Elementary Lesson Plans
Produced by the
HRC Foundation
Welcoming Schools teacher-friendly lesson plans are designed to help educators create classrooms and schools that are affirming of all students and their families. A key focus of Welcoming Schools is to provide comprehensive resources for educators to teach about LGBTQ+ people and topics to foster equity and belonging in schools.
Lesson Plans to Create LGBTQ+ Inclusive Classrooms and Schools
| Title | Summary | Link to Resource |
|---|---|---|
| Be Who You Are with the book by Todd Parr | Be Who You Are by Todd Parr reminds kids that their unique traits are what make them so special. After reading, students will create a detailed drawing of themselves. This book and activity can provide an opportunity to discuss unique identities and gender expression with students. [K - 2] | Download Now |
| Red: A Crayon's Story –There's More To Me Than You Can See | Red: A Crayon's Story provides a wonderful opportunity to discuss stereotypes based on appearance (gender, race, ability). Each student will create a self crayon that explores their inner identities. [K - 2] | Download Now |
| A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo: For Every Bunny Who Ever Felt Different | Meet Marlon Bundo, a lonely bunny who lived with his Grampa, Mike Pence—the former Vice President of the United States. Marlon's life was about to change forever when this very special boy bunny fell in love with another boy bunny. With its message of acceptance, this book explores topics of love is love, same gender marriage and democracy. [K – 5] | Download Now |
| Creating Community in Your Classroom: I Am Me Poems | After reading Looking Like Me by Walter Dean Myers, students write short poems, modeled after the ideas in the book. This is a great activity to help educators and students to get to know each other better. [3 - 5] | Download Now |
| A Welcoming Classroom | What makes you feel welcome or unwelcome? With the book The New Girl… And Me, discuss what your class can do to help others feel welcome. [K - 2] | Download Now |
Lesson Plans to Welcome All Families in Your School Community
| Title | Summary | Link to Resource |
|---|---|---|
| Love Makes a Family | Create a Love Makes A Family classroom or schoolwide display with unique family drawings from each student. This activity helps students see that the common bond that holds all kinds of families and caring communities together is love. [K – 5] | Download Now |
| What Is A Family? | This introductory lesson uses children’s own experiences and questions. You can use the lesson with any number of books featuring diverse families. [K – 2] | Download Now |
| Tree of Caring: Roots and Wings | Find great alternatives to the traditional family tree. Welcome all students and their families. Be inclusive of LGBTQ+, adoptive, foster, step, and multi-generational families. [1 – 3] | Download Now |
| Embracing Family Diversity: Draw Your Family Todd Parr | After reading The Family Book by Todd Parr as a class, each student will create a drawing of their family. This lesson offers an opportunity to build classroom community by giving students a chance to share and learn about each other’s families. [K – 2] | Download Now |
| Where I'm From: Family, Community and Poetry | Here's a back-to-school activity to get to know your students and their families. This makes a welcoming display for a back-to-school night. [4 - 6] | Download Now |
| Personal Narratives to Explore Family | Students have great stories to tell. Help them find pride in their own story while developing writing skills. [3 - 6] | Download Now |
| Circles of Caring Community:"Family Tree" Activity Showing Support for Children in All Families | This activity helps children to define their families or caring communities for themselves and share it with their peers, if they choose to, in an environment supported by a caring educator. The lesson also offers an opportunity to build classroom community. [1 – 2] | Download Now |
| Diverse Families on Mother's and Father's Days | Develop more inclusive practices around celebrating Mother’s and Father’s Days and help children from diverse family structures feel affirmed in the classroom. [K – 2] | Download Now |
| And Tango Makes Three: Looking At Family & Story Structure | Use this cute story of two male penguins and their baby to discuss family diversity and story structure. [1 – 2] | Download Now |
| Family Diversity Scavenger Hunt | Take a look at your classroom or school library. What do you find? Is there diversity or not? [4 - 5] | Download Now |
| Media Literacy: Analyzing Advertising – How Are Families Portrayed? | Students will look at ads to examine if they are inclusive of all types of families, if they contain biases or stereotypes, or if some kinds of families are left out. [3 – 5] | Download Now |
| Using Book Groups to Look at Family Diversity | Find ideas for great books that can get your students discussing the many ways families are alike and different. [4 - 6] | Download Now |
| Family Story Quilts Inspired by Faith Ringgold, Author, Artist, Illustrator | Help students feel pride in their experience and their family background with an art project to help them tell their story. [3 - 5] | Download Now |
| How Are Stereotypes About Families Reinforced? | Take a look at assumptions and stereotypes about families. Where do they come from? Good discussions for older elementary. [4 - 6] | Download Now |
LGBTQ+ History & Pride: Engaging Lessons
| Title | Summary | Link to Resource |
|---|---|---|
| A Look at LGBTQ+ History and Prominent LGBTQ+ People | A flexible lesson plan to help students learn about LGBTQ+ history and to see a diverse range of LGBTQ+ people. [3 - 6] | Download Now |
| Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Women of Color: The Stonewall Inn and the Modern LGBTQ+ Movement | This lesson highlights four transgender and gender non-conforming women of color – Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Miss Major and Stormé DeLarverie and their role in transgender and LGBTQ+ history. [5 - 8] | Download Now |
| Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag with Symbols of Us: Identity Capes and Flags | The book, PRIDE: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag by Rob Sanders looks at the hopes that Milk had for LGBTQ+ people and the Pride flag. Afterwards, students will create an original flag or cape design representing their own identities. [3 - 5] | Download Now |
| Welcoming Schools Lesson Plan: What is Pride? | In this lesson, students will understand and relate to the many ways that we can feel pride and be proud of ourselves. They will have the opportunity to explore why June is called “Pride Month'' and why it is important to the LGBTQ+ community. | Download Now |
| Biographies: Courageous, Diverse Role Models for Students | Reach beyond the usual biographies. Find strong women, creative men, and other successful people of all genders to inspire your students. [K - 6] | Download Now |
Lesson Plans to Prevent Bias-Based Bullying
| Title | Summary | Link to Resource |
|---|---|---|
| Secondary Identifying Allies | An important part of bullying prevention is identifying allies. We do this by exploring what makes someone an ally and identifying the actions of allies. When our students are informed and prepared, they are more likely to be allies. [6 - 12] | Download Now |
| Name-Calling and Feeling Safe in School | Talk directly with your students about where they feel safe in your school, where they don’t and why. This lesson is featured in the Welcoming Schools video, What Can We Do? Bias, Bullying, & Bystanders. [3 – 6] | Download Now |
| Making Decisions: Ally or Bystander | Help your students think through what they can do if they see bullying and how they can respond to LGBTQ, racial or religious slurs. This lesson is featured in the Welcoming Schools video, What Can We Do? Bias, Bullying, & Bystanders. [K – 12] | Download Now |
| Words That Hurt And Words That Heal | Using the book, One, talk with students about bullying and standing up for each other. (Other books can be used with this lesson as well.) This lesson is featured in the HRC Welcoming Schools film, What Can We Do? Bias, Bullying, & Bystanders. [K – 3] | Download Now |
| The Name Jar: The Names We Want to be Called | This lesson offers an opportunity to build a classroom community. Students will read and discuss the book The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi. Then, students will have a chance to share and learn about their names by creating a name art project. [K - 3] | Download Now |
| Appreciating Differences and Acknowledging Stereotypes: "Lemons" and "Apples" | This lesson helps students really look at what makes a person (or a potato) an individual beyond stereotypes. [3 – 6] | Download Now |
| We Are All Human Beings | The book Whoever You Are by Mem Fox urges us to accept our differences, recognize our similarities, and most importantly, rejoice in both. This lesson encourages students to think about needs and feelings that are common for all human beings. [K - 2] | Download Now |
| My Many Identities | Students engage in activities that help them understand the complexity of identity and name aspects of identity that are important to them and then discuss ways to create a classroom where everyone can share their whole selves without fear of bullying or harassment. [4 - 8] | Download Now |
| Ally Reading Buddies | After reading a book showing ally behavior, with a classroom partner or a reading buddy from an upper grade, students will discuss what they can do to support and encourage each other. [K – 1 plus 3 – 5] | Download Now |
| Learning About Each Other Through Poetry: BioPoems | Here's a fun activity for the beginning of the school year to foster connections between students. [3 - 6] | Download Now |
| Do You See Yourself in Books? | After an inspiring video about Marley Dias the #1000BlackGirlBooks project, students will look at characters in a selection of classroom books. They will look to see if characters represent their identities or not and reflecting on how that might make them feel. [3 - 5] | Download Now |
| Standing Up for Each Other: Drawing Ally Superheroes | Explore the concept of ally behavior with students. Then, each student will draw a cartoon version of themselves that embodies non-violent superpowers to help others in their school or to solve a problem in the world. [K - 5] | Download Now |
| Social Justice Acrostic Poems | Students work as a class to generate social justice words and then with a classmate, they will write an acrostic poem. This activity encourages students to explore issues that they care about with their peers and to form connections with each other. [3 - 5] | Download Now |
| Valuing Diversity with "The Big Orange Splot" | Read and discuss the fun book, The Big Orange Splot, by Daniel Pinkwater to show appreciation of individuality and being kind to neighbors. [K - 2] | Download Now |
Lesson Plans to Create Gender Expansive Classrooms and Support Transgender and Non-Binary Students
| Title | Summary | Link to Resource |
|---|---|---|
| Gender Snowperson: Understanding Gender Identity | This lesson provides a simple tool to help students understand the differences between gender identity, gender expression, who you love and sex assigned at birth. [3 - 5] | Download Now |
| Calvin: Time for Me | Calvin has always been a boy, even if the world sees him as a girl. He knows who he is in his heart and in his mind, but he hasn't yet told his family. Finally, he can wait no longer. [K - 2] | Download Now |
| Born Ready: The True Story of a Boy Named Penelope | Penelope's experiences show children that it always makes you stronger when you are true to yourself and who you really are. | Download Now |
| I Am Jazz: Understanding Transgender Children | The picture book, I Am Jazz, based on the life of Jazz Jennings, can help start a conversation with students on what it means to be transgender. Discussion ideas for a range of grade levels. Listen to Jazz Jennings read I Am Jazz. [K – 5] | Download Now |
| From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea | In this beautifully imagined picture book about gender, identity, and the acceptance of the differences between us, Miu Lan faces many questions about who they are and who they may be. One thing's for sure: no matter what, their mother will love them. [K - 3] | Download Now |
| Using Children's Books To Look At Gender Stereotyping | Find a fun way to talk about gender stereotypes and discrimination with activities paired with children's books. [K - 2] | Download Now |
| Introducing Teddy: Understanding Gender and Friendship | The book, Introducing Teddy and several fun activities help students understand concepts of gender identity and how to be a kind friend. [K - 2] | Download Now |
| Julián Is a Mermaid: Understanding Gender Expression | While in the subway with his abuela, Julián sees three women spectacularly dressed up and wants to dress up just like them. But what will his abuela think? A story about the power of being seen and affirmed. [K - 3] | Download Now |
| Persuasive Letters: Examining Gender Marketing by Toy Companies | Students will write persuasive essays after examining and gathering data on gender marketing by toy manufacturers. Students will cultivate media literacy skills to understand how media messaging shapes our culture around gender norms. [3 - 5] | Download Now |
| Children Just Like Me: Understanding Gender Expression | Children Just Like Me helps students understand that gender expression can vary personally, culturally and globally. [K - 2] | Download Now |
| Jacob's New Dress: Understanding Gender Expression | Through the story of Jacob, students discuss gender expression and mean teasing based on gender. [1 - 2] | Download Now |
| They, She, He easy as ABC: Understanding Names, Pronouns and Gender Expression | Inclusive pronouns are learned alongside the alphabet. Shows that including everyone is all part of the dance. Meet 26 kids showing us their dance moves. “No one left out and everyone free.” [Pre-K - K] | Download Now |
| Media Sleuths: Examining Gender Roles In Advertising | With a quick look at magazines, catalogs or TV, students can see many gender stereotypes. Use the log sheet to record findings, tally results and spark discussions. [3 - 6] | Download Now |
| Toy Marketing and Gender: Design a Welcoming Toy Store | Students will work in teams to design a toy store that is sorted by categories other than gender using the students favorite toys. This activity provides many teachable moments to talk about gender norms and gender stereotypes. [1 - 3] | Download Now |
| Chimera Butterflies: Non-Binary Animals | Chimera Butterflies and other chimera animals are example of gender diversity in nature. Each student will create their own unique butterfly with asymmetrical wings. [K - 2] | Download Now |
| They, She, He, Me, Free to Be! Understanding Pronouns | They, She, He, Me Free To Be! is a short diverse book about pronouns and gender expression. Student can also create an artistic pronoun to display in your classroom. [2 - 5] | Download Now |
| Call Me Tree/Llámame árbol: Exploring a Gender Free Book | Call Me Tree/Llámame árbol is a short book written in verse. It offers an opportunity to build classroom community by giving students a chance to learn about gender via a character in a book who does not use pronouns. There is also a movement break incorporated into this lesson so that children can learn and practice the tree pose in yoga. [K - 2] | Download Now |
| Modern Fairy Tales: Writing and Expanding Gender | Compare traditional fairy tales with modern fairy tales to examine ways fairy tales reinforce or disrupt gender stereotypes. Students can then do a quick write or develop a longer story of their own that explores gender. [3 - 5] | Download Now |
| Backwards Day: Reading a Children's Book to Understand Transgender Topics in Elementary School | Backwards Day is an engaging children’s book that features a transgender character named Andy. It is fun to notice interesting details in the book with your students such as how the pages are numbered backwards while learning about what it can mean to be transgender, non-binary or gender expansive. [2 - 5] | Download Now |
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