In this lesson, students read and analyze excerpts gleaned from Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets and artifacts to determine the roles and positions held by women as well as their rights in the ancient Mesopotamian civilization.
In this activity, students read an account of a women's protest and a portion of the debate between Consul Cato and Tribune Lucius Valerius in the Tribunal. Then students will then debate Cato's and Valerius's arguments. Finally, they will make up a speech about an issue women in the United States today might debate.
In this lesson, students read an excerpt from one of Rousseau's proposals related to women's place in society and Mary Wollstonecraft's response. A set of discussion questions and related activities is provided. In an extension activity, students can research Wollstonecraft's motivations and/or the writings of other male Enlightenment thinkers.
In this activity, students read a letter that was written by young women in Sparta to the young women of Athena that details their position in society.
In this lesson, students examine primary source documents and testimonies from England and Wales collected by Parliamentary commissions who began to investigate the industrial employment of women and children in the early 1840s. A set of discussion questions is provided for each artifact.
In this lesson, students examine political cartoons and identify the obstacles to women's political participation. Students will also study a Suffrage Fact Sheet and answer a series of questions. Students will then provide their opinion as they answer additional questions.
In this lesson, students read personal accounts of Guatemalan women who weave, learning about the rich cultural history of this art form and how it has been retained despite the impositions of conquering cultures. Students will write a short report based on their learning.
In this lesson, students discuss the meaning of a right and examine the rights of women in ancient Egypt. They will then compare those rights to those of women in the United States in the 19th century and in current day.