Exceptional Women
**** Please note that this unit is still under construction ****
Exceptional
Women
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Queen Elizabeth I |
Benazir Bhutto |
Golda Meir (1898-1978) |
British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher |
Women and the Right to Vote 
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“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.
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| 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". |
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.
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.
Word Search (to print) 
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?
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? 
Read 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.
Are 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.
Can
women vote TODAY in all the countries of the world?
22.
Do
you think women can vote 
in all the countries of the world?
See if you answered correctly. Click here.
What are the reasons the men in this article give for not letting women vote?
23.
Write
a letter in which you convince the leaders of Kuwait in the right of women to
vote. Write your draft here. 
Decide to which goverment office you would like to send your letter. Click here.
To learn more about women's rights in the Arab world click here.
24.
Do women in 2001 have equal rights with men? 
Are there still rights to accomplish?
Send
to the
|
please write to us. |
Links 
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you have any commnets please email us 
Last updated 01/09/06
