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Women's Suffrage and Why We Vote

Lesson Author
Piatchek, Heidi Waddock
Course(s)
American History
Required Time Frame
Three days
Subject(s)
Gender Studies
Women's History
Grade Level(s)
7
8
9
Lesson Abstract
The students will read about events and people significant to the women's suffrage movement in the United States. They will review documents, photographs, poems and listen to music associated with the movement. They will compose a poster using four primary source documents.
Description

 The students will read about events and people significant to the women's suffrage movement in the United States.  They will review documents, photographs, poems and listen to music associated with the movement.  They will compose a poster using four primary source documents.
 

Rationale (why are you doing this?)

I want the children to grasp the importance of being a voting citizen and to understand how Americans in the past have fought for the rights we enjoy today.  I want them to understand the struggle women went through to get the right to vote and be active citizens.
 

Lesson Objectives - the student will
  • The students will view and summarize primary source photographs from the movement
  • The students will write and read a comment about Sojourners Truth’s speech, “Ain’t I a woman.”
  • The students will write their top three reasons to vote when they become of age.


 

District, state, or national performance and knowledge standards/goals/skills met
  • Missouri Show Me Standards
  • Principle s of the Republic Grade 7:  SS1  1.6, 4,2  Grade 8:  SS1 1.6, 4.2
  • Principles and Process of Government Systems Grade :  SS2 4.2
  • Missouri, United States, and World History Grade 8:  SS3 1.8
  • Relationship of Individuals and Groups to Intuitions and Tradition Grade 8:  SS6 1.9
     
Secondary materials (book, article, video documentary, etc.) needed
Primary sources needed (document, photograph, artifact, diary or letter, audio or visual recording, etc.) needed
Fully describe the activity or assignment in detail. What will both the teacher and the students do?

 

  • Day 1
       1. Read together on laptop the timeline of Women’s suffrage.  

       2.  Click the links for Lucy Stone’s wedding ceremony which list the laws regarding women and marriage.

       3.  Click links for Sojourner Truth, Carrie Chapman, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton to get background information on leaders of movement.

       4.  read” rebutting the nonsense,” an 1856 pamphlet opposing women’s suffrage. http://recordsofrights.org/assets/record/000/001/158/1158_original.jpg

     Day two:
  1. Intro: Play audio of song Daughters of Freedom http://www.loc.gov/item/sm1871.02334
  2. Pass out primary source document Susan B.  Anthony’s petition to congress in 1872. http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/woman-suffrage/anthony-petition.html   Read together.  Ask:  What means was she using to be heard?  Why did she choose congress?  What means do we use today to be heard?
  3. Read Sojourner Truth’s speech: Discuss. 

     Day Three: 

     1.  Research individually the primary sources          http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/primarysourcesets/womens-suffrage/  http://recordsofrights.org/records/379/suffrage-parade

        2.  Students will pick four to print out and paste on a poster with a brief description for each                event.

    3.  Students will pick four to print out and paste on a poster with a brief description for each event.

They will finish as homework.

Day Four:

1. Watch video clip “Why vote.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9VdyPbbzlI 

  1. Fill out Index card with name and top reason to vote. Tell reason to class and hang reasons up on wall. 
  2. Finish poster research if needed.
Assessment: fully explain the assessment method in detail or create and attach a scoring guide

 

  • The posters will count as a homework grade if completed correctly
  • The students will take a ten question quiz on the unit.