Format
1. Introduction to the National Archives
2. Discussion: who decides who votes?
3. Discussion: why did women want the right to vote?
4. Main Activity: group analysis of primary sources that highlight the different ways suffragists fought for the right to vote by using their 1st Amendment rights
5. A closer look at the 19th Amendment: what it did and didn't do
6. Conclusion and time for Q&A
Objectives
By completing this program, students will be better able to:
1. Explain how women fought for the right to vote
2. Understand why people vote in elections
3. Make connections between past and present
4. Analyze primary sources
Standards Alignment
National Standards
NATIONAL CENTER FOR HISTORY IN THE SCHOOLS HISTORY STANDARDS
United States History Content Standards for Grades K-4 Topic 3 Standard 4B
Demonstrate understanding of ordinary people who have exemplified values and principles of American democracy.
United States History Content Standards for Grades K-4 Topic 3 Standard 4D
The student understands events that celebrate and exemplify fundamental values and principles of American democracy.
United States History Content Standards for Grades 5-12 United States Era 4 Standard 4C
The student understands changing gender roles and the ideas and activities of women reformers.
(5-12) Analyze the activities of women of different racial and social groups in the reform movements for education, abolition, temperance, and women’s suffrage.
NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR CIVICS AND GOVERNMENT
NSS-C.K-4.5.C.1
Rights of individuals. Students should be able to explain why certain rights are important to the individual and to a democratic society.
NSS-C.K-4.5.F.1
Forms of participation. Students should be able to describe the means by which citizens can influence the decisions and actions of their government.
NSS-C.5-8.2.A.1
The American idea of constitutional government. Students should be able to explain the essential ideas of American constitutional government.
NSS-C.5-8.5.E.1
Participation in civic and political life and the attainment of individual and public goals. Students should be able to explain the relationship between participating in civic and political life and the attainment of individual and public goals.
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.7
Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, how key events occur).
See also: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.7
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.3
Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
See also: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.3
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.5
Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.
See also: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.5
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL3.3
Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate elaboration and detail.
See also: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.3, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.3