About This Lesson
LITTLE STONES is an award-winning documentary which takes viewers on a global journey inside the lives and studios of four women fighting for equality. Directed by EMMY® Award-winning filmmaker Sophia Kruz, the documentary follows the uplifting stories of four women using rap, graffiti, fashion and dance to fight for women’s rights around the world.
Driftseed, a 501c3 nonprofit organization created by the filmmakers, partnered with the University of Michigan School of Education to create a series of lesson plans and arts workshops for high school students based on the Little Stones documentary. The purpose of this classroom initiative is to not only educate future leaders on global violence against women, but also to inspire innovative, collaborative, and non-traditional means of creating social change through the arts.
In LESSON FIVE, students learn about specific laws in each country from the film. They explore how the power dynamics of a culture can make it extremely hard to enforce laws designed to stop gender-based violence.
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Students will be able to compare and contrast excerpts from domestic violence laws from different countries; they will be able to discuss aspects of each country’s culture that may contribute to gender-based violence and the difficulty of eradicating it.
TAKEAWAYS: Combinations of different economic, social, and political factors in any country have a significant impact on problems such as gender-based violence.
Many factors shape how legal changes related to gender-based violence are implemented and whether or not they are effective.
Laws are established and enforced by people with social and cultural beliefs and practices, and these people are often men.
Many laws related to gender-based violence have loopholes or gaps, and even good laws may not be enforced.
Legal solutions must be complemented with cultural shifts that challenge patriarchal views on violence against women.
DURATION: 1 – 2 class periods. Variable, depending upon if you use videos, and how much time you allot for discussion
Want more lessons on the Little Stones film?
Check out more free lessons and resources on Share My Lesson on the Driftseed partner page.
