Lessons > Women Win The Vote: Senior 3

Women Win The Vote: Senior 3

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Purpose

• Students will examine the role of women in Western settlements.
• Students will explore the Canadian Suffrage movement in establishing political equality.
• Students will identify changes and development in regards to rights for minority and culturally diverse peoples.

Curriculum Outcomes: Canada-A Social And Political History

• Individuals have a role to play in government and have both rights and responsibilities.
• Historical change is as valid as constitutional change.
• Implications of bureaucracy on the Canadian citizen.
• How citizens influence the decisions of governments
• Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
• Comparison of the Canadian political system to other systems of government.
• Development of Unions

Materials: (Activating student interest and Acquiring information)

• Women win the vote!
• Present students with case histories of minority, Aboriginal, culturally diverse women, and women from the poorer classes of society.
• Biographical information on Canada’s "Famous Five", Women's Christian Temperance Union , Political Equality League, etc.
• Documents:

Newspapers and articles
• From"Woman's Work after the War" in IODE Bulletin No. 1, November 1918
• The Voice. Published from May 8, 1897 – July 26, 1918.

Photos and maps
• Maps
• Photos

Records
• Canadian Women's Press Club (Ref1)
• Manitoba Association of Home Economists (Ref1, Ref2)
• Manitoba Women's Institute. Pilot Mound District (Ref1, Ref2)
• Mary Louise Pickering Thomson
• Nellie McClung (Ref1)
• Political Equality League (Ref1, Ref2, Ref3)
• Quill Club (Ref1)
• Woman's Christian Temperance Union (Ref1, Ref2, Ref3, Ref4, Ref5)

Vocabulary : to promote the use of language in oral discussions, reading, and written work

activist	corruption	politics
opposition	compulsory	election
delegation	vote	constituencies
compensation	equality	morals
allegations	referendum	reform
prohibition	campaigns	electorate
petition	suffrage	prejudice
feminists	temperance	militant

Suggestions for Instruction: (Applying)

Discuss the social and political history of the suffrage movement in Manitoba and Canada. Using the background information and student response, have the students brainstorm for appropriate arguments and events that may explain why voting rights were very long in coming to Canada and other parts of the world.

Further study on the suffrage movement may lead students to research :

• Women voting in equal proportion to men
• Do women and men vote the same on national issues?
• Will a simple increase in women’s representation increase women’s political power?
• Occupational wage gap
• Affirmative action
• The role of the "mother"
• Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Status of Women
• Women and Unions
• Women's liberation
• Women in the First and Second World Wars

Suggestions for Assessment

Students will demonstrate their understanding through:

• oral discussions
• written assignments
• debates
• re-enactment – student protest
• presentations
• projects, etc.

Extension Activities

• participation in student activism
• field trip to the Walker Theatre
• inviting guest speakers into the classroom to discuss women's issues
• exploring alternate occupations for women
• looking at sexism in our past and present society