Lesson 3

Sex and Gender Are Different Things

Students explore the difference between biological sex (what a body is like) and gender identity (how a person feels inside). Covers cisgender, transgender, non-binary identities, gender expression, and pronouns.

Key Ideas

Biological sex is assigned at birth based on what our bodies look like.
Gender identity is how we feel on the inside: boy, girl, neither, both, or something else.
When gender identity matches the sex assigned at birth, a person is cisgender.
When gender identity does not match, a person may be transgender.
Non-binary describes genders outside of just boy or girl.
Pronouns (he/him, she/her, they/them) are the words we use for someone, and we should use the ones a person asks for.
Gender expression is how we show our gender through clothing, hair, and style, and there is no wrong way to express it.

Vocabulary

Term	Definition
Biological sex	The label given at birth based on visible body parts.
Gender identity	How a person feels on the inside about their gender.
Cisgender	When someone's gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth.
Transgender	When someone's gender identity does not match the sex they were assigned at birth.
Non-binary	A gender identity that is not strictly boy or girl.
Pronouns	Words used to refer to a person, such as he, she, or they.
Gender expression	How a person shows their gender to the world through clothing, hair, and other choices.
Misgendering	Calling someone by the wrong pronouns or gender, which can be hurtful.