Even through simplistic nursery rhymes, communication provides a powerful medium through which people formulate and create impressions, images, and ideologies. Communication, verbal and nonverbal, clearly plays a significant role in individual gender construction. Through words and action, people create meaning for others and themselves. One's communication often moves males toward action, assertion, aggression, and achievement, while encouraging females to be passive, accommodating, supportive, and conforming. While these gendered patterns and their impact may be readily apparent to those trained in diversity awareness, they generally elude students who for the first time confront such issues. When teaching Gender Communication, the author has found defensive attitudes to be the most difficult challenge to overcome. To break through defensive barriers, the author has created a gender portfolio assignment that begins at the outset of the gender course and functions as a culminating, capstone project. The assignment is based on a 14-week semester course, with the first 4 weeks open for student orientation toward gendered matters. This article provides preliminary preparation and instructions for this assignment. [A list of references and suggested readings is included.]