Women Get the Vote!

Women Get the Vote! lesson plan

Study voting rights then create a "Wanted" poster focusing on a famous suffragist.

  • 1.

    Research the history and development of voting rights in the United States. What contradictions between reality and democratic ideals do you discover? Why are voting rights so important? Identify prominent suffragists. Choose one suffragist in the fight to gain women the vote. Explore her life in more detail, and find more information about her role in the women's voting rights movement.

  • 2.

    To make a poster about this suffragist, use a ruler and Crayola® Washable Markers to block areas on poster board for a title, portrait, and profile. Create an eye-catching title in bold marker, such as "WANTED" (above the portrait) and "THE RIGHT TO VOTE" (at the bottom).

  • 3.

    Use Crayola Colored Pencils to draw your suffragist, referring to resources to make the portrait as realistic as possible. Add color to hair, complexions, clothing, and backgrounds in your own style.

  • 4.

    Use Crayola Fine Tip Markers to add information about your suffragist, including her contributions to the suffrage movement. Outline parts of your drawing and add details with the markers.

Benefits

  • Students research the history of U.S. voting rights to identify consistencies and inconsistencies between expressed political traditions and ideals and actual practices.
  • Children describe and analyze why voting rights and responsibilities are important to the individual, family, community, workplace, state, and nation.
  • Students investigate famous suffragists, such as Susan B. Anthony, then create "wanted" posters and profiles.

Adaptations

  • Hold a Women's Rights Luncheon, perhaps on Susan B. Anthony Day (she was born February 15, 1820). Students dress like and portray suffragists, and wear name tags so they can address each other in character. Discuss family lives, educational backgrounds, a
  • Find places where suffragists lived and worked on a large United States map. Children label locations with the names of their suffragists to see the national effort more concretely.
  • Students conduct mock interviews, role playing reporters and suffragists, then write convincing news articles and editorials to elaborate on the issues.