: Marching Boy
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Approach:  One to one Level: Year 4 and year 8
Focus: Responding to stereotypes. 
Resources: Video recording on laptop computer.
188KB

Questions/instructions:
This activity uses the computer.
Click the Marching Boy button.
We will start this activity by watching a news item. It is about a boy called James Wilson. James is a member of a marching team. There are only two boys in New Zealand who belong to marching teams.
Click the Play button.

Video script:
News Presenter: Kia ora, thank you. And now the nine year old Christchurch boy who could be marching into sporting history. James Wilson is leading a revolution in a sport where few of his gender have ventured before.
[Show marching clip]

James: I started last season and I started because my sister started and I kept asking Mum if I could go in, and I went up to the coach and asked if boys could march, she said “yeah”.
[Show marching]

News Presenter: Well he’s obviously got what it takes, the Cass Majorettes came second at the recent national major champs.



% responses
y4
y8
It might be hard being the only boy in the marching team.

1. Why might it be hard to be the only boy? Tell me as many things as you can think of.		    
Reasons it might be hard:
practical difficulties (uniform, getting changed)
7
13
relationship difficulties within team
43
46
response of peers not in team (e.g. teasing)
37
61
reactions of adults outside team
3
2
Overall strength of ideas:


strong
1
5
moderate
22
40
weak
77
55
2. What is your opinion about James being in a marching team?
Opinion:
positive
75
87
neutral/don’t know
19
11
negative
5
2
People might say and do things to James because he is in a marching team.

3. What do you think other boys and girls might say and do?
 
tease/laugh/ridicule/bully
82
94
isolate/shun
4
7
support/encourage/congratulate
17
12
think about joining a marching team as well
3
2
 
Total score:
4–6
2
5
3
13
25
2
11
19
1
46
38
0
28
13
Commentary
Compared to year 4 students, year 8 students were more conscious of the risk of teasing and bullying behaviours from peers.
 
 
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