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Key messages
- Relationships and sexuality education (RSE) is a focus topic in the WA Health Curriculum.
- It also helps to meet general capabilities in the WA Curriculum.
- RSE can also be taught in many other WA Curriculum subject areas.
- A list of ways to incorporate RSE across different subject areas is included.
Literacy
- Persuasive writing/debates
- e.g. 'Female AFL/football players should be paid as much as male AFL/football players) Nike - Dream Further (external link) is a great stimulus for this debate.
- e.g. Men should get as much parental leave as women.
- Grammar
- Look at the history of pronouns - how they were used in Shakespearean times and how they have changed over time. e.g. The story of 'you' (external site)
- Viewing
- Explore the ways that media portray gender stereotypes and how gender is marketed to children.
- e.g. Compare the colours, text, images, and practicality of clothing for boys vs girls. Look at length of the shorts, tops, and cost.
- Why is there a boys/girls section of clothing?
- How do adverts/music/videos/billboards reinforce stereotypes? Why do they do this?
- What and discuss Run like a girl (external site) and We believe: The best men can be (external site).
- Explore the ways that media portray gender stereotypes and how gender is marketed to children.
The Arts
Drama
- Use plays that discuss friendships, relationships and intimacy.
Music
- Listen to songs about love, friendship, break ups, respectful relationships, disrespectful relationships, etc.
- Watch music videos and unpack lyrics that reinforce harmful stereotypes and ones that challenge them.
Visual arts
- Explore artwork that expresses emotions - abstract, cubism, realism, etc.
- Explore artwork that captures different kinds of relationships.
- Look at different beauty standards in art across history.
Languages
- Explore the words used to express respectful relationship qualities in other languages.
- Explore cultural differences across the world in relation to relationships and affection (e.g. Iran = 3 kisses when you greet people; Italy = 2 kisses; Japan = bows).
Humanities and Social Sciences
- Explore historical figures who have challenged gender discrimination.
- e.g. suffragettes
- e.g. women who have competed in 'male only' sports
- e.g. men fighting for rights to use baby rooms for feeding and changing their children.
Maths
- Graph and chart sexually transmissible infection and blood-borne virus data using WA Department of Heatlh epidemiology.
- Interpret data from surveys of young people on relationships and sexual health.
