4. The Changing Role of Women

1. Why did women want (or need) the vote?

Lesson Objectives
To examine the arguments for and against giving women the vote and to assess the tactics used to protest for the vote

Lesson Tasks

Which sex would you assume to do the following jobs? Accountant, Pilot, History Teacher, Primary Teacher, Scientist, Principal, Doctor, Lawyer, Nurse, Bus Driver, Astronaut, Surgeon, Servant
Now examine the painting on page 38. What was the Victorian view of the 'ideal woman' - why did they believe that?
Read page 39 on the reasons why people believed women shouldn't have the right to vote - what arguments would a woman who wanted the vote at the time say in response?
Why did women need the vote? Read pages 40-41 and make a list of all the discrimination women faced and the reasons why women would want the vote.
What was the difference between the suffragettes and the suffragists? Explain who they were and why they were different.
What tactics did the suffragettes use? Make a table like this with three columns: Suffragette's actions; government methods to stop them; how effective? Using pages 44-54, make a list of all the different types of actions taken by the suffragettes, make notes on the government reaction to each and give a final judgement on how effective each action was.

Challenge Yourself!

Extension - Examine Source 15 on page 47, and Sources 21/22 on page 51. For what purpose were these sources created and what messages do they convey to their audience?

2. How did WW1 help women gain the right to vote?

Lesson Objectives
To assess the reasons why women gained the vote after WW1

Lesson Tasks

Listen to this song from the film Mary Poppins called 'Sister Suffragette'. How is it related to the Women's Suffrage Movement? Look at these lyrics for help.
Discuss - In August 1914, WW1 started. What would you advise the suffragettes to do?
1. Carry on with a peaceful campaign
2. Carry on with a violent campaign
3. Give up the campaign during the war
Complete Activity A on page 54 of your textbooks.
Complete Activity B on page 55 of your textbooks.
Using pages 56-57, make a list of the reasons given for why women got the vote in 1918.
How Important is the Right to Vote? - With a partner, think of reasons why the right to vote was beneficial to women, and ways in which the vote didn't help women gain full equality. Think about the problems and discrimination women faced at the time.

3. What effect did World War Two have on women?

Lesson Objectives
To explore the impact and effects of the Second World War on the lives of women

Lesson Tasks

How did WW2 change life for women? - Using this article 'Women under fire in World War Two' and this excellent webpage, make a detailed list in your books of the ways in which life for women changed in WW2. What was the most significant impact of the war on women?
Research Posters - Choose one of the four groups. You will research and create an information poster on one aspect of WW2 for women. Use Tackk or other software to create your poster. Think of a research question for your presentation and use the following resources to help you create it:
1. Evacuation - (1) Clickable Section on this Page; (2) BBC Primary Resources; (3) History Learning Site; (4) Website; (5) Videos
2. Working in Industry - (1) Clickable Section on this Page; (2) Basic Overview; (3) Women in Industry; (4) Women in Industry in Wales
3. Women's Land Army - (1) Clickable Section on this Page; (2) History Learning Site; (3) Land Army BBC; (4) Land Girls
4. Serving in the Forces - (1) Clickable Section on this Page; (2) Women's Auxiliary Air Force; (3) Women's Royal Naval Service; (4) Auxiliary Service
What were the consequence of WW2 for women? - Using Sections 4 and 5 on this webpage, write a paragraph explaining the effects of the war on the role and status of women in society.

4. End of Unit Assessment

Assessment Objectives
To understand how the lives of women have changed over time by investigating your own culture's female history

Assessment Tasks

Download and read these instructions for the End of Unit Assessment. You need to produce a research poster that presents the 20th century changing history of the role of women in a society of your choosing. It must include:
1. A timeline of how women's rights and roles changed
2. Sections explaining how certain aspects of their lives changed such as education, employment, legal rights etc
3. An interview with a female family member about their personal experiences of how their lives changed
4. Detailed explanations of how and why change took place
Check the mark scheme for this assessment to make sure you are getting the best marks possible.

Hong Kong Women's History Links

China Women's History Links

http://legacy.fordham.edu/halsall/women/womensbook.asp#China