This lesson plan explores the women's rights movement during the 1860s, 1870s, and 1880s. Students will read an introductory overview article about the women's rights movement through the push for the 19th Amendment and will watch an introductory video clip about how women's roles changed during the Civil War. After defining and researching key vocabulary terms, phrases, and people, students will engage in a choice board activity focused on eight different topics relevant to the women's rights movement of the time. The lesson concludes with a closure prompt and offers two extension activities.
SET UP
This lesson offers several options for you to use with your students whether you are teaching in class, using a hybrid model, or engaging through distance learning. It can be completed in steps as a class or students can move at their own pace and complete the activities independently.
You can post links to the videos in the lesson along with the related handouts and engage in discussion to share responses on a discussion board or learning management system.
You can also save and share the following Google resource for students to use with this lesson.
Handout: Graphic Organizer (Google Doc).
Resource: Choice Board Activity (Google Slides).
In Google, choose "File" then "Make a Copy" to get your own copy. You can make any needed adjustments in the instructions such as which activities students need to complete, when it is due, etc. and then make it available to them via Google.
WARM UP
Pose the following brainstorming question to your students: "Name three famous women’s rights advocates from the past. What did each individual contribute?"
Have students record their responses in their graphic organizer, share with a partner, and then with the class if they choose.
INTRODUCTION ARTICLE
Provide this introductory article to your students. Direct your students to answer the following questions on their graphic organizer:
INTRODUCTION CLIP
Play this introductory video clip (3:45) for your students. Direct your students to answer the following questions on their graphic organizer:
VOCABULARY
Direct your students to their graphic organizers to view the vocabulary terms, phrases, and people that will appear in the choice board activity. The selected vocabulary words are also listed to the right on this webpage. Note: this is not an all-encompassing list of terms included in each video. We recommend you previewing the video to determine any necessary additions/subtractions to this list for your specific students.
We recommend having your students define and present the terms in a jigsaw activity with a partner, a small group, or the whole class to save time. Depending on your available time and resources, you may consider having your students define and present the terms in a Frayer's Model activity, where each student takes one or two words. Students can then post their models around the room for reference throughout the lesson.
APPLICATION: CHOICE BOARD
Direct students to their choice board activities and indicate that they can self-select (or the teacher can assign) three different topics of study. The topics, related video clips, and questions included on the choice board can be found below. Note: Clip #9, “Women in the West,” may not be appropriate in all teaching contexts and for all students. Please preview this clip before sharing with your students and make any necessary adjustments to the choice board.
After viewing the videos and answering the questions for three topics, students should respond to the prompts on the final slide:
14th Amendment [Clip #2] (3:45), Boston College Professor Heather Cox Richardson talked about the suffrage movement immediately after the Civil War.
15th Amendment [Clip #3] (9:23), Boston College Professor Heather Cox Richardson talked about the shift toward equal rights and the 15th Amendment.
Connection to Race [Clip #4] (6:19), Boston College Professor Heather Cox Richardson talked about the connection between race and the women's rights movement after the Civil War.
Connection to Writing [Clip #5] (5:16), Boston College Professor Heather Cox Richardson talked about the impact that writing and novels had on the women's rights movement.
Connection to Society [Clip #6] (6:10), Boston College Professor Heather Cox Richardson talked about the new roles women assumed in society.
Connection to Education [Clip #7] (7:14), Boston College Professor Heather Cox Richardson talked about new educational opportunities and endeavors of women in the post Civil War period.
Connection to Social Work [Clip #8] (6:52), Boston College Professor Heather Cox Richardson talked about the impact that women had via social work after the Civil War.
Women in the West [Clip #9] (6:14), Boston College Professor Heather Cox Richardson talked about the new roles women assumed in west.
CLOSURE
Direct your students to present their findings for each section in small groups or with the whole class, making sure to record the responses for other sections as students present. After your students are finished sharing their findings with the class, direct them to complete the final culminating writing prompt: "Having now learned about eight different topics central to women’s rights after the Civil War, respond to the following two questions. Make sure to use evidence from the lesson materials in your response. Which topic do you think had the greatest impact in promoting women’s rights, and why? Which woman do you think had the greatest impact on the movement, and why?" Direct your students to use evidence from the video clips to support their response. You can also provide the related articles linked below to your students to help them further support their arguments.
Have students share their responses, comparing their perspectives with their classmates'.
OPTIONAL EXTENSIONS
Option #1: Have your students return to the list of individuals in the vocabulary chart. Direct them to choose one individual to study. Have your students prepare a class presentation about the individual's life and accomplishments, linking back to information covered in this lesson.
Option #2: Direct your students to choose another historical or contemporary social movement of interest or from this article. Ask your students to compare this movement with the women's rights movement of the 1860s-1880s based on the topical framework in this lesson.