Search for Resources
Description
In this lesson, students investigate the environmental benefits that arise from empowering women and girls. They access statistics about the education of women and represent this data using back-to-back stem and leaf plots and histograms.
They will also undertake an action that will inform the school community about what they have learned or how they can support the empowerment and education of girls around the world.
Students work through this resource material in the following sequence:
20 minutes – Part A: Activating Prior Knowledge
10 minutes – Part B: Facts and Figures About Educating Girls
20 minutes – Part C: Worked example 1: Back-to-Back Stem and Leaf Plot
20 minutes – Part D: Worked Example 2: Histogram
45 minutes – Part E: Statistics of Girls' Education Around The World
15 minutes – Part F: Take Action
10 minutes – Reflection
- Part A: Activating Prior Knowledge
- Part B: Facts and Figures About Educating Girls
- Part C: Worked example 1: Back-to-Back Stem and Leaf Plot
- Part D: Worked Example 2: Histogram
- Part E: Statistics of Girls' Education Around The World
- Part F: Take Action10 minutes – Reflection
General Assessment
What skills does this resource explicitly teach?
Student have an opportunity to strengthen those skills related to statistical analysis.
Strengths
The issues addressed in the lesson are critical. The lesson takes students through the analysis process step by step. Students will be engaged both by the process and the topic. A Teacher Reflection segment at the end of the lesson helps teachers reflect on the lesson and what worked, what did not, where to next and how are they going to get there.
Weaknesses
Need to strengthen the link between female education and climate change with an article that is more suited to the intended audience.
Recommendation of how and where to use it
The lesson provides great material for teaching the Math units on Statistics and Probababilty with data that is authentic and which raises awareness of two critical issues - female education and climate change.
Relevant Curriculum Units
The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.
- Step 1Select a province
- Alberta
- British Columbia
- Step 2Select a grade level
- Grade 9
- Step 3Select a subject
- Math
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Analyzing the validity, reliability, and representation of data enables us to compare and interpret.
- Grade 10
- Step 3Select a subject
- Math
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Workplace Mathematics: Representing and analyzing data allows us to notice and wonder about relationships
- Manitoba
- Step 2Select a grade level
- Grade 9
- Step 3Select a subject
- Math
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Statistics and Probability
- Social Studies
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Canada in the Contemporary World: Opportunities and Challenges
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland & Labrador
- Northwest Territories
- Nova Scotia
- Step 2Select a grade level
- Grade 9
- Step 3Select a subject
- Math
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Statistics and Probability
- Social Studies
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Citizenship 9: Global Citizenship
- Nunavut
- Ontario
- Prince Edward Island
- Step 2Select a grade level
- Grade 9
- Step 3Select a subject
- Math
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Statistics and Probability
- Science
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Science 9: Decisions and Perspectives
- Social Studies
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Interdependence: Atlantic Canada in the Global Community: Environment in the Global Community
- Quebec
- Step 2Select a grade level
- Grade 9
- Step 3Select a subject
- Social Studies
- Step 4Relevant matches
- The Contemporary World: Environment
- Grade 10
- Step 3Select a subject
- Math
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Statistics and probability
- Saskatchewan
- Yukon Territory
- Step 2Select a grade level
- Grade 9
- Step 3Select a subject
- Math
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Analyzing the validity, reliability, and representation of data enables us to compare and interpret.
- Grade 10
- Step 3Select a subject
- Math
- Step 4Relevant matches
- Workplace Mathematics: Representing and analyzing data allows us to notice and wonder about relationships
Themes Addressed
Air, Atmosphere & Climate (1)
- Climate Change
Human Rights (2)
- Gender Equality
- Social Justice
Sustainability Education Principles
| Principle | Rating | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Consideration of Alternative Perspectives | Good | Students are provided with data and the tools needed to analyze the implications and correlations that may be derived from the data. They are charged with analyzing the data and presenting their findings to their peers. |
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
| ||
| Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions | Very Good | Establishing a link between the status of women and climate change requires that students investigate the social and economic consequences of gender inequality and how that inequality compromises our ability to deal with environmental issues such as climate change. |
| Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions: Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.
| ||
| Respects Complexity | Poor/Not considered | The statistical exercise serves to help students understand the inequalities that exist with respect to the education of women. The video portion argues that educating women will reduce the number of early marriage and the size of families. This check on population will mean less pressure on the planet's resources, which it is argued, is critical in the struggle against climate change. This effort at having students connect the dots, however, requires either more attention by the lesson plan or the teacher. |
| Respects Complexity: The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected. | ||
| Acting on Learning | Good | Part F of the lesson ask students to pick a method to share the information they have found and work toward getting this learning out into their school community. A chart is provided that suggests a variety of ways in which students may share their learning and identifies various organizations that they might consult and support as part of their 'making a stand". |
| Acting on Learning: Learning moves from understanding issues to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community, or for the planet
| ||
| Values Education | Good | The examination of gender inequality raises questions about human rights and social justice issues and how communities and individuals should respond. |
| Values Education: Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values. | ||
| Empathy & Respect for Humans | Very Good | The statistical analysis that are central to the lesson plan will broaden student understanding of the inequities faced by girls and women and may be expected to raise student concern for this reality. |
| Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.). | ||
| Personal Affinity with Earth | Satisfactory | Although not a deliberate aim, the study of climate change may be expected to enhance the students appreciation of the natural world and the impact climate change will and is having on that world. |
| Personal Affinity with Earth: Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.
| ||
| Locally-Focused Learning | Satisfactory | The lesson plan examines and compares the inequities faced by women in various countries. The context, therefore, is global as it needs to be, but there is opportunity for students to compare the challenges faced by women in their region or country with others and thereby gain an enlarged perspective. Students are asked, as part of the action component, to share the knowledge gained with the local community. |
| Locally-Focused Learning: Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community.
| ||
| Past, Present & Future | Good | Students investigate the current challenges faced by many women and are asked to apply the understanding gained so as to create a more equitable future. |
| Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future. | ||
Pedagogical Approaches
| Principle | Rating | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Open-Ended Instruction | Good | The lesson is intended to focus in part on gender imbalance and to link this reality to our efforts to combat climate change. Students come to an appreciation of gender inequities by analyzing and interpreting data provided. The data presented, therefore, shapes the students conclusions but in a way that is more effective than simply being told that such inequities exist. The question for students then becomes, what can we do about this and again the lesson includes some direction in this regard. |
| Open-Ended Instruction
: Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer. | ||
| Integrated Learning | Good | An examination of the causes and consequences of gender imbalance requires that reference be made to the historical, social, cultural and economic factors at play and the effort to link this to climate change introduces environmental considerations. |
| Integrated Learning: Learning brings together content and skills from more than one subject area
| ||
| Inquiry Learning | Good | The question addressed is to what extend gender inequity exists and how does this relate to combating climate change. Students come to some understanding of the answer to the first question by analyzing selected data provided by the lesson. The answer to the second question is more direct and is posted in the video and article included in the lesson. |
| Inquiry Learning: Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.
| ||
| Differentiated Instruction | Good | The final component of the lesson plan is entitled Differentiated Learning and includes a number of suggestions that would have students explore additional data or select other options for taking action. There are also some suggestions to help students who might struggle with the mathematical or reading comprehension demands placed on the student. |
| Differentiated Instruction: Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.
| ||
| Experiential Learning | Good | Students are provided data, their analysis of which, is intended to help them explore a "real world" issue - the inequities faced by many of the world's girls and women. They are further asked to consider how this reality connects to another "real world" issue - climate change. |
| Experiential Learning: Authentic learning experiences are provided
| ||
| Cooperative Learning | Satisfactory | Students work in groups to explore information and statistics about the education of girls and display the data. The Take Action component of the lesson also asks student to work in groups to select and carry out an action of their choosing. The lesson includes a final segment that asks students to use a Think, Pair, Share strategy to reflect on what they have learned and to share that with other students. |
| Cooperative Learning: Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.
| ||
| Assessment & Evaluation | Good | The classroom discussion allows teachers to take something of the measurement of student understanding and the completed student worksheets provide material for more summative evaluation. |
| Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc. | ||
| Peer Teaching | Satisfactory | The limited group activity allow for students to benefit from the sharing of information and perspectives with their peers. |
| Peer Teaching: Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.
| ||
| Case Studies | Very Good | The statistics provides data for student analysis of education opportunities for girls in terms of where they live and their age. |
| Case Studies: Relevant case studies are included. Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore concepts in an authentic context. | ||
| Locus of Control | Good | The lesson is one in which students use statistics to inquire into the degree of education available to girls. The data and the statistical tools are provided by the teacher. The analysis is the responsibility of the student and additional data is provided to student who might like to investigate further. |
| Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue. | ||
