This article by animal studies graduate student Eliot Schrefer for The Washington Post highlights a recent surge in scholarship on same-sex animal behavior which challenges longstanding misconceptions about the connection between animal sexuality and evolution.
Language Drops Visual Dictionary
This visual dictionary by Language Drops is available as a web page or a smartphone app. This can be a useful tool for working with multilingual students. For example, the link below is for a set of words called Words for Gender Pronouns in Arabic.
Differences in Sex Determination Investigation
Alex Maes created this investigation which includes a variety of videos and infographics also featured on this website. Two versions are available, one more scaffolded than the other.
Alex writes:
I've made a lesson like this too using lots of resources from genderinclusivebiology.com, as well, as some of my own. I have an individual, less scaffolded version I do with my IB juniors, and a more scaffolded version with whole class, individual, and small group components I did with my freshman! Feel free to use!
Edit (6/8/23): Thank you to Wayne for noting the lesson materials include diagrams including humans in a chart entitled hermaphrodites. It is important to discuss with students how language changes when describing human versus non-human species because of how “hermaphrodite” was historically used as a pejorative to stigmatize people. Wayne provided the link embedded in the disclaimer most frequently seen on related GIB posts: Editor’s note: The term "hermaphrodite" is appropriate for referring to non-human animals with sex characteristics that do not fit typical binary notions of male or female bodies. For humans, “intersex” is the appropriate term—learn more here! (-RXS)
Gamete competition, gamete limitation, and the evolution of the two sexes
Sex can be classified in many ways depending on the species and context. The one fundamental method of classification that applies to all living things is to look at the size of the gametes. This article summarizes the concept of anisogamy (having two gametes of different size) and its evolutionary origins.
Lesson Plan: The Guardian Frogs of Borneo
In this lesson for grades 5-8, students explore diversity in mating and parental behaviors across species with a clearly defined concept of sex as opposed to gender.
Dads Also Pass on Mitochondrial DNA, Contrary to Long-Standing Belief
This article from Smithsonian Magazine describes new evidence that some people receive their mitochondrial DNA from the sperm cell rather than the egg cell that made them. This contradicts a longstanding generalization that only egg cells contribute mitochondrial DNA.
This article uses the words mother/maternal and father/paternal to refer to two contributors of genetic material in humans. Consider speaking with your students about other terms that may be more inclusive of all people and their families, such as sperm-derived and egg-derived DNA.
The Intersex Roadshow (Blog)
In this blog, intersex sociologist Dr. Cary Gabriel Costello writes about current intersex issues in historical context.
Intersex people are supposed to lie low and keep quiet. Not me.
I'm not defective, I'm not disordered, I'm not ashamed. I just don't fit in your M/F boxes.
I'm intersex by birth and honest by choice.
InstaGene Mendelian Inheritance App
The most authentic way to teach Mendelian genetics is to focus on real-life traits in humans and non-human species. The InstaGene app is a user-friendly database of single-locus Mendelian traits in several species. The name of the gene, dominant allele, recessive allele, and source are given. Both allele phenotypes are explicitly named, with neither referred to as “normal”. Many of the alleles code for non-harmful variations, which averts the common association between mutation and disease. The app was created with Glide Apps and can be viewed, copied, and remixed all in a web browser - no app download required.
InstaGene can be used as a teacher reference or it can be given to students for reference while they complete practice problems. A set of sample problems, with model language, is provided below.
Inclusive Genetics Activities by Elizabeth Duthinh
Elizabeth Duthinh, a physician and high school teacher, developed these inclusive activity and practice problem sets covering the Monohybrid Cross, Dihybrid Cross, X-linked Traits, Non-Mendelian Inheritance, and the PTC taste lab.
Elizabeth writes:
These problem sets and PTC tasting lab are adapted to cover Mendelian genetics without presuming gender based on chromosomes and without assuming families and individuals are cisgender or heterosexual. We suggest pairing the X-linked characteristics problem set with the video What it's Like to be Intersex by InterACT and a short introduction to the SRY region of the Y chromosome.
Sex Determination and Non-disjunction Lesson by Sabrina Kayed
This highly accessible lesson was designed by Sabrina Kayed for Grade 11 Biology. The lesson is designed to move students’ understanding of biological sex beyond the simplistic binary model and introduce them to the idea of sex as a spectrum.
Response to Common Criticisms to Gender Inclusive Teaching
Making gender-inclusive changes to our curriculum sometimes elicits the attention and concern of the school community. This resource, containing suggested responses to common criticisms and concerns, was a part of our The Science Teacher article “Gender-Inclusive Biology: A framework in action”
Gender Spectrum have also put together a collection of responses to common concerns about teaching about gender in non-science-specific context.
Archaeology's Sexual Revolution
Male, female, transgender, and other circular symbols made of multi-colored bones
Read this article, which details the reckoning archaeology has had to do when addressing the complex, non-binary nature of biological sex characteristics. Includes several case studies of ambiguous archaeological remains which have pushed scientists to reconsider preconceived notions of both gender and sex in prehistoric times.
Inclusive Zines from the Queer Sex Ed Community Curriculum
Clownfish, a dolphin, a whale, and other fish swim over the title “Sex Diversity in Nature: A brief exploration of sex diversity in the natural world.”
The Queer Sex Ed Community Curriculum is an LGBTQ-led project that is developing inclusive, trauma-informed, and sex-positive resources for use with youth. Their resource library includes zines, posters, and training materials that you can implement in your classroom. Check out the awesome Sex Diversity in Nature Zine, as well as their zine on Deconstructing the Gender Binary.
Transgender Researchers Want to Make an Impact
A female, transgender, and male symbol are written in chalk in the colors of the trans pride flag: pink, white, and blue. Equal signs are drawn between each symbol.
This article from Science News for Students is one way to introduce transgender identity in the science classroom. The article includes explanations of transgender identity and profiles several transgender researchers and how their identity intersects with their work as scientists.
The article is written in student-friendly language, and includes a glossary of “power words” that can be used as an additional learning tool.
Podcast on Parenting Language from The Allusionist
Trans parents discuss inclusive language around pregnancy, birth, and parenting with host Helen Zaltzman on The Allusionist, a podcast about language.
Available on all podcast platforms, with transcript and extensive show notes.
Gender-Inclusive Biology: A Framework In Action
Sam, River, and Lewis published this article in the September/October 2021 issue of The Science Teacher, a journal of the National Science Teaching Association. It focuses on the tenets of the Gender-Inclusive Biology Framework and how to implement it successfully in the high school biology classroom.
Nature is Queer! Infographic
Check out this awesome infographic focused on diversity in the natural world created by Theo Bamberger, a graduate student working towards their Master’s of Education at the University of Washington. It highlights parallels between diverse expressions of gender and sexuality in nature with the diversity in human experiences.
Educators' Call to Action for Intersex Awareness Day
This letter, coordinated by a range of organizations and individuals including the Society of Gender Professionals, InterACT, and the Intersex Justice Project, details the need for greater visibility of intersex experiences in the science curriculum. Read and share widely!
Ten simple rules for supporting historically underrepresented students in science
Post-secondary science educators, including college and university instructors and informal educators, will find actionable strategies for supporting historically underrepresented students in this PLOS Computational Biology article by Arif S, Massey MDB, Klinard N, Charbonneau J, Jabre L, Martins AB, et al. (2021)
California Condors reproduce without a male. A first.
Erik Anderson reports for KPBS the discovery that captive condors have reproduced through parthenogenesis, with just a single parent and an unfertilized egg.
