RUNNING LIKE A GIRL: A DIDACTIC SEQUENCE AND ACCOUNT OF EXPERIENCE REGARDING GENDER STEREOTYPES IN PLAY ACTIVITIES DURING 1ST-GRADE PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES

Abstract

This experience report analyzes a teaching sequence developed in Physical Education classes with a first-grade elementary school group, aiming to critically examine gender stereotypes present in children's play and bodily movements. The pedagogical proposal took the Always #LikeAGirl video as a starting point and integrated the screening of selected clips, discussion circles, embodied experiences, and graphic recording activities, aligning with skills from the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC)—specifically those related to the "Games and Play" thematic unit and General Competence 9. The experience revealed that the majority of children did not physically enact the stereotype associating the feminine with motor fragility, although indications of concepts such as "boys are stronger" did emerge at the discursive level. The findings suggest that childhood represents a strategic pedagogical window for school-based interventions aimed at addressing gender inequalities before they become entrenched as a bodily *habitus*. It is concluded that school Physical Education, by integrating bodily experience, language, and teacher mediation, can significantly contribute to the development of more inclusive educational practices during the early years of schooling.