IDAHOBIT for Early Childhood and Primary School Teachers
Sunday 17 May is the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia & Transphobia (IDAHOBIT).
In early childhood and primary school settings, IDAHOBIT provides an opportunity to encourage children to reflect, share and discuss the diversity that they already engage with – in their school, families and broader community. The Family Book recommended below provides one example of how to frame such a discussion with younger age groups.
IDAHOBIT also provides an opportunity to encourage children and young people to reflect on their own assumptions about themselves and others - especially in relation to gender roles and stereotypes. The video 'A Class That Turned Around Kids' Assumptions of Gender Roles! shows one way to encourage this kind of reflection or discussion. The UNESCO Activity Only for Me and Like a Girl provide other examples.
Finally, IDAHOBIT provides an opportunity to build understanding and knowledge about inequality and the processes that lead to discrimination and exclusion. The UNESCO activity The Big Bad Divider is one example of how this could be achieved.
It is often very useful to frame these kinds of activities or discussions within the context of existing school values - many schools share values such as fairness, acceptance, belonging or social responsibility - all of which provide a really good fit.
Although in some cases it might be appropriate to explicitly reference IDAHOBIT day as the prompt for a particular activity or discussion, these activities can also be really useful even without that reference if that is more appropriate for your school environment or classroom context.
IDAHOBIT Activities for Early Childhood/Lower Primary School
- View a reading of The Family Book by Todd Parr
- Read the book My House by Brenna and Vicki Harding
- Read the book The Rainbow Cubby House by Brenna and Vicki Harding
- View a reading of Introducing Teddy by Jessica Walton
IDAHOBIT Activities for Upper Primary School Teachers
- Complete some of the activities outlined in the UNESCO IDAHOBIT LESSON PLANS
Activity 1: Only for Me is suggested for learners aged 6‐9
Activity 2: The Big Bad Divider is suggested for learners aged 9‐12 - Watch the story Sometimes You’re a Caterpillarand have a discussion about differences and acceptance
- Watch Like a Girl. What can you say to people if you hear them say this?
- Watch First Day a 17 minute video and use the teaching