ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LESSON PLANS GRADES 7-8

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1 Lesson 1: Who Makes More? Women are underpaid in many professions compared to their male counterparts not just in Ontario but around the world. This lesson explores the notion of unfairness in paying men and women differently for similar work. Students reflect on the notion of equal pay for work of equal value and why it makes sense for everyone. CURRICULUM LINKS: Language: read and demonstrate an understanding of graphic and informational texts to construct meaning (graphs, charts, tables) generate, gather and organize ideas and information to demonstrate different themes and relationships in data identify main ideas and incorporate supporting details from data (print materials, Internet) express opinions, take positions, and identify possible bias, stereotyping communicate ideas and information effectively, for diverse purposes and audiences with emphasis on fairness, equity and social justice Character Education: fairness and equity, respect, empathy Women are underpaid in many professions compared to their male counterparts not just in Ontario but around the world. Math: collect, organise and display primary and secondary data using tables, charts and graphs read, interpret, make inferences, draw conclusions from data presented demonstrate an understanding of, and determine proportional relationships in data, using fractions, decimals, percent, ratio (e.g. women s average income is approximately 70% of men s) investigate real world applications based on analysis of data (e.g. Ontario statistics, job market) create a variety of representations to connect, compare, select and apply the findings towards solving problems in gender pay equity develop and apply reasoning skills to findings (e.g. recognition of relationships, societal generalizations) in identifying and describing trends and creating a persuasive argument TIME NEEDED: minutes [core lesson activity] KEY THEME: Equal pay for work of equal value; Fairness 1

2 Lesson 1: Who Makes More? LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 1. Collect data related to gender pay equity in Ontario from census, samples and a variety of sources 2. Make inferences and identify bias, based on data related to gender pay equity 3. Understand and use percent, ratio and rate in examining and evaluating data related to gender pay equity 4. Evaluate data collected related to gender pay equity, and determine possible bias 5. Develop argument(s) in favour of gender pay equity, based on analysis of data, and apply to current situations 6. Share ideas and information verbally about gender pay equity YOU WILL NEED: Chart and graph paper for recording Copy of handout [for added activity only] ACTIVITY: 1. Divide students into groups of 3. Ask them to brainstorm careers for women, careers for men, and careers for both. 2. Teams create a Venn diagram to capture their findings. 3. Each team chooses 1 career to research that both men and women pursue. Are salaries the same or different for men/ women in Ontario/Canada? [See Figure 3, Gender Wage Gaps and Earning Ratios in Ontario: 4. Added activity: If the career your team chose to research pays women and men differently, calculate the wage gap as a percentage. How much less do women in this career make than men, or vice versa? 5. Teams report their findings to the class. Graph and discuss. CONSOLIDATION: Ask the class the following questions: Who gets paid the most? Who gets paid the least? Why? Is it fair if someone gets paid less just because they are a woman? Why? Can or should this be changed? Improved? Can you think of any other reasons why some people make more money in some jobs than others? What s fair? [For example, someone with more experience may earn more; someone who works faster may earn more if paid by the number of items they complete instead of by the hour]. ADDED ACTIVITY: Distribute a chart to students that shows the difference in earnings between men and women in a number of Ontario cities (see handout below). Students calculate the percentage difference in pay; identify which city pays women best; which one pays least. Discuss. BACKGROUND/RESOURCES:

3 Lesson 1: Who Makes More? TEACHER: Print a copy of the complete table for your use, then remove the numbers provided in the far right column. Your students will calculate the ratio as part of this activity. The 2012 Canadian Income Survey (CIS) uncovered information about the gender pay gap in Ontario. The table below shows the average yearly earnings of women and men in several larger cities across the province. What is the ratio of women s earnings compared to men s in each city? Calculate using the percent formula. CITIES WOMEN MEN RATIO Hamilton $32,289 $50,211 64% Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo $31,505 $51,532 61% London $28,661 $42,593 67% Oshawa $35,955 $47,628 75% Ottawa-Gatineau $44,819 $60,257 74% St. Catharines-Niagara $27,546 $38,439 72% Toronto $37,510 $52,190 72% Windsor $28,407 $47,271 60% SOURCE: 3

4 Lesson 2: Hunting for Equal Pay A 2015 United Nations Human Rights report raised concerns about the persisting inequalities between women and men in Canada, including the high level of the pay gap and its disproportionate effect on low-income women, visible minority women, and indigenous women. Ontario also reports a gender wage gap, yet has taken steps over many decades to introduce laws that promote equal pay for work of equal value. Critics argue more needs to be done. This lesson explores the gender pay gap in Ontario and actions taken to eliminate it including a public consultation launched in the fall of 2015 by the Gender Wage Gap Strategy Steering Committee. Students reflect on the notion of equal pay for work of equal value and what further actions are needed to address the gender pay gap. A 2015 UN Human Rights report raised concerns about the persisting inequalities between women and men in Canada, including the high level of the pay gap CURRICULUM LINKS: Language: read and demonstrate an understanding of graphic and informational texts to construct meaning (graphs, charts, tables) generate, gather and organize ideas and information to demonstrate different themes and relationships in data identify main ideas and incorporate supporting details from data (print materials, Internet) express opinions, take positions, and identify possible bias, stereotyping communicate ideas and information effectively, for diverse purposes and audiences with emphasis on fairness, equity and social justice Character Education: fairness and equity, respect, empathy Math: collect, organise and display primary and secondary data using tables, charts and graphs read, interpret, make inferences, draw conclusions from data presented demonstrate an understanding of, and determine proportional relationships in data, using fractions, decimals, percent, ratio (e.g. women s average income is approximately 70% of men s) investigate real world applications based on analysis of data (e.g. Ontario statistics, job market) create a variety of representations to connect, compare, select and apply the findings towards solving problems in gender pay equity develop and apply reasoning skills to findings (e.g. recognition of relationships, societal generalizations) in identifying and describing trends and creating a persuasive argument TIME NEEDED: minutes [core lesson activity] KEY THEME: Equal pay for work of equal value; Fairness 4

5 LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 1. Discover reasons for the gender pay gap in the province 2. Identify Ontario laws that protect people from unfair pay practices 3. Develop ideas to further support gender pay equity, based on reading 4. Share ideas and information verbally 5. Write about solutions to promote gender pay equity YOU WILL NEED: Use of internet and computer Scavenger hunt handout ACTIVITY: Prework required: Lesson One in this series 1. Tell students they are going on a scavenger hunt online. They are looking for information to complete the handout questions: a) What are some reasons that women in Ontario may earn less money for doing the same work as men, or work of equal value? b) What laws has Ontario passed that require employers to pay people equally for doing the same work or work of equal value? c) What is the Ontario government doing now, in 2015/2016, to find new solutions to the gender wage gap? d) What other things could we do to help close the gender wage gap? CONSOLIDATION: Ask the class the following questions: What reasons did you uncover for the gender pay gap? Answers: girls/women don t pursue careers in sciences/math/ computers which pay more women take more time off for families and work in the home so they don t get the same number of pay increases over the years discrimination that values men s work more than women s; women don t negotiate as effectively as men so they accept less pay without knowing it When did Ontario first introduce a law that says men and women should be paid the same for doing substantially the same job? What is the name of this law? Answer: Employment Standards Act, Bonus answer: Ontario Human Rights Code, 1962 [last updated 2006, Human Rights at Work guide published 2008] What Ontario law says that women and men should receive equal pay for performing jobs that may be very different but are of equal value? When was this law introduced? Answer: Pay Equity Act, What is the Ontario government doing now ( ) to help remove the gender pay gap? What are the goals of this work? Answer: The Gender Wage Gap Strategy Steering Committee has been consulting Ontarians on how to close the wage gap between men and women. They examined how women are affected by the gender wage gap, at work, in their family, and in their community. They assessed how government, business, labour, other organizations, and individual leaders can work together to resolve issues that may cause the wage gap. They reported back to the government in May 2016 with their recommendations to help create a strategy aimed at closing the gender wage gap with the help of business, government, labour and all Ontarians. In November 2016, the government announced a new working group established to help guide the province s action plan to close the gap. 5

6 What other things could we do to close the gender pay gap in Ontario? Answers: help girls/women enter higher paying careers in science, engineering, technology improve childcare and leave policies at work encourage boys/men to spend equal amounts of time with families and work in the home help women develop better negotiating skills for job interviews NOTE: To end with a lively discussion, you may want to raise a final, provocative question for your students: Why don t we just cut men s wages 25-30% so they would be equal to women? Wouldn t that get rid of the gender wage gap? BACKGROUND/RESOURCES:

7 Lesson 2 Handout: Hunting for Equal Pay In Lesson One, you looked at data that showed a gap between what men and women earn in some cases for doing the same job or work of equal value. This is called the gender pay gap. Now you re about to go on a hunt for information about why this gap exists and what can be done about it. Answer the questions listed and be ready to discuss with the rest of your class. What are some reasons that women may earn less 1 money for doing the same work as men, or work of equal value? About gender wage gap Canada Facts gender wage gap Ontario Reasons gender wage gap Ontario What laws does Ontario have that protect women 2 from being paid less money for doing the same work as men, or work of equal value? Ontario laws equal pay Ontario laws human rights work What is the Ontario government doing now 3 ( ) to help remove the gender pay gap? What are the goals of this work? Ontario new gender wage gap Ontario close gender wage gap 4 What other things do you think we could do to close the gender pay gap in Ontario? gender pay gap solutions closing gender wage gap 7