GIRLS Program Curriculum

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BE ACTIVE Facilitator’s Guide

!A physical activity-based empowerment curriculum for middle school aged East African girls

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This curriculum was written by Elizabeth Labedz, a life-long girl empowerment enthusiast and a

graduate student in applied kinesiology at the University of Minnesota. Invaluable content contributions,

expertise, and editing were generously provided by Chelsey Thul, Ph.D.

INTRODUCTION

! Middle school girls from all walks of life face similar challenges when it comes to body image,

unattainable beauty standards in the media, participating in a healthy amount of physical activity, receiving

proper nutrition, and finding their own empowered voice in the face of gender stereotypes. For East African

girls there are a unique set of challenges, warranting curriculum that takes these challenges into

consideration and that facilitates culturally relevant discussions amongst girls who wish to be active and

healthy.

This “Be Active” curriculum will focus on educating East African girls on how to “be.” Specifically,

how to be empowered and take care of their bodies through understanding proper nutrition, the importance of

physical activity, and healthy body image. It will teach them how to be inquisitive and to think outside the

box when it comes to gender stereotypes and to be brave in responding to negative comments about women

and girls in sport. It will make them knowledgeable about the history of women in sport and will allow them

to be aware of the ways in which they are contributing to that history. The overarching goal is for the girls

to be the leaders in creating ways to increase their self-efficacy surrounding physical activity.

This curriculum is intended to be paired with a girls’ physical activity or sports program, with each

workshop serving as the beginning of each session. There is an evaluation for each topic after the last

workshop for that topic if you wish to use them. This curriculum is designed to be led by one facilitator, the

workshops are meant to be given in the order in which they are presented here. However, if resources, space,

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equipment, or time do not allow, please feel free to adapt it to your program’s specific needs. Most

importantly, have fun with it!

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Ice Breakers and Introduction to the Curriculum………………………………………………………..…p.6

Worksheet-Getting To Know You…………………………………………………………………p.9

History………………………………………………………………………………………………..….…p.10

The History of Girls and Women in Sport…………………………………………………..……..p.10

Muslim Women Who Fought for the Right to Play……………..…………………….…....…...…p.19

Saudi Women’s Soccer Team……………………………………………………………...…....…p.23

Ibtihaj Mohammad Video and Discussion………………………………………………..….....….p.24

Gender………………………………………………………………………………………………...……p.26

Let’s Think Outside the Box……………………………………………………………..….……..p.26

Don’t Put Me in a Box! …………………………………………………………………...……….p.28

Responding to Sexist/Negative Comments…………………………………………….…..………p.29

Body Image………………………………………………………………………………….…..…………p.33

What is Body Image? ……………………………………………………………….…..…………p.33

Handout-Body Image………………………………………………………………………………p.36

Building Ourselves Up…………………………………………………………….…...…………..p.37

What We Appreciate…………………………………………………………….……...………….p.39

Handout- 20 Ways to Love Your Body…………………………………………………...…….…p.41

Media……………………………………………………………………………………………...…….…p.43

Introduction to Media…………………………………….…………………………......………....p.43

Where Does the Definition of “Beauty” Come From?.....................................................................p.45

Media Literacy and Body Image-Advertisement Activity…………….………………….....……..p.47

Portrayals of Female Athletes………………………………………………….………….....…….p.49

Create a Poster Activity…………………………………………….……….………………..….....p.55

Letter Writing Activity…………………………………………………….………………….....…p.56

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Nutrition……………………………………………………………………….……………………….…..p.60

Body Types…………………………………………………………………………………..…….p.60

The Importance of Healthy Eating……………………………………….………………..……….p.68

Calories and Healthy Fats…………………………………………………….…………….……...p.76

Sugar…………………………………………………………………………….………………....p.80

Hydration……………………………………………………………………….…………….……p.82

Worksheet-Hydration Challenge…………………………………………………………………..p.84

The Results of What We Put In Our Bodies………………………………….….………………...p.85

The Importance of Being Active……………………………………………………….………….………p.89

The Importance of Being Active…………………………………………………….…………….p.89

Moms Day Flyer Invitation………………………………………………………….…….………p.91

Barriers and Solutions…………………………………………………………….….…….………p.92

Worksheet- Barriers and Solutions……………………………………………….……….……….p.94

Moms Day!................………………………………………………………….…….…….………p.95

Overcoming Barriers…………………………………………………………….………………….….….p.100

Positive Self-Talk………………………………………………………….………………..……..p.100

Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………………...p.102

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ICEBREAKERS AND INTRODUCTION TO THE CURRICULUM

After this workshop, girls will be able to):

•! Get to know one another

•! Feel more comfortable and connected with each other

•! Gain a basic understanding of what this curriculum will cover.

Icebreakers

Getting to know you (10 minutes)

Materials:

•! Print out the included handout (page 9 of this curriculum), enough so that each girl receives one set of

questions.

•! Pens or pencils, one for each girl.

Directions- Give a set of questions to each girl and ask her to answer all of them. When everyone is

finished they hand them in to the facilitator, who mixes them up and hands them back out. If a girl receives

her own she can trade with someone.

Have each girl go around the room and ask any girl one of the questions. If the girl’s answer matches the

one on the paper she was given, she should ask the next question to see if it matches as well. The goal is for

them to learn about teammates and ultimately to find the girl whose paper they were given by matching all

three answers on their paper to the girl they are interviewing.

Bridge Ball (10 minutes)

Materials:

•! 1 or 2 balls (ideally gator balls or kickballs, but basketballs or soccer balls will work as well)

Directions- Have the girls stand in a circle with the sides of their shoes touching the shoes of the girls on

either side of them (pinky tow to pinky toe). There should be no gaps between shoes in the circle. The girls’

feet should be shoulder width apart, creating a “bridge” with their legs. The goal of the game is to prevent

the ball from going through your bridge and to hit it through someone else’s.

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Start with one ball. The ball will be hit with an open hand, palm facing up, around the circle and must

always be rolling on the ground.

When the ball goes through someone’s legs, the person who hit it gets to ask the girl whose legs it went

through a “get to know you” question.

If they are having a difficult time coming up with questions, you can suggest simple ones such as:

How many siblings do you have?

Where were you born?

What is your favorite food?

What is your favorite TV show?

What is your favorite animal?

Once the question is answered, the game starts again. Add more balls rolling around the circle for a

challenge as the girls’ skills improve.

Introduction to the program (1 minute):

Directions- Let the girls know that in addition to playing a variety of fun new sports, they will be doing

some short activities and having some discussions at the beginning of each session. Some topics we will

cover include the history of women and girls in sport (and specifically how far East African female athletes

have come!), some discussions about what being a girl means to them, learning to be critical of what the

media tells and shows us, talking about how to nourish our bodies and keep them healthy and active, and

practicing some ways to speak up for ourselves and others.

ASK THE GIRLS: Are there any questions?

Activity: Group Agreements (5 minutes):

Materials: •! Butcher paper

•! Markers

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Directions- Have the girls list some of the ways the group will act towards each other during their time in

the program. Write them on the butcher paper to display during every session. Here are some suggestions if

they get stuck:

•! Be respectful of differing opinions

•! One person speaks at a time

•! Be willing to try new things

•! Give support and encouragement to other girls

•! Step up, step back (if you’re speaking a lot, give others a chance. If you’re not saying much,

challenge yourself to share)

•! No cell phones except during breaks

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About Me

My favorite sport is ____________

My favorite subject in school is _____________

When I grow up I want to be a _______________

About Me




About Me




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THE HISTORY OF GIRLS AND WOMEN IN SPORT

After this workshop, girls will be able to:

•! Grasp a basic understanding of the progression of women in sport

•! Form ideas about what can be done to continue progress

Activity: Timeline (15-20 minutes)

Materials:

•! Printed out parts of the timeline (p.14-19) cut into individual pieces with the events separate from the

dates

•! Tape if you wish to stick them on the wall in the correct order, or if you don’t have tape you can lay

them on the floor

Facilitator: Today we will be talking about the history of girls and women in sports. The first step is

figuring out the order in which the events happened!

Directions- Hand out one or two strips of paper with an event on it to each girl. Have them compare with

their friends and work together discuss in which order they think these events took place. When they are

done, compare what they have with the actual dates.

Once this activity is complete, ask the group the discussion questions on the next page if time permits.

If there is not a lot of discussion, here is an awesome website to show the girls!

The Muslim Women’s Sport Foundation: http://www.mwsf.org.uk/index.html

Discussion

questions:

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Which event’s place in history surprised you most? Why?

Why do you think some of these breakthroughs for women did not happen until so

recently?

What can we do to keep the progress of women in sports moving forward?

Do you think that you being here today is helping the progress of women in sports?

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Here is the full timeline. Don’t show this to the girls until the end!

1877 The first women's field hockey club is started in Surrey, England.

1884 Women's singles tennis competition is added to Wimbledon.

1886 The first known women's lacrosse game is played.

1896 The first women's intercollegiate basketball championship is held between Stanford University and the University of California at Berkeley.

1900-1920 Physical Education instructors strongly oppose competition among women, fearing it will make them too “manly.”

1902 Mrs. Adolph Landenburg introduces the split skirt for horseback riding in Saratoga Springs, NY.

1909 Annie Smith Peck becomes the first person to climb 21,000 foot Mount Huascaran, the highest peak in Peru. She was 57 years old!

1914 Women's basketball rules change to allow half-court play. Before this, women could only play on one third of the court so they did not run too much.

1928 The Summer Olympic Games open gymnastics and five track and field events to women.

1943 When many male baseball players went off to war, the All-American Girls Softball League started! The League gradually transforms into the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

1966 Roberta Gibb becomes the first woman to run and finish the Boston Marathon. It's unofficial since women weren't officially entered until 1972.

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1972 Title IX is signed into law! Title IX does not allow discrimination on the basis of sex in schools. This includes equal funding for boys and girls’ sports!

1977 The first varsity women's soccer program begins at Brown University.

1987 Jackie Joyner Kersee is the first woman on the cover of Sports Illustrated Magazine.

1991 FIFA holds the first women's World Cup in China. The U.S. team wins the Championship!

1992 The Black Women in Sport Foundation is formed.

1997 The first Women's National Basketball Association season begins on June 21.

2000 The National Women's Football League (NWFL) is formed.

2001 The Muslim Women’s Sport Foundation is formed.

2004 14 year old Michelle Wie is the youngest player in a Professional Golf Association (PGA) tournament.

2007 The Wimbledon tennis tournament announces that it will pay women and men equal prize money for the first time.

2012 Every nation that competed in the Olympics sent women athletes.

2012 Egypt sent the largest number of Muslim women (36) to compete in the Olympics. The women competed in archery, athletics, badminton, fencing, gymnastics, pentathlon, rowing, shooting, swimming (including synchronized swimming), table tennis, taekwondo, weight lifting and wrestling.

2013 17-year-old Khadija Mohammed became the first female to compete in an International Weightlifting Federation competition wearing a hijab.

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2014 Mo'ne Davis, 13, leads the Taney Dragons to a shutout win in the Little League World Series with a 70 mph fastball.

2014 The National Basketball Association hires former All Star basketball player Becky Hammon, who becomes their first full time female coach of a men’s professional team.

2014 FIFA allows soccer players to wear hijabs during tournaments.

Directions- Here is the timeline to be printed and cut out, dates separate from the description of the events. Lay the dates out in chronological order on the floor or tape them up on the wall. Have the girls match the events with the dates.

1877

The first women's field hockey club is started in Surrey, England.

1884

Women's singles tennis competition is added to Wimbledon.

1886

The first known women's lacrosse game is played.

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1896

The first women's intercollegiate basketball championship is held between Stanford University and the

University of California at Berkeley.

1902

Mrs. Adolph Landenburg introduces the split skirt for horseback riding in Saratog Springs, NY.

1909

Annie Smith Peck becomes the first person to climb 21,000 foot Mount Huascaran, the highest peak in Peru.

She was 57 years old!

1914

Women's basketball rules change to allow half-court play. Before this, women could only play on one third

of the court so they did not run too much.

1900-1920

Physical Education instructors strongly oppose competition among women, fearing it will make them less

feminine.

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1928

The Summer Olympic Games open gymnastics and five track and field events to women.

1943

When many male baseball players went off to war, the All-American Girls Softball League started! The

League gradually transforms into the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

1966

Roberta Gibb becomes the first woman to run and finish the Boston Marathon. It's unofficial since women

weren't officially entered until 1972.

1972

Title IX is signed into law! Title IX does not allow discrimination on the basis of sex in schools. This

includes equal funding for boys and girls’ sports!

1977

The first varsity women's soccer program begins at Brown University.

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1987

Jackie Joyner-Kersee is the first woman on the cover of Sports Illustrated Magazine.

1991

FIFA holds the first women's World Cup in China. The U.S. team wins the Championship!

1992

The Black Women in Sport Foundation is formed.

1997

The first Women's National Basketball Association season begins on June 21.

2000

The National Women's Football League (NWFL) is formed

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2001

The Muslim Women’s Sport Foundation is formed.

2004

14–year-old Michelle Wie is the youngest player in a Professional Golf Association (PGA) tournament.

2007

The Wimbledon tennis tournament announces that it will pay women and men equal prize money for the first

time.

2012

Every nation that competed in the Olympics sent women athletes.

2012

Egypt sent the largest number of Muslim women (36) to compete in the Olympics. The women competed in archery, athletics, badminton, fencing, gymnastics, pentathlon, rowing, shooting, swimming (including synchronized swimming), table tennis, taekwondo, weight lifting and wrestling.

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2013

17-year-old Khadija Mohammed became the first female to compete in an International Weightlifting Federation competition wearing a hijab.

2014

Mo'ne Davis, 13, leads the Taney Dragons to a shutout win in the Little League World Series with a 70 mph fastball.

2014

The National Basketball Association hires former All Star basketball player Becky Hammon, who becomes their first full time female coach of a men’s professional team.

2014

FIFA allows soccer players to wear hijabs during tournaments.

References

The following links were used to research the dates in the timeline activity:

Ederle, G. (n.d.). History of Women in Sports Timeline. Retrieved July 17, 2015 from http://www.northnet.org/stlawrenceaauw/timelne2.htm

Frantz, C (n.d.). Timeline: Women in Sports. Retrieved July 17, 2015 from http://www.infoplease.com/spot/womeninsportstimeline2.html

Timeline: A Brief History of Women’s Team Sports in America. (2001, July 17). Retrieved July 15, 2015 from http://www.pbs.org/pov/trueheartedvixens/timeline.php

I’m a Footballer Who Happens to Wear a Hijab. I Didn’t Need FIFA To Tell Me That. (14, March, 2014). Retrieved July 17, 2015 from http://muslimwomeninsports.blogspot.com/

Gohir, S (2012, January 8). Extraordinary Muslim Women at the Olympics-Past to Present. Retrieved July 17, 2015 from http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/shaista-gohir/muslim-women-at-the-olymp_b_1727046.html

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HISTORY- MUSLIM WOMEN WHO FOUGHT FOR THE RIGHT TO PLAY !After this workshop, girls will be able to:

•! Creatively bring the accomplishments of a role model to life

•! Connect with the stories of women who had to fight for the right to play sports

Activity: Acting out famous women’s accomplishments (20 minutes)

Materials:

•! A copy of the women’s bios (found on pages 20-22 of this curriculum) each cut out on their own slip

of paper.

Directions- Have the girls count off to make groups of 2, 3, or 4, depending on the size of the group. Give

each group a bio and have them take 5-10 minutes to decide how to present it to the whole group. They can

act out important parts of the women’s lives, do a dance, sing a song, or anything they feel like doing.

The bios to print can be found on the following 3 pages

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Halet Cambel (Turkey)

The first Muslim woman to compete in an Olympic games! She competed in fencing in the 1936 Berlin

games. She was also an archaeologist! She was invited to meet Hitler but turned down the invitation for

political reasons.

Nawal El Moutawakel (Morocco)

The first muslim woman and the first African woman to win a gold medal in the Olympics! It happened in

the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, California in the 400 meter hurdles race. After winning, she organized

the first Moroccan women’s 10 kilometer race through the streets of Casablanca! More than 27,000

participants enter the race. In 2008 she became the first Muslim woman to be elected to the powerful

International Olympic Committee.

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Ruqaya Al Ghasara (Bahrain)

In 2004 she became the first woman to wear a hijab in the Olympics. She did not win a medal there, but won

gold in the Asian Games in the 200 meter race and competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She overcame a

great deal of criticism from fundamentalists who did not think she should compete.

Tahmina Kohistani (Afghanistan)

Afghanistan’s only female athlete to compete in the London Olympics. She competed in the 100 meter and

200 meter races. Her participation paved the way for many more girls in her country to be able to participate

in sports. This is important because when the Taliban was in control, a girl playing sports would not have

been allowed. She did her training behind guarded doors in hidden areas to avoid people who did not

approve of her.

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Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir (United States)

After starting to play basketball in 8th grade, she went on to play collegiate basketball for the University of

Memphis. In 2011, Bilqis was awarded the United States Basketball Writers Association “Most

Courageous” award at the Women’s Final Four for being the first Muslim woman to play covered in the

NCAA. Her plan was to play professional basketball after that, but her dream was crushed by the

International Basketball Federation’s no headgear policy. She started a petition to get an exemption to the

headgear rule, and started an online campaign called “Muslim Girls Hoop Too.” The headgear policy was

eliminated in 2014!

Directions- Once the skits are complete, ask the group the discussion questions if time permits.

Discussion Questions:

What do you admire about these women?

What do you think it feels like to be the first to accomplish something?

How would you respond to someone who thinks you shouldn’t be playing sports because you are a girl?

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HISTORY- SAUDI SOCCER TEAM VIDEO


•! Learn about how other Muslim women value being active

•! Brainstorm ways to continue changing attitudes about girls and women playing sports globally

Activity: Watching “The Secret Life of a Saudi Women’s Soccer Team” (10 minutes)

Materials:

•! Equipment to project the video

Directions- Watch this video and discuss.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZN-Fpw3j9I

Directions- After the video, ask the group these questions and conduct a short discussion.


What are your reactions to the video?

What are the benefits of being a part of a team?

What are the health benefits for women and girls when they participate in

sports?

How can we begin to change attitudes about the importance of sports for girls

and women around the world?

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HISTORY- IBTIHAJ MOHAMMAD VIDEOS AND DISCUSSION


•! Discuss the power of having a role model competing at the highest level

•! See the connection between playing sports and building life skills

Activity: The Ibtihaj Mohammad videos (15 minutes)

Materials:

•! Equipment to show the videos

Facilitator: This video is some background on Ibtihaj and how she began fencing. She DID end up making

the Olympic team!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EK8klnqsmDI

Facilitator: This video is an interview with Ibtihaj from recently (2015). Watch and we’ll discuss what you

saw!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-vBt8--cpQ

Directions- After the girls have seen the videos, facilitate a group discussion using the questions below.


What effect do you think it will have on Muslim girls’ and women’s

participation in sports to have a role model like Ibtihaj?

How does it change how you feel to have clothing that makes you feel

comfortable?

Ibti mentions the ways sports have benefitted her in school and in her

professional life. How do you feel sports teach you skills you use in

other parts of your life?

When she was growing up she said people told her “Fencing wasn’t

something that Muslim women did.” Have you ever been told

something just wasn’t for you because of who you are? If so, what

pushes you to pursue your goals no matter what?

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History Session Evaluation Questions !!After experiencing our discussions about the history of women in sports, please answer the following questions.

1.! What did you like best about these sessions? 2.! What would you change about these sessions?

3.! Please circle the number that best matches your answer. 1=strongly agree, 2=agree, 3=disagree, 4=strongly disagree

After experiencing these sessions, I value role models who look like me and I want to be a role model for other girls.

1 2 3 4


After experiencing these sessions, I feel more confident in my ability to stand up for myself or others when I hear negative comments about girls in sports.

1 2 3 4

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WHAT IS GENDER? LET’S THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX! After this workshop, girls will be able to:

•! Explain the definition of gender

•! Understand that girls are not restricted to only doing stereotypically “girl” things

Activity: Discussion of “what is gender?” (15 minutes)

Materials:

•! Chart paper

•! Markers

ASK THE GIRLS: What kinds of behaviors, activities, and qualities do people think girls do/have?

Make a list on the chart paper.

ASK THE GIRLS: What kinds of behaviors, activities, and qualities do people think boys do/have?

ASK THE GIRLS: Take a look at the girls list. Have you ever known boys who have some of those

qualities or enjoy those activities?

ASK THE GIRLS: Take a look at the boys list. Do any girls in the room enjoy activities people think are

stereotypically for boys?

Have the group do a Think, Pair, Share about what they think of the lists.

Directions- After the Think, Pair, Share, ask the group the discussion questions below.


Can it be harmful to assume boys and girls always want to act in ways

society expects them to act?

How do these stereotypes and assumptions affect girls who want to

play sports?

How do these stereotypes affect how girls and boys act at school?

What can we do to begin changing these stereotypes?!

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After a short discussion, ASK THE GIRLS: Who can try to define “gender” for the group?

Facilitator: GENDER is: Behaviors, activities, and qualities that people think are ok for girls and boys or

women and men.

Therefore, gender is really just an assumption about how people will act based on whether they are male or

female, but we don’t always have to fit the mold!

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GENDER- DON’T PUT ME IN A BOX!


•! Form concrete ideas of the ways society can limit girls’ actions and behaviors

•! Feel confident in their ability to destroy those stereotypical ideas

Activity: Crushing Stereotypes (15 minutes):

Materials:

•! Markers

•! Cardboard boxes

•! A bat, if available

•! Varying types of balls

Directions- Have the girls brainstorm some stereotypes about girls, such as “Girls can’t throw” or “Girls are

weak.” Then have each girl write at least one of those statements in marker on the side of a box. They can

fill up every side of the box with stereotypes if they wish.

Then, they get to smash them! They can kick the boxes, punch them, hit them with a bat, or throw a ball at

them. Each girl can smash the box she wrote on or the whole group can take turns smashing the whole pile

of boxes. Let the girls chose!

Directions- After the boxes are smashed, ask the group the discussion questions below if time permits.

References

Activity adapted from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jx4wHIYH-FQ


How did it feel to smash those boxes?

How can we continue to “smash” those ideas in our everyday lives?

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GENDER- RESPONDING TO SEXIST/NEGATIVE COMMENTS After this workshop, girls will be able to:

•! Confidently stand up for someone being bullied

•! Effectively respond to negative comments about girls playing sports

Activity: Defining sexism and sexist comments (8 minutes)

Materials:

•! Equipment to project the microaggressions video

Facilitator: Last session we smashed boxes with stereotypes about girls on them! Today we are going to

discuss some ways that you think would be effective when you hear people make some of those negative

comments out loud.

ASK THE GIRLS: What is sexism? After answers are shared, give the definition:

Sexism: Things that people say or do that make it seem like girls/women aren’t as good as

boys/men. Things that say girls are only good at certain things or are not as smart, strong, fast, as

boys. Things like what we talked about when we learned what “gender” is. When people think or say that

girls can and should only do the stereotypically “girl” things we are told they should.

ASK THE GIRLS: What are some sexist statements you’ve heard? Ask for the girls’ examples.

Here are some if they are stuck:

•! Boys are better at sports

•! “You throw like a girl” as an insult

•! Math and science are for boys

•! She plays like a boy/acts like a boy because she plays sports

Facilitator: There are also comments that aren’t so obviously offensive, but are still hurtful. Here is the link

to a short video about these comments called “microaggressions” and how girls feel about them:

http://everydayfeminism.com/2015/06/microaggressions/

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ASK THE GIRLS: Take 30 seconds to think of a time when you heard a comment like this, either directed

at you or a friend. What did they say? What did you do? If nothing, how could you change what you did in

the future? (See who wants to share their experiences).

ASK THE GIRLS: Why is it important to stand up for our friends when we hear sexist comments (or any

negative comments) made about them? See what the girls come up with. Here are some ideas:

•! Sometimes it’s easier for someone else to step in and intervene rather than standing up for yourself if

you’ve just been insulted in front of a group

•! It makes everyone else in the room think more about the comment that was said and how it is not

respectful

•! It helps other people stand up for their friends the next time a negative or bullying comment is

made. It creates a culture of support instead of negativity.

•! It educates those around you so that next time they hear a similar comment they will know how to

respond because of your good example

Activity: Scenarios (12 minutes)

Materials:

•! Scenarios, printed out and cut apart (found on page 31 of the curriculum)

Facilitator: We are going to practice responding to sexist comments with some scenarios. Pick a slip of

paper with a scenario on it and pick a partner. Have one partner read the sexist comment and have the other

partner respond to it. Then switch.

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Scenarios:

Partner #1: (Pretending to be on the soccer field at recess or at the park) “Girls can’t play in this soccer

game. It’s only for boys because girls just aren’t good at soccer.”

Partner #2: How could you respond?

Partner #1: “Who cares about women’s sports anyway? Women will never be as good as men.”


Partner #1: “Girls shouldn’t play sports because it makes them act and look like boys.”


Strategies for Responding to Sexism (5 minutes):

ASK THE GIRLS: During the scenarios, what was your group’s strategy for addressing sexism? Ask the

girls what theirs were first and who would like to share. Then go over these:

1. Be direct. For example, “That’s offensive to me” or “That’s just not true and that hurt my feelings.”

2. Use humor. For example, if someone says, “You throw like a girl,” you can respond with, “If you

practice really hard I bet you could throw like a girl too.”

3. Use an example of how what they said is clearly not based in reality. For example, if someone says

that no one cares about women’s sports, mention that the 2015 Women’s World Cup was the most watched

United States soccer game EVER, men’s or women’s!

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Gender Session Evaluation Questions

After experiencing our discussions about gender stereotypes, please answer the following questions.

1.! What did you like best about these sessions?

2.! What would you change about these sessions?

3. Please circle the number that best matches your answer.

After experiencing these sessions, I understand that not all girls have to act in the same stereotypical way.

1 2 3 4 strongly disagree disagree agree strongly agree 4. Please circle the number that best matches your answer.

After experiencing these sessions, I feel more confident in my ability to stand up for myself or others when I hear negative comments about girls in sports.

1 2 3 4 strongly disagree disagree agree strongly agree


After experiencing these sessions, I am inspired by how hard women have worked to be able to play sports throughout history.


After experiencing these sessions, I have some ideas about how to keep improving on the progress women have made in sports.


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BODY IMAGE After this workshop, girls will be able to:

•! Define body image

•! Build up others’ body image, confidence, and self-esteem

Activity: Defining body image (5 minutes)

Materials:

•! A printed out copy of the body image handout for each girl (found on page 36 of this curriculum).

Give the girls the handout to take home after the discussion.

Facilitator: Today we will be discussing body image. Who can tell us what body image means to them?

Directions- After some ideas are given by the group, read this definition.

Body image is:

•! How you see yourself – both in the mirror and in your mind

•! How you feel about your body

•! How you feel in your body, how you sense and control your body as you move

•! How comfortable you are in your body

•! What you believe about your appearance. For example, do you have happy memories related to how

you look?

ASK THE GIRLS: What are some things you do or some ways that you act when you have a positive

body image?

Directions- After some answers are given, explain that when you have a Positive body image, you:

•! Appreciate and love your body just the way it is

•! Understand that how someone looks does not mean anything about the kind of person she is

•! Value what your body can do more than how it looks

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Facilitator: One way to support others having positive body image is to focus on the parts of ourselves that

are valuable and have nothing to do with how we look. Sometimes we need a little reminder from our

teammates/friends to feel positive about ourselves in ways we may not think about often. Here’s an activity

to help us do that.

Activity: Tap Somebody (10 minutes)

Directions- This activity is called Tap Somebody. Everyone sits in a circle with their eyes closed. 2-3

people at a time are the tappers. The facilitator reads one statement at a time, after which the tappers go

around the circle and tap the shoulders of girls about whom the statement is true. Choose new tappers after

several statements.

Statements to read out loud:

Facilitator: Tap somebody who…

Makes you laugh

Is an encouraging teammate

Works hard in school

Has strong opinions

Pushes herself when learning a difficult new skill

Is generous

Is brave

Is playful

Is respectful

Has a positive attitude

Is a great athlete

Never gives up

Is a loyal friend

Stands up for others

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Directions- Make sure all of the girls are getting tapped at least a few times. If not, take a turn yourself

being the tapper. You can also ask the girls if they have any they would like to add. If so, they can make

their statement and go tap the girls they had in mind.

After the activity is complete, ask the group the questions found below if time permits.

Directions: Give each girl the handout on the next page to take home.


How did you feel when you got tapped?

How did it feel to tap your friends?

How can we continue to remind our teammates/friends

of how much we value them?

How can we do this for our friends outside of this

group? At school? With family members at home?

!36!

Body image is:

•! How you see yourself – both in the mirror and in your mind

•! How you feel about your body

•! How you feel in your body, how you sense and control your body as you move

•! How comfortable you are in your body

•! What you believe about your appearance. For example, do you have happy memories

related to how you look?

When you have a Positive body image, you:

•! Appreciate and love your body just the way it is

•! Understand that how someone looks does not mean anything about the kind

of person she is

•! Value what your body can do more than how it looks

!37!

BODY IMAGE-BUILDING OURSELVES UP! After this workshop, girls will be able to:

•! List activities that build up their own body image, confidence, and self-esteem

Facilitator: Since last session we thought about how to support the positive body image of others, let’s think

about ways we can build up our body image up and support ourselves at time when our body image is not so

positive.

Activity: Building Ourselves Up Worksheet (10 minutes)

Materials:

•! One printed out worksheet (below) for each girl.

•! Pens or pencils for each girl

Directions- Give each girl a worksheet and have her fill it out.

Facilitator: Each box represents something that builds your confidence and self-esteem at times when it is

not so positive. ASK THE GIRLS: Who can share something that makes them feel better when they are

not feeling good about themselves? What reminds you of your strengths? What makes you feel valued?

Directions- After the worksheets are completed, ask the group the discussion questions below if time

permits.


Does anyone find it difficult to take the time to do these

things for themselves?

Why is it valuable to take care of ourselves? !

!38!

Body Image/Self-Esteem Boost Worksheet

Directions: Fill out each box below with something that builds your confidence or gives you a more positive

body image when you are feeling self-conscious. It can be a person, a place, an activity, book, movie,

anything that works for you.

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BODY IMAGE- WHAT WE APPRECIATE


•! Find value in what their bodies can do

•! Focus on their bodies’ functions rather than their appearance

Introductory discussion (3-5 minutes):

ASK THE GIRLS: What is an activity you enjoy doing?

Which parts of your body are useful when you do that activity?

How does that activity make you feel?

Activity: What We Appreciate About Our Bodies (15-20 minutes)

Materials:

•! Chart paper

•! Markers or colored pencils

Directions- Have each girl either draw an outline of herself on a large piece of chart paper, or have another

girl trace her while she lies down on the paper. Then, each girl writes on any body part she chooses what she

appreciates about it. Multiple studies by Elizabeth Daniels found that having girls think about what their

bodies can do makes them think less about how they look, which is the goal! Some can be appearance-based,

but try to steer towards things like “I appreciate my calves because they help me run fast.” If they are

appearance-based things, have them tell the group why they appreciate something like the color of their skin

(“because I’m proud that it’s like my mom’s”).

Once the activity is complete, ask the group the questions below if time permits.


Who is willing to share their project with the group?

Did you notice anything you had not thought about before

while you were doing this activity?

How do you feel when you think about what your body can

do for you?

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Directions- For the conclusion of the session, give a “Ways To Love Your Body” handout to each girl for them to take home. The handout can be found on page 41 of this curriculum.

References

The findings in these studies provided inspiration for the activity. Daniels, E. A. (2012). Sexy versus strong: What girls and women think of female athletes. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 33(2), 79-90. Daniels, E. A. (2009). Sex Objects, Athletes, and Sexy Athletes How Media Representations of Women Athletes Can Impact Adolescent Girls and College Women. Journal of Adolescent Research, 24(4), 399-422.

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20 Ways to Love Your Body

1.! Think of your body as the vehicle to your dreams. Honor it. Respect it. Fuel it.

2.! Create a list of all the things your body lets you do. Read it and add to it often.

3.! Become aware of what your body can do each day. Remember it is the instrument of your life, not just an ornament.

4.! Create a list of people you admire: people who have contributed to your life, your community, or the world. Consider whether their appearance was important to their success and accomplishments.

5.! Walk with your head held high, supported by pride and confidence in yourself as a person.

6.! Don’t let your weight or shape keep you from activities that you enjoy.

7.! Wear comfortable clothes that you like, that express your personal style, and that feel good to your body.

8.! Count your blessings, not your blemishes.

9.! Think about all the things you could accomplish with the time and energy you currently spend worrying about your body and appearance. Try one!

10.!Be your body’s friend and supporter, not its enemy.

11.!Consider this: your skin replaces itself once a month, your stomach lining every five days, your liver every six weeks, and your skeleton every three months. Your body is extraordinary—begin to respect and appreciate it.

12.!Every morning when you wake up, thank your body for resting and rejuvenating itself so you can enjoy the day.

13.!Every evening when you go to bed, tell your body how much you appreciate what it has allowed you to do throughout the day.

14.!Find a method of exercise that you enjoy and do it regularly. Don’t exercise to lose weight or to fight your body. Do it to make your body healthy and strong and because it makes you feel good. Exercise for the Three F’s: Fun, Fitness, and Friendship.

15.!Think back to a time in your life when you felt good about your body. Loving your body means you get to feel like that again, even in this body, at this age.

16.!Keep a list of 10 positive things about yourself—without mentioning your appearance. Add to it daily!

17.!Put a sign on each of your mirrors saying, “I’m beautiful inside and out.”

18.!Search for the beauty in the world and in yourself.

19.!Consider that, “Life is too short to waste my time hating my body this way.”

20.!Eat when you are hungry. Rest when you are tired. Surround yourself with people that remind you of your inner strength and beauty.

Handout retrieved from: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/20-ways-love-your-body

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Body Image Session Evaluation Questions

After experiencing our discussions about body image, please answer the following questions. 1.! What did you like best about these sessions?



After experiencing these sessions, I know I can build up my body image when it feels negative.

1 2 3 4


After experiencing these sessions, I value what my body can do more than what it looks like.

1 2 3 4

!43!

INTRODUCTION TO MEDIA After this workshop, girls will be able to:

•! Define media

•! Explain why Photoshop can be harmful

•! Understand how media shapes our ideas of what is beautiful

Activity: Defining “media” and introducing the effects of Photoshop (15 minutes)

Materials:

•! Equipment to show the videos.

ASK THE GIRLS: What is media?

Correct answers include:

TV, radio, advertisements on the computer or in the mail, billboards, Internet, DVD’s, movies, magazines,

newspapers, blogs, social media, news, and more.

Facilitator: We have recently been talking about body image and how to built it up in ourselves and our

friends. There are some images that appear in the media that break down our positive body image and make

us feel self-conscious and as if we have to try at being beautiful. Something that often plays a part in this

negative media is Photoshop. ASK THE GIRLS: Can anyone tell us what Photoshop is?

Directions- Explain to the group that it is a computer program that lets people change how a photo

looks. Sometimes it can fun and make images look interesting and artistic, but watch what happens when it

is used on humans.

Show the group these photos of celebrities before and after Photoshop. Have them point out what was

altered. http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/movie-guide/news/6431423/story.html?tab=PHOT

Then show the group this video by Dove, showing the photoshoot and Photoshop

process. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U

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Directions- After the girls have seen both videos, ask them the discussion questions below.


What were the types of things you noticed that were changed with

Photoshop?

Why do people think they felt the need to change those images the way

they did?

What characteristics do people need to have to be “perfect” according

to the changes that were made? (Examples: smooth skin, no freckles,

light skin, be very thin, long wavy hair,

How does it make you feel when you look at the Photoshopped

images?

When we look at celebrities or advertisements, are we looking at real

people?

Does it cause harm to change images in these ways? (Yes, it gives us

the idea that only one type of person and body size are acceptable or

beautiful, but no one even really looks like that!)

!45!

MEDIA- WHERE DOES THE DEFINITION OF “BEAUTY” COME FROM? After this workshop, girls will be able to:

•! Discuss why certain characteristics are considered beautiful and others are not

•! Discuss where we get these messages

•! Identify that there is not just one way to be beautiful

Activity: Where do our ideas of beauty come from? (15 minutes)

Materials: •! Chart paper

•! Pens or pencils for each group

•! Blank paper for each group

Directions- Tape the paper up on the wall. Write, “Ideas of “beauty” are shaped by…”

ASK THE GIRLS: Where do we get our ideas about what body shape and size is attractive and

healthy? Which kinds of messages tell us what skin color or hair styles are considered beautiful?

Directions- Write the girls’ answers on the paper, spread out enough that more notes can be added by each

idea. Some examples include family, friends, culture, advertisements, toys, video games, TV, movies, music,

magazines, etc.

Divide students into small groups of 2-3 and assign each group one of the topics that the group chose. Direct

each group to discuss the ways in which that category has shaped our ideas about body image and our

perceptions about people who fall outside what is considered “normal” or attractive. Have each group select

a recorder to write down the group’s ideas and a reporter to share back to the whole class later.

Reconvene the class and ask each reporter to share the highlights of the group discussion. List salient points

on the large paper next to the appropriate categories.

!46!

Facilitator: Ideas in our society about body image are so ingrained that most of us take them for granted and

accept them as natural and normal. This might lead us to internalize negative concepts about ourselves and

others, such as feeling like a bad person for being overweight or thinking that thin people are the most

worthy of friends. Ideas about body image, however, are not fixed or universal, and vary depending upon the

time and place.

Directions- After the groups have shared what they discussed and the points they made are recorded, ask the

group the discussion questions below if time permits.


How are ideas about body image different in other parts of the

world? What do you think accounts for this?

How do you think that fixed ideas about body shape and size in

U.S. culture influence you?

Do you think that treating people differently because of their

body size and shape is acceptable?

!47!

BODY IMAGE- ADVERTISEMENT ACTIVITY After this workshop, girls will be able to:

•! Articulate how narrowly women’s beauty is defined by media images

•! Share what they believe is wrong with these types of portrayals

Activity: Advertisement Analysis (15 minutes)

Materials:

•! At least a couple of magazine ads for each group of 2-3 girls.

•! Pens/pencils for each group

•! Printed out worksheet for each group (found on page 48 of this curriculum)

Directions- Divide into small groups of 2-3 girls. Give each group two ads from a recent issue of a popular

magazine and a copy of the worksheet. Ask each group to discuss and answer the questions about each ad.

Ask one representative from each group to briefly present their conclusions about one or both of the ads

critiqued by their group.

After each group has shared their conclusions, ask the whole group the discussion questions found below if

time permits.


What did you learn from this activity?

What would you like to change about the way women

are portrayed in the media?

!48!

Worksheet for the ads:

1. Do the ads include people with a variety of body shapes and sizes?

a. yes

B. no

2. How do the people look in the advertisements? (What is their body type?)

a. normal weight

B. unusually thin

C. overweight

3. Do you think people who actually use the product being advertised typically have the body type shown

in the advertisements?

a. yes

B. no

4. Do you think the models in the ad naturally look the way they appear or do you think their picture or

their appearance has been enhanced in some way?

a. This is their natural look.

B. The picture (or their appearance) was probably enhanced.

5. How would you describe the product being advertised?

a. Healthy

B. unhealthy

C. neither healthy nor unhealthy

6. Do you see a variety of skin colors represented in the ads?

a. Yes

b. No

!49!

MEDIA- PORTRAYALS OF FEMALE ATHLETES After this workshop, girls will be able to:

•! Explain the issues that surround media portrayals of female athletes

•! Articulate what an idea portrayal of a female athlete in the media would look like

Activity: Female athlete media portrayal analysis (10 minutes)

Materials:

•! Printed out photos of the athletes you will be discussing, found on pages 50, 52, and 53 of this

curriculum.

Facilitator: Think back to last session when we discussed what was wrong about narrow portrayals of beauty

when it comes to women in media images. What were some things we wished were different?

Sadly, many of the same issues exist in images of female athletes. We are going to explore that today.

Directions- Show them these typical images of female athletes in magazines or in ads. When you google

“female athletes,” sadly you get a lot of images like this (photo #1):

!50!

Photo #1

!51!

ASK THE GIRLS: Does anyone know who this is?

Answer: This is Alex Morgan, one of the top players on the U.S. Women’s Soccer team that recently won

the World Cup! But in this photo from Sports Illustrated Magazine, can you tell she is an athlete? Does she

look strong? What do you wish were different about this photo of her? Why do you think so many female

athletes are made to wear very little clothing and to try to look attractive instead of looking strong? What

does this photo tell us is valuable about women?

Directions- Show the girls photo #2.

Facilitator: Here is another photo of a female athlete. This is Lacy Schnoor, who is an Olympic athlete in

freestyle skiing.

ASK THE GIRLS: Does she look like an athlete in this photo? What type of clothing is she

wearing? What does this image tell girls to value about themselves? What does this image tell boys to value

about girls? How does it make you feel to look at this image?

!52!

Photo #2

!53!

Photo #3

!54!

Directions- Show the girls photo #3.

ASK THE GIRLS: How does this image make you feel different from the way the Alex Morgan and Lacy

Schnoor images make you feel? Why do you think that is?

Activity: What makes a good image of a female athlete? (5-10 minutes)

Materials:

•! Blank paper

•! Pens/pencils for each pair

•! Chart paper

•! Markers

Facilitator: Continuing on from what we have just discussed, let’s pretend a big advertising company has

approached our group and wants to know what kind of image of a female athlete they should use in their next

advertisement. Pair up and write down some ideas of what a positive, empowering image of a female athlete

would have. Keep in mind what you have learned in past sessions about body image, beauty standards, and

what makes us feel valuable.

Directions- Write these questions on the chart paper for the girls to reference:

In an ideal image of a female athlete…

How is she posed? What is she wearing? Where is she looking? What is she doing? Where is she? What

body type does she have? What is her cultural/ethnic background?

Directions- To end the session, ask each pair to share with the whole group some of what they discussed.

!55!

MEDIA- CREATE A POSTER After this workshop, girls will be able to:

•! Feel how empowering it is to pose themselves in a powerful way

•! Create their own media that includes strong and active East African girls!

Materials:

•! A camera, if available

•! Cameras on phones will work too

Activity: Create Your Own Images! (20 minutes)

Directions- As was discussed previously we want the girls to think about what their bodies can do instead of

how they look. Another Elizabeth Daniels study found that when girls and women look at photos of athletes

being strong, in action, not being sexy or photoshopped, they are prompted to identify with them and to think

more positively about their bodies and what they can do. This can actually counter the negative effects of

harmful media images that make girls feel self-conscious and negative about their bodies.

Facilitator: Today you will have the opportunity to create your own empowering images! You may choose

which sport you would like to be portrayed playing, choose equipment you would like in the shot, and the

pose you would like. Choose a partner and take turns taking photos of each other. Have fun!!

Directions- Ideally, if funds allow, print the best photo of each girl and give it to her to keep next session!

!56!

MEDIA- LETTER WRITING!


•! Understand the power of letter writing campaigns

•! Replicate a letter to a company with which they have an issue

•! Feel empowered by using their voices to create change

Activity: Letter writing! (20 minutes)

Materials:

•! Blank paper for each girl

•! Pens for each girl

•! An envelope for each girl

•! A stamp for each girl

•! A printed out example letter for each girl (found on page 58 of this curriculum)

Directions- What we want to have the girls discuss is how many industries make money off of people,

mostly women, who try to reach the type of “perfection” we see in ads.

ASK THE GIRLS: Who benefits from images in advertisements being “perfect” looking?

Their answers could be things like makeup companies, various kinds of diets, personal trainers, gyms, skin

lightening product companies, anti-aging companies, plastic surgeons, companies that make your body look

slimmer like Spanx, and anything else they can name.

ASK THE GIRLS: What kinds of messages are being sent to society by these photoshopped

ads? Examples could be that there’s only one way to be beautiful, being thin is the only way to be attractive,

light skin is more attractive, you should wear makeup, etc.

ASK THE GIRLS: How can we let companies know that we do not like the messages their ads are

sending? The one the group will use today is letter writing!

Facilitator: Letter writing can be a very effective way to create positive change, even when it comes to large

and powerful companies. For example, a girl named Julia Bluhm wrote a letter to Seventeen Magazine and

!57!

created a petition. 82,000 people signed, and Seventeen agreed not to change girls’ faces or bodies with

Photoshop anymore!

Here is her petition if anyone is interested: https://www.change.org/p/seventeen-magazine-give-girls-

images-of-real-girls

Facilitator: Today we are going to write our own letters to a company to let them know why we are not

satisfied with the messages they are sending about women in their ads. If you have one you feel strongly

about, you can write to your choice of company. If you do not have one in mind yet, you can write to the

Sports Illustrated Managing Editor, Chris Stone. Here are some ideas of what you could say. Feel free to

change or add!

Directions- Give each girl an example letter like the one on the following page.

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Today’s Date Here!

To Chris Stone,

I am writing to bring to your attention a serious issue I have with Sports Illustrated’s portrayal of

female athletes. First of all, only 2.67% of your magazine covers feature female athletes. Second of all,

when women are on the covers of Sports Illustrated, they are nearly always wearing bikinis or something

else that exposes much of their bodies.

As a young girl, when I look at these images I feel like I am being told that in order to be valued, I

must wear little clothing and look attractive instead of focusing on being a strong and competent athlete. I

am also worried that when boys look at these images they will not take female athletes seriously, and instead

will see them as objects that exist only to look attractive.

I am requesting that in the future Sports Illustrated not only include more images of female athletes,

but also more that include the athlete playing her sport and not trying to look sexy. I appreciate your time

and your concern for girls and women everywhere.

Sincerely,

Your Name Here

Address the letters to:

Chris Stone

c/o Sports Illustrated Offices

1271 Avenue of the Americas

New York, NY 10020

!59!

Media Session Evaluation Questions

After experiencing our discussions about media images, please answer the following questions.



3.! Please circle the number that best matches your answer.

After experiencing these sessions, I feel confident explaining why Photoshop is harmful. 1 2 3 4 strongly disagree disagree agree strongly agree


After experiencing these sessions, I have my own definition of beauty that is different from what magazines show us.


After experiencing these sessions, I know I can use my voice to be a leader and make change in my community.


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NUTRITION-BODY TYPES After this workshop, girls will be able to:

•! Explain that there are many different body types that can be healthy

•! Discuss how different body types are useful in different sports

Introduction: (5 minutes)

Materials:

•! A printed out copy of the photo of the women’s rugby team found on page 61 of this curriculum.

Facilitator: Our next group of sessions will be all about what we put in our bodies and how that affects the

way they work and feel. Sometimes when people talk about nutrition and healthy eating, they talk about

dieting to become skinnier because they mistakenly think that being skinny is the only way to be

healthy. This is not true! There are many different body types and sizes that people are born with and many

different ways people can look and still be healthy. We are going to begin our nutrition sessions talking

about some of the different ways “healthy” can look.

Facilitator: One of the settings in which we see many different body types is in sports. There is not just one

way to look or be athletic.

Directions- Show the girls the photo of this rugby team.

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The U.S. Women’s Rugby team.

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ASK THE GIRLS: Take a look at this photo of the US Women’s rugby team. Are their bodies all built

the same way? Are they the same size? Are they strong in the same ways?

Facilitator: Now we are going to do an activity that helps us think about the different ways people can be

shaped and still be healthy, and the different body shapes that are needed for different types of sports. All of

the photos you are about to see are of real, successful, healthy athletes.

Activity: Matching body types to sports (10 minutes)

Materials:

•! Cut out photos of various body types (found on pages 63-66 of this curriculum), with enough copies

for each group to have a set. Hint: Cut out the photos so that the sport each athlete plays is not

included!

•! Cut out the names of the sports for matching with the body types

Directions- Have the girls get into groups of 2-3 and match the photos of the people to the type of sport they

might play based on the strengths of their bodies. There aren’t really any incorrect answers, but the goal is to

have them think again about how we use our bodies, not how they look. All of the photos are of actual

athletes, so all get regular exercise, eat healthy food, and are healthy! After the girls have made their

guesses, you can tell them which sports the athletes actually play.

Varying body type images to cut out are on the following page.

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( shot putter)

(professional basketball player)!

!64!

(Olympic figure skater)

(Olympic weight lifter)

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(Olympic gymnast)

(Members of the U.S. Women’s soccer team that just won the World Cup!)

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(MMA fighter)

Sports to cut out for the girls to match with the photos:

Shotput Basketball Figure Skating Weightlifting Gymnastics

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Soccer Mixed Martial Arts

Directions- After the matching activity is compete, ask the group the discussion questions below if time permits.


Did anything about the photos surprise you?

What were the similarities and differences between

the athletes’ bodies in the photos?

Did all of the athletes look like they were healthy

according to what you have been taught?

What types of food do you think these athletes eat in order to stay healthy and strong?!

!68!

NUTRITION- THE IMPORTANCE OF HEALTHY EATING After this workshop, girls will be able to:

•! Put together a healthy meal that incorporates each food group

•! Understand the importance of eating healthy

•! Understand how eating healthy food affects our bodies

Discussion: Why is it important to eat healthy foods? (2 minutes)

Facilitator: Last session we discussed the idea that there are many different body types that can be

considered healthy, not just slim and muscular ones. Today we will talk more about what we should be

eating to maintain a healthy body.

ASK THE GIRLS: What is something about our bodies that we need to take care of when we are being

physically active? (You are looking for answers that relate to the way we fuel our bodies/what we eat).

Facilitator: Today we are going to talk about ways to give your body energy with food in a healthy

way. Sometimes people talk about healthy eating like it’s all about getting smaller and losing weight. It’s

not at all!

ASK THE GIRLS: Why is it important to eat healthy foods? What kinds of results do we see when we

eat foods that are good for us?

Some ideas are:

•! To feel better

•! To have more energy

•! To stay at a healthy weight without using unhealthy diets

•! To feel happier

•! To get stronger when playing sports

•! To fuel your brain so it works hard in school

•! To prevent diseases

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Discussion: The food groups (3-5 minutes)

ASK THE GIRLS: Even if we are eating a healthy food, should we eat a whole lot of just one thing? Why

or why not?

Answer: No, we should eat a variety of healthy foods because they give our bodies energy in different

ways.

Facilitator: We know we should be eating a variety of kinds of foods so that our bodies get fuel from

different types of nutrients. To help us understand this, we are going to go over the food groups. They are 1)

Fruits, 2) Vegetables, 3) Proteins, 4) Dairy, and 5) Grains.

Directions- Name one category at a time and have the girls name several foods that fit into that

category. Go through them all.

Activity: What is healthy food and how much of it should we eat every day? (10

minutes)

Materials:

•! Print one of the My Plate placemats for each girl (found on page 71 of this curriculum), or at

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/images/MyPlateImages/JPG/myplate_blue.jpg)

•! Print and cut out each of the pictures of food, one set for each group of girls (found on pages 72-75 of

this curriculum)

Facilitator: Now that we know what is in each food group and that we should choose foods from each one,

we are going to have a chance to put together a really healthy meal.

Directions- Split up into groups of 2-3. Each group needs a set of cut out foods.

Facilitator: Now you are going to pretend it is dinner time and you can choose any of these foods you

want. It is your job to choose some foods from each food group and put them on your plate. When everyone

has made their choices we will discuss what we chose.

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Directions- After the activity is complete, ask the group the discussion questions below if time permits.


Does anyone usually eat meals that look something like

these? Why or why not?

Did you choose any foods you do not like very much just to

get one that goes in the correct category? If so, what other

food from the same category could you choose instead of

the food you do not enjoy?

What could you do to eat more like what is suggested on the

plate we used for our activity?

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Foods!to!print!and!cut!out.!!Make!enough!copies!for!each!group!to!have!a!set.!

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NUTRITION- CALORIES AND HEALTHY FATS


•! Understand what calories are and how they are useful

•! Identify healthy fats and unhealthy fats

Discussion: What are calories? (5 minutes)

ASK THE GIRLS: Have you ever heard people talk about how many calories are in certain kinds of

foods? Does anyone know what that means?

Answer: A calorie is a unit of energy. When you hear something contains 100 calories, it's a way of

describing how much energy your body could get from eating or drinking it. We all need calories in order

for our bodies to work correctly!

Facilitator: Some people try to eat fewer calories so that they lose weight, but most young people don’t need

to do this. The most important thing is not the calories but how healthy the foods are that you choose to put

into your body.

ASK THE GIRLS: Is it healthy to eat foods that contain fat?

Answer: Yes! There is no need to avoid foods that contain fat, since our bodies can also turn fat into energy

to use when we are being active. Fats are nutrients that our bodies can use to build cells, nerve tissue like the

brain, and hormones. Some vitamins need fat to dissolve and give your body what it needs.

Facilitator: There are certain kinds of fats that are healthier than others, though.

Activity: Which Fats Are Healthy? (10 minutes)

Materials: It depends on which sports you might be working on at the time and which equipment you have

available. No matter what you choose you will need printed and cut out types of fats, which are found on

pages 77-79 of this curriculum.

!77!

Directions- The aim of this game is to break the girls into 2 teams and have them work together to choose

which fats they think are healthy and which are not. If you have enough basketballs or soccer balls, each

type of fat can be taped onto a ball and the girls will have to dribble them to one side of the court or another,

depending on which side represents healthy or unhealthy. This could also be done with hockey pucks and

nets. Once the first group says they are done, check their answers and give back the incorrect ones. See

which team can put them all in the correct place first!

Healthy fats are actually good for your heart, cholesterol, and overall health.

Some examples of healthy fats are:

•! Olive oil

•! Sunflower oil

•! Peanut oil

•! Avocados

•! Olives

•! Nuts (almonds, peanuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, pecans,

cashews)

•! Peanut butter

•! Soybean oil

•! Sunflower, sesame, and pumpkin seeds

•! Flaxseed

•! Fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, trout, sardines)

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•! Soymilk

•! Tofu

Fats that are unhealthy are things like:

•! High-fat cuts of meat (beef, lamb, pork)

•! Chicken with the skin

•! Whole-fat dairy products (milk and cream)

•! Butter

•! Cheese

•! Ice cream

•! Palm and coconut oil

•! Lard

•! Commercially-baked pastries, cookies, doughnuts, muffins, cakes,

pizza dough

•! Packaged snack foods (crackers, microwave popcorn, chips)

•! Stick margarine

•! Vegetable shortening

!79!

•! Fried foods (French fries, fried chicken, chicken nuggets, breaded

fish)

•! Candy bars

Directions- After the activity is complete, as the group the discussion questions below if time permits.

References

The following links were used to research the facts found in this workshop.

Choosing Healthy Fats (n.d.). Retrieved on July 29, 2015 from: http://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/choosing-healthy-fats.htm

Nutrition and Healthy Eating (2015). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved on July 29, 2015 from: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/fat/art-20045550

!

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! !


Were you surprised that any types of fats are healthy?

Knowing this, are you ready to change your eating

habits for the better?

Even though some fats are healthy for you, is it a good

idea to eat a lot of them? (No, we can still eat too much

healthy fat, which our body will just store for later

instead of using in a healthy way).!

!80!

NUTRITION- SUGAR After this workshop, girls will be able to:

•! Understand how much sugar some of their drink choices contain

•! Make healthier drink choices in the future

Facilitator: Today we will be discussing our drink choices and which are the healthiest. ASK THE

GIRLS: Why do you think it is healthier to choose water over things like pop or juice?

After the girls have shared some answers, let them know that the main difference is the amount of sugar that

is found in many drinks besides water. Those drinks provide more calories than we need to be energetic and

healthy, and give us very little nutrition.

Activity: Measuring the amount of sugar in various kinds of drinks (10 minutes)

Materials:

•! Sugar cubes

•! At least 4 different types of sugar-sweetened drinks, one at each station

•! Paper for the girls to write their answers down

•! Pens or pencils for each girl

Facilitator: Now we are going to look at the amount of sugar that is found in various kinds of drinks we

might choose. Each of you will go to each station, look at the nutrition information on each bottle, and write

down how many grams of sugar are in each drink. You have 7 minutes to do that and then we will meet

back as a group.

Our next step is to calculate how many grams of sugar are in these drinks. We have sugar cubes for you to

use so that we can have a visual of just how much it is. Each sugar cube will represent 4 grams of sugar, so

it is your job to figure out how many sugar cubes would be in each drink, according to how many grams of

sugar you recorded. Make a pile of sugar cubes for each drink.

!81!


References

The activity in this workshop was adapted from the Be Fueled lesson in the New Moves curriculum, found here: http://www.newmovesonline.com/pdf/BeFUELEDlessons.pdf


Does the amount of sugar in these drinks surprise you?

What could we do if we are not ready to completely stop drinking

sugary drinks? (Drink less of them, view them as a dessert treat

instead of something to have with lunch and dinner)

Do you think you will pay more attention to this in the future?

!82!

NUTRITION- HYDRATION After this workshop, girls will be able to:

•! Explain why it is important to stay hydrated

•! What hydration means

•! List strategies to drink enough water throughout the day

Introduction to hydration (10 minutes):

Facilitator: Now that we are aware of what it looks like to make healthy food choices, we are going to talk

about the importance of staying hydrated. ASK THE GIRLS: Who knows what it means to be

“hydrated?”

Answer: It means to drink enough water for our bodies to stay working and healthy.

Facilitator: Water is important because after we eat healthy foods, we need water to carry the nutrients to

other parts of our bodies so we can use the food for energy. Water helps us flush out what our bodies do not

need by allowing us to use the bathroom regularly. It also helps us sweat so that our body temperatures can

stay where they need to be. ASK THE GIRLS: Who can guess what percentage of our bodies is made up

of water?

Answer: 60%.

ASK THE GIRLS: Who can give us some reasons why we could become DEhydrated?

Some ideas are:

Being out in the hot sun

Exercising

Drinking caffeine, which actually dehydrates your body

Not drinking enough water

!83!

ASK THE GIRLS: Who knows how to tell if we need to drink water?

Answer: The best way to tell is by checking the color of your urine. If it is pale or clear, you are well

hydrated. If it is a darker color, you need to drink more!

It is not effective to just pay attention to whether or not you are thirsty, because by the time you know you

are thirsty, you’re already dehydrated!

ASK THE GIRLS: Who has ideas about ways we can help ourselves drink more water?

Some ideas are:

Have a glass at every meal

Carry a water bottle with you when you are able

Find a fun straw or cup you like to make it more appealing

Add little bits of fruit to your water for some extra flavor

Facilitator: Think back to last session when we discussed sugar in drinks. ASK THE GIRLS: Who can

give an example of some drinks besides water that are healthy (do not contain a lot of sugar) and hydrating?

Activity: Hydration challenge (5 minutes):

Materials:

•! One copy of the take-home worksheet for each girl (can be found on page 84 of this workshop)

•! One pen or pencil for each girl

Facilitator: Think about ways you can motivate yourself to drink 8 glasses of water or water-based drinks

each day. This is what you will work on outside of our sessions this week.

Use this handout to track when, where and/or how you hydrate. Go ahead and fill it out for what you drank

today right now. Fill out the rest for a week and bring it in next time we meet so we can see how everyone

did with the challenge! The person who does the best job figuring out what works for her to stay hydrated

will win a water bottle! (or some small incentive, whatever motivates the group).

!84!

Hydration Challenge!

Think about ways you can motivate yourself to drink 8 glasses of water each day. Use this handout to

track when, where and/or how you hydrate. Bring it in next time we meet and we’ll see how everyone did

with the challenge!

Sunday 1.

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Monday 1.

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Saturday 1.

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NUTRITION- THE RESULTS OF WHAT WE PUT IN OUR BODIES After this workshop, girls will be able to:

•! Understand what different types of nutrients do for our bodies

Introduction:

Facilitator: Today we are going to talk about how different things we put in our bodies can be useful. We

will go over some definitions and then do an activity to help us remember each one. Some of them will be

review since we have discussed them in previous sessions.

Activity: Act Out the Definitions (15 minutes):

Materials:

•! A handout of definitions for each girl (on the next page of this workshop)

•! 8 blank pieces of paper

•! Markers

•! Tape that is okay to stick on the wall

Directions- Ask for volunteers to read the definitions of each of the nutrients out loud.

Facilitator: Now that we have heard what each of these can do for our bodies, we are going to create ways

that we can remember them. The first step is to work together to write one word we are going to learn on

each of these blank pieces of paper. Then we will tape them up, nice and spread out, around the room.

Directions- Once the paper with the vocabulary words are on the wall, move on to this:

Facilitator: Now it is up to you all to come up with a movement we can do while we stand next to each

definition on the wall that will help us remember what each thing does for our bodies. For example, when

we all stand next to the “Protein” sign, we could do 10 push ups to remind us that it helps our bodies build

muscle. The more active the ideas, the better! ASK THE GIRLS: Who has ideas of what we could do

when we stand next to the “carbohydrates” sign?

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Directions- Once you have a movement to go with each sign, have the whole group move from one to

another as you call out where they should go. If the group is competitive, you can have them to one at a time

and see who can remember them all and get through all of the movements the fastest. If not, time the whole

group and see how fast they can all go together.

1.! Carbohydrates provide us with energy.

2.! Protein builds and maintains muscles and provides energy as well.

3.! Minerals have a variety of different essential functions in our bodies. Some of the most important

a. Calcium (strengthens bones and teeth)

b. Iron (supports red blood cells-the ones that carry around oxygen in our bodies).

4.! Vitamins also have a variety of crucial functions—examples are:

a. Vitamin C (an antioxidant that also supports tissue growth and repair)

b. Vitamin A (strengthens eyesight). Plants produce vitamins using carbohydrates,

water, minerals, and sunlight.

5. Fat protects our cells and stores energy for later use. Plants manufacture the amount of fat that they

need, but we can get some fat from plant seeds (nuts, processed into oils).

6. Water helps regulate temperature and transport other nutrients.


References

Nutrient definitions retrieved from: The Campus Kitchens Project, found here: http://www.campuskitchens.org/files/SSfHK%20Lesson%202%20%2B%20Appendices.pdf


Do you think that knowing how these nutrients help your body

will make you want to make sure you regularly eat foods that

contain them?

Do you feel empowered to share this knowledge with your

friends, classmates, and family?

How could you share your knowledge?

!87!

Nutrition Session Evaluation Questions

After experiencing our discussions about nutrition, please answer the following questions.




After experiencing these sessions, I understand that being thin is not the only way to be healthy. 1 2 3 4 strongly disagree disagree agree strongly agree


After experiencing these sessions, I know how to put together a healthy meal that has food from each food group.



After experiencing these sessions, I know how much water I should drink each day and I know what helps me do that.



After experiencing these sessions, I am more aware of which types of fat are healthy and which are not.


!88!


After experiencing these sessions, I learned what different types of nutrients do for our bodies. 1 2 3 4 strongly disagree disagree agree strongly agree

!89!

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ACTIVE After this workshop, girls will be able to:

•! Understand the benefits of being active

•! Articulate which activities they enjoy most

Activity: Shoe Pile (5 minutes)

Materials:

•! Chart paper

•! Markers

Directions- Have each of the girls take off one of their shoes and throw it into a pile in the middle of the

gym. Have them line up on one of the baselines and when you say go, they may run to the pile and pick up

one of the shoes that is not theirs. Then they find the person whose shoe they grabbed.

Facilitator: Once you find the person whose shoe you grabbed, share with them at least 3 ways you enjoy

being active. Then ask them for the 3 ways they enjoy being active.

Activity: Discussion (5 minutes)

Facilitator: Now we are going to go around to each pair and ask you to share with the group which types of

activities your partner says she enjoys.

Directions- Write the girls’ responses on the chart paper.

Here are some to add if the girls do not name them:

•! Gardening

•! Taking the stairs instead of the elevator

•! Walking to the store instead of driving

!90!

ASK THE GIRLS: How many of you have gotten to be active with your mothers? They are going to have

a chance to come in and play with us! We will have this session, one more session with just us after this, and

then they are invited to join us!

Directions- Start sending flyers home for this today, as well as next session! A flyer template can be found

on page 91 of this curriculum.

Activity: Circle Game (10 minutes)

Directions- Ask the girls to stand in a circle. Read the statements out loud and have the girls raise their

hands if the statement is true for them. After each statement is read, the girls with their hands raised should

each find one other teammate with a hand raised to high five. Then the next statement may be read.

Facilitator: Raise your hand if:

•! You've ever felt better about yourself after playing a sport or being active

•! You’ve ever felt stronger after playing a sport or being active

•! You’ve ever felt confident after playing a sport or being active

•! You’ve ever felt powerful after playing a sport or being active

•! You’ve ever felt closer to your teammates after playing a sport with them

•! You’ve ever learned a life lessons from playing sports



What did you notice about those statements?

Is there anything else you would like to add about how playing sports

and being active make you feel?

What are some other good reasons to stay active? (To stay healthy,

because it fights against depression, it helps you live longer, it makes

you less likely to get heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure,

and cancer).

!91!

“For we think back through our mothers if we are women.” -Virginia Woolf

come play with us!

You’re invited to

Dear mothers of active, adventurous girls,

You are invited to join us for an evening of fun, games, and being active with your daughters!

When:

Where:

What to bring: Shoes that allow you to run and play!

Questions? Feel free to call ______________

!92!

IMPORTANCE OF BEING ACTIVE- BARRIERS AND SOLUTIONS After this workshop, girls will be able to:

•! Identify barriers that make it difficult to be active regularly

•! Come up with their own solutions about ways to bypass those barriers

Facilitator: Last session we talked about the kinds of activities you like to do and what some of the benefits

are to doing them. Today we are going to talk more about those activities, what makes it difficult to do them

as often as we would like, and what we can do to make healthy and active choices.

ASK THE GIRLS: Who can tell me how much exercise you should be getting each week in order to stay

healthy?

Answer: Children and adolescents should have 60 minutes (1 hour) or more of physical activity daily (CDC,

2015).

ASK THE GIRLS: Do you think most children or adolescents get enough exercise?

Answer: Only 1 out of 4 adolescents get the recommended amount of exercise (NCHS, 2014).

ASK THE GIRLS: Do you think girls get as much as boys?

Answer: Boys are more likely to get the recommended amount of exercise. 27% of boys exercise enough,

compared to only 22.5% of girls (NCHS, 2014).

ASK THE GIRLS: Why do you think that is?

Activity: Barriers to/Solutions for Staying Physically Active (10 minutes):

Materials:

•! A printed out worksheet for each girl (found on page 94 of this curriculum)

•! A pen or pencil for each girl

Facilitator: Sometimes it has hard to be active as often as we should to stay healthy. We are going to do an

activity that will help us think about what makes it hard to stay active regularly and what we can do to

change that.

!93!

Directions- Have the girls complete the worksheets.

Also, hand out more flyers for next session when the moms can come play!

References The following links were used to research the proper amount of physical activity children need. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2015). Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/physicalactivity/guidelines.htm National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) (2014), U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from: http://consumer.healthday.com/public-health-information-30/centers-for-disease-control-news-120/just-1-in-4-u-s-teens-gets-enough-exercise-report-683655.html

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What makes it hard to be active? What!are!some!solutions?!

!95!

IMPORTANCE OF BEING ACTIVE- MOMS DAY! After this workshop, girls will be able to:

•! Be active with their moms!

Introduction (2 minutes):

Facilitator: Today is all about having fun and being active with the moms that are here with us! We will

play two fun games as a whole group, and at the end you will all get to pick your favorite games and play

them in any groups you chose. We know it is fun to be active, but it is even more fun when you get your

family involved!

Activity: Icebreaker- Move Your Body (5 minutes):

Materials:

•! One small cone for every person, except 1.

Directions- Have everyone stand in a circle with each person standing behind a cone. One volunteer gets to

start off in the middle without a cone. The person in the middle says, “Move your body if…” and she gets to

come up with something that is true about her. For example, “Move your body if you have a sister” or

“Move your body if you like basketball.” If that statement is true for anyone standing in the circle, they have

to move to a different cone, and it cannot be the cone right next to the one they are currently standing

behind. The person left without a cone is the next person in the middle!

Activity: Group Jump Rope Challenge! (10 minutes):

Materials:

•! One large jump rope for the group

Directions- The goal of this game is to work together as a whole group to get everyone through the jump

rope at each stage.

!96!

Stage 1: Snake. The twirlers shake the jump rope so that it squiggles on the ground and one at a time, each

person jumps over it and then gets back in line. Once everyone has gotten through, move on to the next

stage.

Stage 2: Swinging. The twirlers swing the rope back and forth, but not over the top yet. Each person, one

at a time, runs and jumps over the rope and then gets back in line. Once everyone has gotten through, move

on to the next stage.

Stage 3: Running. The twirlers move on to swinging the rope all the way around like typical jump

roping. Each person, one at a time, runs under the rope while it is high up in the air. Then they get back in

line. Once everyone has gotten through, move on to the next stage.

Stage 4: Jumping. The twirlers twirl just like for regular jump roping. Each person can either jump in or

start out standing in between the twirlers while they start with, “One, two, three and over.” Once everyone

has given it a try, move on to the challenge stage.

Stage 5: Challenge! For those who are comfortable jump roping, they can try this fun rhyme. It goes:

R-E-D

H-O-T

spells

red

hot!

As soon as everyone says “hot,” the twirlers twirl as fast as they can and count how many really fast jumps

the jumper can get.

• Don’t be afraid to modify the activities if someone is not

able to do them. The point is that everyone is working

together to make each other feel successful and to have

fun.

• Try to get the group to cheer on each person as she goes

through the challenge.

!97!

Activity: Discussion About Being Active (10 minutes):

Materials:

•! Chart paper

•! Tape to put the paper on the wall

•! Markers

Directions- This discussion should stem from the one the girls had when they completed the worksheet on

the barriers to physical activity and some solutions they brainstormed. Have them form groups of 3-4 people

with any combination of girls and moms. Write these questions on the chart paper and have the groups

discuss them:

What kinds of activities do we enjoy doing?

How can we be more active in our day-to-day lives?

What is one goal we can set as a family to be more active?

How can we accomplish this goal together as a family?

Directions- Have the groups share some of their ideas with everyone. Write some answers on the chart

paper.

Here are some if the group is having a hard time:

Take walks after dinner

Walk or bike to school

Bring a jump rope or a ball for break time on long car rides

Set up fun workout stations at home if there is room

!98!

Activity: Free time! (The rest of the session):

Materials:

•! Any available equipment the girls may choose to use

•! If possible, a healthy snack for the end of the session

Directions- See what the group would like to do. It could be that different people want to do different

activities, so the gym can be divided up into a basketball section, a soccer section, a jump rope section, etc.

If the group is feeling bonded and they want to do something all together, suggest that they work together to

create an obstacle course! Or, if it is a group that likes running, facilitate some relay races or some tag

games. The point of this day is just to have fun and be active with moms, so let the group decide their

activities.

Wrap-up: Choose 2 girls to help hand out the snacks.

Directions- While the group is enjoying their snacks, ask then the discussion questions below if time

permits.

Facilitator: To thank these women for coming to play with us today, let’s all go around the room and give

them each a high five. Thank you for being here to support your girls!


What was the most fun part of today?

What was it like to be active with your mom or with an adult community

member?

How do you think today will help you change the amount of physical

activity you do day-to-day?

!99!

The Importance of Being Active Session Evaluation Questions

After experiencing our sessions about how important it is to be active, please answer the following questions.

1.! What did you like best about these sessions? 2.! What would you change about these sessions?


After experiencing these sessions, I know why it is important to be active regularly. 1 2 3 4 strongly disagree disagree agree strongly agree


After experiencing these sessions, I have a plan for how to be active more often than I was before. 1 2 3 4 strongly disagree disagree agree strongly agree


After experiencing these sessions, I know which physical activities I enjoy most and can focus on doing those more often.



After experiencing these sessions, I am looking forward to having fun being active with my family. 1 2 3 4 strongly disagree disagree agree strongly agree

!100!

OVERCOMING BARRIERS- FOCUSING ON THE POSITIVES After this workshop, girls will be able to:

•! Use previous lessons in how they approach the scenarios

•! Understand and employ positive self-talk in a variety of real-life situations

Introduction (3 minutes):

Facilitator: Today we are going to talk about self-talk and how to use it to stay positive and boost our self-

esteem. Self-talk is exactly what it sounds like. It is the way we talk to ourselves, often just inside our

heads. It can be positive or negative or somewhere in between, but we feel much better about ourselves

when we choose to focus on the positive. ASK THE GIRLS: Can anyone give an example of what

positive self-talk could sound like?

Activity: Scenarios (10 minutes)

Materials:

•! Printed out scenarios (found at the end of this session)

Facilitator: Now let’s practice a scenario. Let’s say that I am not having a very good day on the basketball

court when it comes to shooting. ASK THE GIRLS: What is a way I could still use positive, encouraging

self-talk?

Answer: Focus on something else that IS going well. For example, “I am really trying my best and not

giving up,” or, “I have had some really great passes today.”

Facilitator: Now we are going to get into pairs and I am going to hand out some scenarios for you to

practice. Your job is to turn the negative self-talk that you see in your scenario into positive self-talk.

Scenario: You look in the mirror one morning and are frustrated that you cannot get your hair to look the

way you want it to! It makes you feel unattractive. How can you use positive self-talk to turn the situation

around?

!101!

Scenario: You have had a hard morning. When it gets to be lunch time, all you want to do is get yourself a

sweet treat to turn your day around.

How can you use positive self-talk to remind yourself to make a healthier food choice?

Scenario: You see a magazine at the grocery store and pick it up. It seems like everyone in the magazine

has perfect skin, which makes you feel like yours is not good enough.

How can you use positive self-talk to remind yourself of what we learned about Photoshop?

Scenario: A classmate sees you playing soccer at recess and rudely tells you that you are acting like a boy.

How can you use positive self-talk to remind yourself of what we learned about gender stereotypes?

Scenario: You are eating a sandwich that has avocado in it. Even though avocados contain a healthy form

of fat, your friend warns you that you will gain weight if you eat it.

How can you use positive self-talk to remind yourself that you are taking good care of your body?

Scenario: You decide to try gymnastics. Your friend tells you you’re not skinny enough for that sport.

How can you use positive self-talk to continue feeling confident about your decision to try gymnastics?

ASK THE GIRLS: Which pair is willing to share their scenario and the way they used positive self-talk

first?

!102!

Directions- Have each pair share with the whole group. After you have heard from every pair, ask the group

the discussion questions below if time permits.

Closing: Choose one (5 minutes)

Option 1: Teammate Appreciation

Facilitator: Everyone in this group has contributed to what we have learned as a whole group throughout

these sessions. We now are going to take 30 seconds to silently think about what we learned from each

person in this room or something we appreciate about them.

Directions- When the 30 seconds are up, have the girls go around the room in any order they wish and tell

each girl what they learned from them or something they appreciate about them.

Option 2: Team Cheer

If you have a more theatrical, vocal group, give them a few minutes to come up with a cheer/chant they can

all do together to end the session.

Conclusion

Facilitator: That is the end of our curriculum! Thank you for your participation, your input, and the effort

you put in to learning about these important topics. I am excited that you are empowered to take care of your

bodies through proper nutrition, physical activity, and positive body image and to remind others to do the

same. I know you are ready to think outside the box when it comes to gender stereotypes and to stand up for

yourself and others when you hear negative comments. I know you are ready to educate others on the

history of women in sport, and to continue your important contributions to the progress being made. You are

leaders in your communities, families, classrooms, and here. Congratulations!


Which scenario was the most difficult to respond to?

Do you feel you will be able to use this throughout the day when negative scenarios come up?

What do you think we can do to get better at positive self-talk?

What is your favorite thing you will take with you from any of our sessions?

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Documents

GIRLS Program Curriculum