Grades 4 - 8

2- 3 Class Periods

Program Segment

• “Discovering New York Suffrage Stories”(entire program - approximately 27 minutes)

Objectives

Students will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the Women’s Suffrage Movement.
• Examine the stories of Matilda Joslyn Gage, Paulina Wright Davis, Hester Jeffrey, and Mary Talbert.
• Draw connections between Matilda Joslyn Gage, Paulina Wright Davis, Hester Jeffrey, and Mary Talbert.
• Provide critical commentary on the documentary “Discovering New York Suffrage Stories.”

Instructional Resources

• “Discovering New York Suffrage Stories”
• Computer, Whiteboard
• “Discovering New York Suffrage Stories” Notes Worksheet
• Be the Critic! Worksheet

Procedures

CLASS PERIOD 1

1. The teacher will ask the class, "Who can tell me what they know about the Women’s Suffrage Movement?" and then write some responses on the board.
2. The teacher will explain that the class will be watching “Discovering New York Suffrage Stories,” which tells the stories of four not so well-known women of the suffrage movement.
3. The teacher will pass the “Discovering New York Suffrage Stories” Notes Worksheet and explain what the students should be looking for as they watch.
4. The teacher will play the documentary through the story of Matilda Joslyn Gage and then pause the program.
5. The students will finish their notes worksheet with any information about Matilda Joslyn Gage.
6. The teacher will ask for a student volunteer to share something they learned about Matilda Joslyn Gage.
7. The teacher will continue the documentary through the story of Paulina Wright Davis and then pause the program.
8. The students will finish their notes worksheet with any information about Paulina Wright Davis.
9. The teacher will ask for a student volunteer to share something they learned about Paulina Wright Davis.
10. The teacher will end this class period by asking the students to share what they think of the documentary so far.

CLASS PERIOD 2

1. The teacher will begin the class reminding students that they were watching “Discovering New York Suffrage Stories” and by asking for volunteers to share what they learned so far about the Women's Suffrage Movement, Matilda Joslyn Gage, and Paulina Wright Davis.
2. The students will be instructed to take out their “Discovering New York Suffrage Stories”Notes Worksheet so that they can finish the documentary and take notes on the last two women featured.
3. The teacher will play the documentary through the story of Hester Jeffrey and then pause the program.
4. The students will finish their notes worksheet with any information about Hester Jeffrey.
5. The teacher will ask for a student volunteer to share something they learned about Hester Jeffrey.
6. The teacher will continue the documentary through the story of Mary Talbert and then pause the program.
7. The students will finish their notes worksheet with any information about Mary Talbert.
8. The teacher will ask for a student volunteer to share something they learned about Mary Talbert.
9. When the documentary is over, the students should be given time to complete the “Discovering New York Suffrage Stories”Notes Worksheet including the area of common factors between the four women featured.
10. The teacher will then ask for volunteers to share what they learned about these four women and their roles in the Women's Suffrage Movement.
11. The teacher will distribute the Be the Critic! Worksheet and explain to students how to complete the worksheet.
12. Students will be given time to complete the worksheet and share out any opinions on the documentary or the new content they learned from it.

Assessment Tasks

• Students will participate in all class discussion on the documentary.
• Students will turn in their completed “Discovering New York Suffrage Stories” Notes Worksheet.
• Students will turn in their completed Be the Critic! Worksheet.

Adaptations for Grades 9-12

• High school students could choose one of the women in the documentary to research further and write a 1-2 page essay on them.
• High school students could explore what role race and ethnicity played in the Women's Suffrage Movement. They would write a 2-3 page paper arguing one way or the other - Yes, race and ethnicity played a role in the Women's Suffrage Movement - or No, race and ethnicity did not play a role in the Women's Suffrage Movement. They should be sure to include some of the women featured in “Discovering New York Suffrage Stories.”

Extension Activities (optional)

• Students could write their own newspaper story on one of women featured in the documentary, in the form of an interview.

New York State Learning Standards for Social Studies

Unifying Themes: Individual Development and Cultural Identity; Time, Continuity, and Change; Development and Transformation of Social Structures; Power, Authority, and Governance; Civic Ideals and Practices

• Standard 1—History of the United States and New York
• Standard 5—Civics, Citizenship, and Government