Women’s Movement Lesson Plan

California History/Social Science Standards

11.10.7 Analyze the women's rights movement from the era of Elizabeth Stanton and Susan Anthony and the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the movement launched in the 1960s, including differing perspectives on the roles of women.

Vocabulary

  1. Elizabeth Cady Stanton
  2. Susan B. Anthony
  3. Declaration of Sentiments
  4. 19th Amendment

Essential Question: How did women reform society?

Assessment

  • Socratic Seminar: Students will perform a Socratic Seminar that discusses the themes of the women’s rights movement
  • Song: Students will design a song based on the ideals of the women’s rights movement.

Day 1

Time: 1.5 hours

Objective: To learn about significant civil rights decisions that effected women

Activity / Min. / Materials / Groups
Warm up: Describe the most influential woman in your life. / 10 / Individual
Women’s Rights Songs
Listen to the two songs.
  1. How are they similar? Different?
  2. What do they say about women’s roles in society?
/ 15 / Song tracks
“I’m Just a Girl”
Women’s Rights Songs / Individual
Read Declaration of Sentiments
-Highlight main ideas
-Write questions in the margins
-Discuss in pairs / 30 / Seneca Falls Declaration / Pairs
Answer questions/ Come up with questions for the Seminar / 20 / Socratic Seminar Notes / Pairs
HW: Re-read text. Prepare to ask good questions in the Seminar.

Day 2

Time: 1 hour

Objective: Discuss the meaning and context of the Declaration of Sentiments

Activity / Min. / Materials
Warm up: Review Socratic Seminar Procedures
-Listen to each other and take notes
-Speak loudly and clearly
-Take turns speaking
-Offer ideas and insights that are clear and logical
-Use text to support your opinions / 10
Seminar
-Refer to Sentence Stems for Classroom Discussion Poster/Worksheet
-Start with opening question: Who is writing and why?
-Core questions:
  • Why do you think this declaration is modeled after the Declaration of Independence?
  • Identify the major grievances in the Declaration.
  • Which complaint is the most serious?
-Final question
  • What role should women have in society? Why?
-Encourage students to ask/answer each other’s questions based on the text throughout the seminar / 40 / Socratic Seminar Rubric
Sentence Stems for Classroom Discussion
Self Assessment / 10 / Socratic Seminar Rubric
HW: Reflect on how you did on the Socratic Seminar. Post reflection to Ning.

Day 3

Time: 1.5 hours

Objective: To evaluate the impact of the Nineteenth Amendment and other political reforms

Activity / Min. / Materials / Groups
Warm up / 10 / Individual
Explore the PBS website: Not for Ourselves

Complete “Not of Ourselves” worksheet / 20 / Internet access
Computers
Not of Ourselves Worksheet / Pairs
Write a song that tells the story of the Women’s Rights Movement / 30 / Instructions
Criteria Chart / Groups of Four
Present song to class / 30 / Whole Class
HW: Post your song to Ning and comment on other team’s songs.