Grade 10 History
Home Page Table of Contents Unit Introduction Unit Outline Unit Overview
Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3 Lesson 4 Lesson 5 Lesson 6 Lesson 7 Lesson 8 Project Bibliography
LESSON 4

Suffrage


Grade: 10
Time: two 72 minute classes
 

Expectations:
Students will:

Knowledge
  • assess the contributions of the Women's Movement.
  • explain how significant individuals contributed to the growing sense of Canadian identity during World War I.
  • assess the contributions of selected individuals to the development of Canadian identity since World War I.

Skills

  • use terms related to historical organization and inquiry correctly.
  • formulate different types of questions.
  • use computer-stored information and the Internet effectively to research Canadian history topics.
  • record and organize information effectively using notes, lists, concept webs, timelines, organizers, charts, maps, graphs, and mind maps.
  • identify different viewpoints and explicit biases when evaluating information for a research report or participating in a discussion.
  • use relevant and adequate supporting evidence to draw conclusions.
    - make reasoned generalizations or appropriate predictions based on research.
  • demonstrate competence in research and writing.
  • demonstrate, after participating in dramatizations of historical events, insights into historical figures' situations and decisions.

Preparation:

Lesson Plan:

  1. Distribute Suggested Activity: Discussion Question handout  with the statement, "Imagine you lived in a country where half of the adult population was not legally considered persons and, as such, were not able to vote. In point form quickly write down your thoughts about this situation." Give the students ten minutes to write down their thoughts.
  2. Discuss the points that the students wrote down on the sheet referred to in part one of the lesson. Ask the students to identify the country where this situation occurred, when it took place, and to what part of the population the question refers to. Encourage a variety of answers to the statement on the handout, however, the response desired is:
    • country: Canada;
    • not legally persons: women; and
    • vote: 1917 (national), varied (provincial - Quebec women not vote until 1940s).
  3. Discuss with students and ask why it is important that women can vote and how things would be different today if they were not able to vote. Introduce the concept of suffrage. Define the word suffrage for the students and discuss the suffrage movement in Canada using the information found on the Herstory site. Include a discussion of Nellie McClung and her crucial role in women's suffrage as well as the Persons Case and the Women's Parliament. To expand the topic, show The CRB Foundation's Heritage Minute about Nellie McClung and her confrontation with Premier R.P. Roblin regarding suffrage and/or the HISTORY Television Network's video biography about Emily Murphy from The Canadians series (biographies and teaching material is available on line).

     
    Image of Nellie McClung
    Nellie McClung
    The Saskatoon Women's Calendar Collective 
    Image of the 'women's parliament'
    The Women's Parliament
    The Saskatoon Women's Calendar Collective
    Image of Emily Murphy
    Emily Murphy
    The Saskatoon Women's Calendar Collective
    Image of McNaughton, Haight, and Stocking
    Violet McNaughton, Zoe Haight, and Erma Stocking
    © The Saskatoon Women's Calendar Collective

     

  4. Introduce the Suggested Assignment handout. Students will be handed a list of possible topics to explore pertaining to women's issues. Working in groups of three to four students, will explore the Herstory site and research one of the topics listed or come up with one of their own subject with teacher approval. Once a subject has been chosen to research, they will prepare and practice a presentation to take the form of a skit.

Possible Extensions:

  1. Canadian scholars writing about Women's Studies and women's history have published a wealth of resources in the past couple decades. Consult the unit bibliography for other topics to study and explore with students. <
  2. Invite local women involved with community, provincial, or national organizations (e.g. town hall, service clubs, charity organizations, national associations, political parties) as guest speakers.
  3. Hold a mock women's parliament or "Persons" Case

Evaluation:


Informal:
  • observe student work habits and participation during both assignment activities

Formal:

Bibliography

Suffrage
Suggested Activity: Discussion Question


Image of Emily Murphy

Emily Murphy
© The Saskatoon Women's Calendar Collective
 

        Imagine you lived in a country where half of the adult population was not legally considered "persons" and, as such, were not able to vote. In point form quickly write down your thoughts about this situation.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Suffrage
Suggested Assignment

        In groups no larger than four people, explore the Herstory site and discover the different types of information it contains. Choosing from the topics list below, research one subject pertaining to women's history. You may come up with your own topic, and research it instead, if approved by the teacher. Many of the topics which are listed below, can be broken into smaller components. For example, if you choose the topic "Women and the Law", you might want to focus on one aspect such as property law. You will be expected to write a one page report on your topic and present the information you have learned in the form of a skit, which will be performed for the class. You will have the opportunity to have input into you evaluation through filling out a group evaluation form, and an evaluation form pertaining to yourindividual contribution to the project.

Possible Topics
The Women's Parliament
The Persons Case
Women in Agriculture
Women and the Law
Influential Women
Suffrage
Women's Groups
Temperance Movement
Organizations
Women and Politics
Women and Health
Women and Community
Eugenics and Women
Women and Work
 
 
 
 


 

Suffrage
Suggested Rubric: Oral Presentation (Self and Teacher Assessment)


Student's Name:                                                         Date:

A = Self assessment
B = Teacher assessment
 
CATEGORY A B Total
Knowledge/Understanding
Limited knowledge indicated --- Demonstrates thorough knowledge 
1 2 3 4 5
    

/10
Thinking/Inquiry
Interpretation and analysis 
Ineffective --- Highly effective 
1 2 3 4 5
    
 

/10
Communication
Oral communication (i.e. skit) 
vague, disorganize, uninteresting --- relevant, precise, provocative 
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
    
 

/20
Application
No clear issue or problem presented --- Clearly analysed issues and problems 
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
    

/20
Total    
/60
Comments (strengths/considerations for improvement):
Student:
 

Teacher:
 

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