In a recent clash with Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D), President Donald Trump threatened to cut federal funding over the state’s refusal to comply with his executive order that prohibits biological males from competing in women’s and girls’ sports.
Attorney General Pam Bondi threatened Maine with a lawsuit over the governor’s refusal to comply with Trump’s executive order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” and the U.S. Department of Education has begun investigating the Maine Department of Education and Maine School District for Title IX violations.
Maine’s K-12 schools receive a substantial $358.4 million in federal funding, or $2,062 per pupil, according to Education Data Initiative. This funding contributes to Maine spending more per student than more than 30 other states.
Amid these contentions, Campus Reform investigated and compiled a list of resources being offered by Maine’s Department of Education.
Maine’s Department of Education website provides directives to lesson plans and curriculum guides including the following:
1. “Defining LGBTQ+ Words for Elementary Students”
This guide provides educators with definitions for words like “transgender,” “gender expansive,” “non-binary,” and sexual orientations, including “bisexual” and “pansexual.” These definitions are specifically provided for elementary school children.
2. LGBTQ+ in Math Problems
A resource titled “Simple Ways to Incorporate LGBTQ and Gender Inclusive Material Across the Curriculum” guides teachers to include LGBTQ teachings across different subjects, including math.
The guide instructs math teachers to “read through your word problems and be sure that you reflect all kinds of families and not just families with a ‘Mom and Dad.”
Provided examples of “gender-inclusive” math word problems are:
“Joshua and his moms went apple picking. Joshua picked 27 apples and his moms picked 42 apples. How many apples did they have all together?
“Keisha went to the grocery store with her dads. Their bill was $54.67. Keisha’s parents gave the cashier $60.00. How much change did her dads get back?”
3. LGBTQ+ in Social Studies, Art and Music
The resource titled “Simple Ways to Incorporate LGBTQ and Gender Inclusive Material Across the Curriculum” also guides teachers to include LGBTQ teachings in social studies, art, and music.
In social studies, the guide instructs teachers to discuss LGBTQ history and famous figures, “such as the Stonewall riots in 1969 in New York City or the election of Harvey Milk as the first openly gay politician.”
Art and music educators are encouraged to “point out the contributions LGBTQ artists and musicians have made. Highlight famous LGBTQ dancers or musicians.”
4. Non-Binary Animals Activity
This lesson plan is for a classroom activity on ”Non-Binary Animals” teaches children about “the terms binary, non-binary, symmetrical and asymmetrical” by having them draw “non-binary” butterflies.
Two different colored wings on a butterfly are meant to help students understand “what the concept non-binary means.”
The activity is suggested for kindergarten through second grade level.
5. Gender Snowperson
This suggested classroom activity for a “Gender Snowperson” uses a snowman to teach students about gender identity, pronouns, and sexual orientation.
Students are instructed to dress the “snowperson” in a range of “gender expansive” items, like men’s and women’s clothing, different hairstyles, or a mustache.
This activity is suggested for third grade through eighth grade.
6. Pronoun Form
The Maine Department of Education has suggested a Pronoun Form for Educators, which instructs teachers to send out a form to students at the beginning of the school year to “collect students’ names and pronouns.”
This form is meant for students who feel they ”don’t align with the name and
gender marker on the school roster.”
All school workers are “required to address the student by the student’s chosen name and use pronouns consistent with the student’s gender identity,” Maine’s Department of Education website states.
7. LGBTQ+ Posters, Holidays, and Registration Forms
This guide with steps to ”Creating an Inclusive Classroom” instructs teachers to hang posters or images in their classrooms that “show [they] are an ally to LGBTQ people.”
The guide directs teachers to “use events such as National Coming Out Day, Pride Day, or a Day of Silence as a reason to incorporate LGBTQ issues positively into [classroom] discussions and projects.”
The guide also instructs teachers to “avoid heterosexism” in “paperwork and assignments,” and suggests that registration forms should “use gender-neutral language” and replace terms like “Mother/Father” with “Guardians” and “Married/Single” with “Partner/Spouse,” as well as include “a box that asks about sexual orientation/gender identity.”
8. TV shows with LGBTQ+ characters
Maine’s Department of Education website provides a link for educators to use TV Shows with LGBTQ+ Characters as a resource.
The list of series “feature diverse characters (Glee, The Fosters) as well as real-life inspirations and LGBTQ+ icons such as Laverne Cox and RuPaul.”
TV shows on the list have recommended audiences of ages 3 and up.
9. Safe-Space Kits: LGBTQ+ guides, stickers, posters
Maine’s Department of Ed provides a link for teachers to ”order a Safe Space Kit” that comes with a “Guide to Being an Ally to LGBTQ Students,” and LGBTQ stickers and posters for teachers to hang up in classrooms.
10. Climate Justice
The Maine Department of Education also provides resources, curriculum guides, and literacy plans on climate education.
“Greening Curriculum Guidance” includes a chapter on “Climate Justice” that teaches students that climate change disproportionately impacts “marginalized communities.”
The guide also says students should “show an ability to regulate their own emotions, sense of guilt, or sense of injustice and to channel these toward productive climate actions and care for others and for the planet.”
The Maine Department of Education also has a grant program with $650,000 in funds for climate education.
This article was originally published at campusreform.org
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