Exceptional Women 

click on the picture to learn more

 click on the picture to learn more

Queen Elizabeth I   

Benazir Bhutto
Pakistan's Prime Minister

Golda Meir (1898-1978)
Israel's Third Prime Minister

British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher

  Women and the Right to Vote   

“Women won the vote. They were not given it, granted it, or anything else.

They won it as truly as any political campaign is ultimately won or lost.”

Robert Cooney, Women Win the Vote  

Activities with are difficult.

Warm up
1.  Count how many boys and girls are in your class/school committee.
Write your findings here:

There are girls and boys in my class/school committee.

I think that the number of boys and girls in the committee is  because .

2.  Read the following situations in pairs and decide what you would do: 

You cannot vote in the school's committee because you are a boy. How would you feel? What would you do? 

                                

You want to go to school but you cannot because you are a girl. You have to stay at home, cook and clean. How would you feel? What would you do?

            

Send your work to the  

Did you know?     

Women started their fight for suffrage (right to vote) 150 years ago because only men could vote at that time.     

"We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men and women are created equal........."    
                                                       

With these words women started their fight for equal rights.
In 1920, women in the United States got many rights, including the right to vote. It was a long and hard fight.
Today, there are many important women in many fields.

In this unit you will learn about the contributions of significant women of the past and present.                                                 

3. Women believed that they deserved the same rights as men. What about children?

Work in pairs: which rights do you think kids should have?  

To read what kids said click here.

  4.  Watch the following movie 'Not For Ourselves Alone' to get some 
general  background on the Suffrage movement (women's struggle for the right to vote).  Click here.                 

What was the day and year that women first voted?  

Name the two women whose work had a tremendous effect on women's rights.

5.  Many women fought for their rights to . The first woman that we have chosen to  present to you is Alva Vanderbilt-Belmont. She was one of the first and the biggest donator to the fight for equal rights for women.

      

Alva Vanderbilt-Belmont was the Manager and Financier of the American Woman's Suffrage Movement and one of the most prominent figures of the women's movement. Alva Vanderbilt Belmont speaking at a meeting at her home in Newport.

Alva Vanderbilt-Belmont frequently invited people to her home. Her guests drank from cups and teapots on which appeared the words "Votes for Women".

6.  In the following link you will learn about Alva Vanderbilt Belmont.
 Click here
  Advanced students can learn more here or here.

Work with a partner and decide which 3 facts you think are the most important about Alva Vanderbilt Belmont's life. 

 7.  In what way do you think Alva Vanderbilt Belmont's life and struggle effected women's life today? How did she change the face of today's society?

Send to the 
8.  The following is a quote by Alva Vanderbilt-Belmont:

"I have been crying in the wilderness for wealthy women to give up their leisure and do something to justify their existence - in vain - no reforms appeal to women who have everything."
            -- Alva Vanderbilt Belmont

 Explain what Alva Vanderbilt-Belmont meant to say. Write your draft here.

Send your work to the  

                                       

9. Search for a woman who has made a significant change in our world.

Write a factsheet, attach pictures and display in your class. 

The following sites may help you.  Write your draft here.

Leaders of the Women's Suffrage Movement

Distinguished Women of Past and Present (search by subject) 
 
National's Women Hall of Fame

 

More biographies of excellent   women

Living Legacy Awards 

 

See which inspiring woman was  born on your birthday      

A list of women achievers 

 

Female Nobel Prize Winners                  

100 greatest female athletes
Women olympians
Women in Sports  
                      
wwwomen-sports
Yael Arad  

Women political leaders 

 

Women in business 
 

  10.  If you liked Alva Vanderbilt-Belmont's contribution to society, notify sites listed above  which do not mention her biography.

Which sites did you notify?

Send your work to the 


11.  Online word search on famous women             
          
 Click here

12.  In the following link you will read about the right to vote (suffrage) in many countries. Click here to read to learn more click here

 Which were the two first countries that gave women the right to vote? 

Which was the last country that gave women the right to vote?

Check your answers.

13.  Write a timeline (of at least 10 countries) marking the name of the country and the date in which it granted women suffrage. Display it in your classroom.

 
Women's life in the past 

14.  In the following link you will learn some surprising details about women's life in the past. Write 5 things that you think are unfair regarding women's life in the 1800's.
Click here.

 

15.  In the following link a woman who was born in 1907 is interviewed. She tells what life was like for women almost 100 years ago. Write how women's lives have changed since.   Click here.
 


Send your work to the
16.  Why did people oppose the Suffragists? 

Work in pairs and write 3 reasons why in your opinion people opposed the Suffragists.

Look in the following link to check your answer. Click here.

Did you answer correctly? Write a few reasons that you didn't think about which explain why people opposed the Suffragists.


men and women equal today?   

17.  What will you do if you hear people say one of the following:

"Don't throw like a girl."
"You can't do that; you're a girl." "I never was good at math or science."
"It's not ladylike to whistle." "Boys will be boys." "Let the men build the fire; we'll cook supper."
"We need a man to do this." "Boys are smarter than girls." "Don't listen to her, she's a girl."

Send your ideas to the  

  18.  Women are still fighting against discrimination based on gender. Read the following cases of discrimination click here.
Summarize one case that you have read and write your opinion about it.

19.  Search in newspapers and the media for cases of discrimination against women and let everyone know about it. Write your draft here.

Send your work to the

20.  The following link is a discussion forum on women's rights and issues. 
Express yourself! Click here.   

            

21.  Do women in 2001 have equal rights with men?   
Are there still rights to accomplish?  
Send to the

  Links    

Activities, lessons and many more links Timeline of key events in the women's Rights Movement American Women then and now 100 years towards Suffrage timeline
Many more links on women History of Women Suffrage Alice Paul's fight for Suffrage       
A List of 75 Suffrage leaders and supporters Israel Women's Network The Suffrage Movement      
Women's History Month The Educator's Reference Desk- gender equity Women's speeches from around the world              

 For more units on women's issues click here and look under Men & Women
If you have any commnets please email me 

Last updated     25/12/08