they have learned during the week. They will consider how harmful language impacts the inclusivity of a team and community and will reflect on the roles of adults and peers in creating more inclusive environments. Students and educators will have a choice whether to create an affirming locker room poster, or 'You Can Play' video," the lesson plan says.
The school district also celebrates "Latinx Heritage Month" and "Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action."
"Beginning next school year, the learning associated with the Black Lives Matter At School unit of study will be interwoven into our curriculum including new units in the K-8 social studies curriculum framework and will no longer be taught as a dedicated equity week. As we work through the integration of this learning across content areas, we look to expose all students to more accurate and affirming historical content that elevates marginalized people and includes the interrogation of events from multiple perspectives. Rolled out over several years, our new social studies curriculum will promote civic competence, knowledge and democratic dispositions to lead students to be engaged and active in public life," district Superintendent Dr Devon Horton said in a statement about the Black Lives Matter curriculum.
