Materials needed: paper, pen, access to the internet, flip chart paper, markers, poster sheets
Bathroom Hunters
Multi-Class
Charlie looks for a gender-neutral bathroom at school in this satire of the TV show, “House Hunters.”
For all videos:
- What did you see in the video?
- What do you think this video was about?
- What stood out to you most in this video?
For this video:
- Did Charlie have an easy time finding a bathroom to use? Why or why not?
- Do you see that being real on your campus? If so, how can you change that? If not, how can you make it better?
- How did Charlie and their friends fight back against the gender binary and not being able to find a restroom?
- How can you fight back?
Step 1.
Divide students into groups of four. Tell them that they will work together to do a little research on the restroom policy in their school district as well as their actual high school. Here are some example prompts:
- What is the district policy/bulletin that represents gender-neutral bathroom usage?
- Where can the policy’s details be found?
- Which administrator(s) on your campus are in support of this policy?
- Who enforces it?
- How is it getting promoted on campus?
- How will disagreeing parents be handled by administrators?
- What is the argument that is given?
- Which bathrooms are designated to be gender-neutral?
- Can students access the bathroom at all times?
- Is there a law in the state that supports gender-neutral bathroom use? (Answer: California passed a gender-neutral restroom law, AB 1732, in 2017.)
Step 2.
Write each of the above questions on a large flip chart paper and post on the front board. After groups have collected all of their information, have them take turns sharing what they found out/learned from each of the questions. Have one or two students write what is being said on the flip chart paper. As a class, look to see which answers they got in common. In groups, tell them to use the flip chart information to design posters that describes bathroom rights. Tell them that they will be posted around campus so that students are informed. Encourage creativity and insist on correct spelling/grammar. Make sure to walk around to assist them.
Step 3.
Ask student volunteers to post them around campus in prominent areas.
Materials needed: poster paper, colored pencils, markers, paint, paint brushes
Step 1.
Have students get into groups of two. Tell them to pretend that they are the hottest interior designers in town and they just got hired to come up with ways to upgrade the gender-neutral bathrooms on campus. They must design:
- A creative sign that will be posted on the outside of the bathroom door
- A floor plan that shows what things should be added inside the bathrooms that make them more user-friendly and welcoming
- A campus poster that brings awareness to and promotes the location and use of the bathroom
Step 2.
Ask groups to take turns sharing their designs with the class.
- HS.7.M.25, HS.8.M.29,