Woman Suffrage and the 19th Amendment
This lesson is anchored by nine primary source documents related to the women’s suffrage movement, from 1868 to 1920. Students and teachers alike will appreciate that the site includes images of the original documents—not simply transcriptions.
It also has six teaching activities that range from document analysis, to role-play, to student research. Activity three, which asks students to use textbooks, library resources, and documents to make a timeline, can be an effective way of helping younger students understand historical chronology. For older students, activity six, which asks students to write and stage a one-act play, presents an opportunity to interpret and synthesize primary sources. The script for a one-act play commissioned by the National Archives, “Failure Is Impossible,” is available as a model.
This lesson also includes links to related websites, including those from the Library of Congress, the National Park Service, the National Register of Historic Places, and the National Women’s History Project.
Notes
Teachinghistory.org Lesson Plan Rubric
| Field | Criteria | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Historical Content | Is historically accurate? | Yes |
| Historical Content | Includes historical background? | Minimal. Includes a one-act play based on archival sources. |
| Historical Content | Requires students to read and write? | Yes. Read multiple documents; opportunities for original writing. |
| Analytic Thinking | Requires analysis/construction of interpretations using evidence? | Yes. Students assess suffragist strategies and write an evidence-based play. |
| Analytic Thinking | Requires close reading and attention to source information? | Yes. Activity one focuses on these skills with a downloadable Document Analysis Worksheet. |
| Scaffolding | Appropriate for stated audience? | Unclear. Audience is unstated. |
| Scaffolding | Includes scaffolding materials and strategies? | No. Teachers may need to supplement materials. |
| Lesson Structure | Includes assessment criteria focused on historical understanding? | No |
| Lesson Structure | Defines clear learning goals and progresses logically? | Yes |
| Lesson Structure | Includes clear directions; realistic for classrooms? | Yes. Designed for easy teacher adaptation. |
