Lesson 5: Make-up for All Genders

What’s on for today and why?

            In this lesson, students will explore gender conventions through a feminist lens, as well as using cultural studies theory to explore what it means to be black and white.  They will do this through two classroom experiments.  One of which they will be suddenly exposed to, while the other they can knowingly take part in the experiment.

The experiments are designed to make them evaluate their own opinions on gender and race.  This will bring the text alive before them and force them to evaluate their own feelings about something that is happening before their eyes.  The students can stay things about how they feel when the read the book, but they might act very differently if they are actually faced with the same situation.

What to do?

1.      Set-up:

Talk with a male student during the previous class day to get him to agree to a social experiment in the classroom.  The student is fairly outgoing and up for almost anything, although he will probably be a little apprehensive.  Once he is on board, give him proper permission to come to class that day a few minutes before the bell rings for the previous class.  During that time, the teacher will apply make-up to him including eye shadow, blush, and lipstick.  He is told not to mention or draw attention to his altered appearance, but instead he will act as he normally does every class.

Talk with a black student previously from each class to see if he or she is willing to have make-up applied to make him or her look white.

2.      Student reactions:

As the students come in and take their seats the male student will do what he normally does, interacting with his classmates.  They should have strong reactions.  Once the bell rings, calm the class and ask what the big deal is.  Tell them that they have just been a part of a social experiment.

3.      Journal:

Men wearing make-up is unconventional, it breaks norms, and it is a little taboo.  What is make-up and what are the connotations of make-up in today’s society?  From the text so far, what is the opinion about make-up in Nigerian society in the 1980s?  Are our opinions any different?  How do we react to seeing men in make-up?

4.      Lenses for Meaning:

Using both the feminist and cultural studies lenses discuss make-up, gender, and race.  Ask what it means to be black or white.  Discuss this.  Ask what Elvis looks like with make-up on. Is Elvis wearing make-up to try to be feminine?  Why does he wear make-up?  Refer back to pg 61. and into future on Pg 173.

5.      Second Experiment:

Call up the student who agreed to the transformation and have him or her sit in the front of the room.  Have a student read the passage and as he or she does so, apply make-up to the student.  Have students discuss how it looks, if this is what Elvis looks like, etc.  What does it mean to change races through make-up?  What does Elvis think about being white and black?

6.      Clean up

Have students wash faces before the end of class

7.      Homework:

Read Chapters 9&10

How’d it go?

            If students had strong negative reactions and then realized during their journal and discuss when what happening and had a change of heart, students are reinterpreting their own beliefs.  If students were heated in discussing race and feminist lenses and especially vocal during the transformation they are contemplating breaking down barriers and embracing the beauty of racial differences.  If students actively participated in asking and answering questions and had a good time during the class, they learned and internalized the lesson.  This is a lesson of self-discovery for the students and as long as the class participated, they will be given credit.  (A special reward might be in order for each of the volunteers)