• Reading, speaking

• Gender, toys, education, parents, children

• B1, B2

• Beantwoorden vragen, discussie

• Klassikaal, groepjes, individueel

• 15/30 minuten

In the 1970s, most toys were gender neutral. But today more than ever before, toys are marketed to girls or boys. What message does this send to kids? And how can it hurt the economy?

De leerlingen lezen een artikel over de effecten die apart speelgoed voor jongens en voor meisjes kunnen hebben op hun school- en carrièrekeuzes. Daarna gaan ze over dit onderwerp in gesprek.

Leerdoelen

• Je kunt een artikel lezen over een maatschappelijk relevant thema.

• Je kunt een standpunt innemen en je mening formuleren.

Vragen aan de klas

1. Which toys are typically marketed to boys, according to the article? Give three examples.

2. And which toys are typically marketed to girls? Give three examples.

3. How does playing with certain toys influence children’s interests in certain subjects or professions, according to Jenny Williott? Give two examples from the text.

4. Explain the title of the article. Why does aiming toys at just boys or girls hurt the economy, according to consumer affairs minister Jenny Williott? Choose the correct answer.
   a) Boys dominate in the subjects that can lead to the most financially lucrative careers. 22% of the gender pay gap can be explained by the industries and occupations in which women work.
   b) There are skills shortages across the science, technology, engineering and maths sector, but as long as girls continue to feel that that world is not for them, our businesses will continue to miss out on vital talent that they need for future development.
   c) As every successful marketeer knows, differentiation makes for greater profit margins and segmentation gives you a bigger overall market, so with three-year-old girls only being able to choose pink tricycles, then the manufacturer can charge more for that special girly shade of pink and the premium princess saddle.

5. B1 - Why did the toy industry decide to introduce colour coded gender labelling? Write down the title of the section that contains the answer.

   B2 - Why did the toy industry decide to introduce colour coded gender labelling, according to Chi Onwurah?

6. How do toy shops make clear which toys are for boys and which are for girls? Find the answer in the text.

7. What message does this send to children?

Actieve werkvormen

Lestip: Discuss

Organiseer een discussie over het onderwerp.

Discuss the following questions in groups of three or four. (B1)

1. What kinds of toys did you play with when you were little? Which of these toys were typically meant for boys or girls?

2. Did you feel that there were some toys you weren’t supposed to play with because of your gender? Which toys were they?

3. What do you think about separate toys for boys and girls? Please explain your answer.

4. Do you feel that your interests and education choices have been influenced by the toys you used to play with?

5. Extra B2 question

   Do you think that change is needed in the toy industry? If so, how could that be achieved?