What is Sexuality?: The Sexuality Gingerbread Person Teaching Activity
Add the sexuality gingerbread person to your sex ed curriculum as a tool for teaching students about sexuality.
The sexuality gingerbread person is a simple teaching tool for introducing students to the core aspects of a person’s sexuality. This activity has two pieces: a puzzle (to represent how each part of our sexuality plays a role in making us who we are) and a matching activity (to give more context for what each element is). You can teach it on its own or as part of a large sex ed curriculum. You can also use it as an instant activity to kick off a lesson, as a game, or even as a review. It’s totally up to you!
Scroll for a look at the activity and to explore the definition of sexuality and the core elements of a person’s sexuality.
What is Sexuality?
The term sexuality refers to how a person sees themselves sexually, the sexual feelings and thoughts they experience, how they choose to express sexual desire (sexual orientation), and their gender identity and gender expression.
Sexuality is deeply personal and diverse, and there is no wrong or right expression of sexuality.
What Elements Make Up the Sexuality Unicorn?
Gender Identity - A person’s internal concept of self as male, female, a blend of both, or neither. One’s gender identity can be the same or different than their sex assigned at birth. This is represented by the brain.
Sexual Orientation - A person’s identity in terms of who they are emotionally and physically attracted to. This is represented by the brain.
Identity Expression - An external expression of a person’s identity (which can include gender and sexual orientation): including behavior, clothing, haircut, voice, mannerisms, etc. This is represented by the bolts on the side of the head.
Physical Attraction - When you are physically drawn to someone
Emotional Attraction - When you are emotionally drawn to someone
Sex Assigned at Birth - Based on a person’s observable genitalia at birth. This is represented by the DNA symbol.
This tool was adapted from the Gender Unicorn.