Steps to Suffrage: The Famous 5

History is often more interesting than fiction. The facts about Canada’s Famous 5 certainly are!

• 1.

  <STRONG>What came before?</STRONG> What makes someone a person? Until quite recently many people did not have the same rights as others. Women, people of color, people who did not own land, and even people native to the land where the government was being established often were not mentioned in constitutions. By studying your country’s history and constitution, you can learn more about human rights, which gives us energy to get to where we need to be. The history of women’s suffrage in Canada is inspiring.

• 2.

  Canadian women (who were British subjects) could vote in federal elections, but they were not allowed to be elected to government office until 1929. How could women change this if they were not even considered to be people? Using the very document that disenfranchised them, five women appealed to the Supreme Court for clarification. Learn more about these "Famous 5." Their struggle for women’s rights helped to pave the way for other excluded peoples to gain their right to vote as well.

• 3.

  <STRONG>Identify benchmarks.</STRONG> Study the history of your country’s steps to full suffrage. Make note of the benchmark decisions with Crayola® Erasable Colored Pencils. Then create a pop-out display to show what you’ve learned.

• 4.

  <STRONG>Show the steps to suffrage. </STRONG>With Crayola Scissors, make two long, parallel cuts through a folded file folder, one near each end. Fold the long, wide tab that you made backwards to create a crease. Open the file folder and pull the tab through. The crease now folds out toward you. Fold the pop-up piece in accordion style to get the number of steps needed for your staircase.

• 5.

  Use Crayola Fine Line Markers to write the timeline for your steps to suffrage on each stair riser. Include dates and appropriate words and symbols. At the top of the steps, illustrate the nation, people, or organizations represented on your timeline. Vis

• 6.

  With Crayola School Glue, attach craft sticks to the back of your display so it will stand upright. Explain and compare your history of suffrage to other students.

Benefits

• Students examine the history of suffrage (women, native peoples, or other groups) in their country.
• Students learn about the struggles of the Famous 5 in Canadian history.
• Students create and share a visual expression of their findings.

Adaptations

• Divide into five small groups to research the biographies of Canada’s Famous 5: Emily Murphy, Louise McKinney, Nellie McClung, Henrietta Muir Edwards, and Irene Parlby. Write and produce a play describing their experiences.
• Debate similar issues about groups of people whose rights could be improved. For example, does your national anthem accurately embrace your country’s history? What human rights issues face your country?
• Look for historical markers in your area. What stories do they tell? What facts do they omit? What could be done to make them more accurate?
• Assessment: Verify the accuracy of historical information and the detail in the construction.