Unit Theme: Riding the Waves of Feminism - A Look at the Feminist Movements in the United

States
Grade: 11/12th
Timeline: 4 Weeks
Team Members
Subjects History History ELA
Rationale:
This unit is designed to have students learn about the feminist movement in the United States, focusing
on how the movement is split into different waves, the accomplishments of each wave, and the
connections between the waves all the way up to the fourth, which is modern-era feminism. From the
perspective of history, students will examine different events and accomplishments within waves and
which events created the distinction between each one. From the English perspective, students will
explore historical pieces of writing from authors and/or activists prominent within waves and discover
what social issues were existent at the time and how the literature/writing from those authors
represented the rights women were fighting for. By combining these two elements, students should
finish the unit having an understanding of how social movements evolve over time, how participants
express their needs and struggles through different forms, and what events become significant within
the movements.

From the English perspective, students will read works such as Susan B Anthony’s speech On
Women’s Right to Vote and Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique and learn how the social factors of
the time a story or speech was written in, the historical context, affect what the author was writing
about/the message they were trying to convey. They will learn about the literary and rhetorical
techniques and themes those authors utilize within their writing and speeches to emphasize their
stances related to issues existent within the time period and wave of feminism they were based in.
They will keep a reading/writing log that details the author of a text, the main points of the text read in
class, and the historical context behind that work of writing. By the end of the unit, they also should
have a more thorough understanding of the power of literature in social movements and how it is used
to critique aspects of society such as the oppressors of certain groups of people -- in this case, women
critiquing expectations and roles generally established by men leading a patriarchal society.

From the history perspective, incorporating content constructed on events and consequences of the
four waves of feminism is relevant to the teaching of civil rights movements, advocacy, and empathy.
Students will be able to analyze and understand the cause and effect relationship between historical
events and their outcomes, recognizing that each additional feminist wave evolved from its
predecessor. This will demonstrate to students that change and progression can evolve from both
individuals and members of a community working towards a common goal. As the content focus
progresses through each feminist wave, students will begin to recognize the spectrum of interpretations
included in the study of feminism. Diminishing the presentism mindset while studying the feminist
waves will allow students to empathize with the movements. Towards the end of the unit, evaluating
and discussing present perspectives and interpretations of the feminist movement, without historical
empathy, will allow students to begin analyzing why feminism currently has a negative connotation.
 Student Learning Outcomes
Focus Standards
11-12.RI.8 Delineate 11-12.W.3 Write narratives to develop real or
English and evaluate the imagined experiences or events using effective
rhetorical effectiveness technique, well‐chosen details, and well‐structured
of the authors' event sequences
reasoning, premises,
purpose, and argument
in seminal U.S. and
world texts.

11-12.RI.9 Analyze
foundational U.S. and
world documents of
historical and literary
significance for their
themes, purposes, and
rhetorical features.

History Course
Considerations for
High School US
History: Postwar
United States including
the economic boom and
social transformation of
the United States, the
Cold War, the impact of
conflicts in Korea and
Vietnam, domestic and
international policies,
and the struggle for civil
rights and equality
Enduring ● Understanding Theme-Related ● How do the goals of
Understanding: the Essential minority movements
Important misconception of Questions change over time?
Concepts feminism - “bad ● How have the goals of
rap” based on minority movements
different been shaped by the
“categories” of past?
feminism ● How has the definition
o Understan of social equality
ding the changed over time?
accurate
 definition ● How does the definition
of of equality change,
feminism depending on different
and how it identities?
has ● What is the overall role
evolved of women throughout
throughou history and how has it
t the changed within
waves different eras?
● Understand how ● How are women
the demands and represented in literature
expectations of and history and how
society affect does it change
what women depending on who
were able to creates those narratives?
accomplish ● How has the way that
within each wave society views women
● Understand the changed for better or for
intersectionality worse? How has it
of sex with other remained the same?
identity elements ● How does our own
such as race, social standing affect
class, and/or age the way we view the
● Understanding goals of social
how a person’s movements we might
sex affords them be considered outsiders
different to?
privileges in
society
● Understanding
how a society is
structured to
afford more
privileges to
some people than
to others
● Understanding
how social
movements
evolve over time
and build off their
past phases
● Understanding
the importance of
acknowledging
past activists and
 their
accomplishments
in social
movements

Interdisciplinary In the last week of the unit, after students have familiarized themselves with each
Project of the waves of feminism, key events and notable people within the waves, and
literature and speeches by feminist writers/activists or categorized as “feminist,”
they will be tasked with a two-part project. The first part is a brief speech:

The speech requires students to place themselves within one of the four waves of
feminism. Their speech must be written as if they were an activist within that
wave, fighting to resolve some sort of issue related to women’s rights/gender
inequality, or standing up for an existing cause/right related to gender equality.
With that in mind, historical accuracy is critical to the effectiveness of the content
of their speech, so they must use the information and evaluative skills acquired in
their History class. Students will also be evaluated on how they present their
speech to their classmates, meaning that they must consider the speech techniques
that were identified and discussed using works like On Women’s Right to Vote in
their English class.

As it will be presented in front of the class, the speech is only required to be 1.5 -
3 pages long. The evaluation of it will lie more in historical accuracy and their
delivery of it and use of effective speech techniques.

The second part of the project is a visual element: a picket sign. Using the same
wave and issue that they discuss in their speech, one side of the sign must have a
self-made visual representation of the topic they have selected, along with a
catchy/creative slogan that encompasses what they are fighting against or
standing up for. The other side of the sign has to include five points that are or
were relevant or essential in relation to their chosen issue/wave/era. The points
are brief, only being a few words up to two sentences, along with a small visual of
the point (can be pulled from the Internet and credited, does not need to be self-
created).
Essay Prompt Choose a notable person who had a significant role during one of the waves of
feminism discussed in class. Write 3-5 pages on your selected activist using
accurate historical context from a minimum of two sources. Include a brief
background of their life, what their role within the movement was and why they
were significant to the movement. Students have the choice of two formats for
 this essay:

● Narrative - Step into the shoes of your notable person. Write your paper
from their perspective as if the notable person had written it themself.
● Interview -Play the role of a journalist interviewing your significant
person. Write an article discussing your interview. What questions would
you ask him/her? How would him/her answer?

Common Instructional Strategies

All Learners
● Writing Activities (Free writes, etc.)

o Unsent Letters, RAFT (Letter format)

● Document Analysis

● Group discussions (Debate, Philosophical Chairs, etc.)

● Reader’s Theater

● Research-based activities

ELLs
● Anticipation guides
● Sentence Starters/Writing Templates
● Modified Document for Analysis (Highlighted areas to be labeled, modified vocabulary)
● Group/Teacher Guided Reading.
Special Education
● Anticipation guides
● Semi-filled out graphic organizers
● Group readings + discussion/inquiry
● Guided research sources list
GATE
● Create personalized, different graphic organizers for appropriate assignments
● Propaganda/PSA-type video instead of picket sign for Interdisciplinary Project
● Role as discussion director (Philosophical Chairs - discuss/moderate both positions of
questions, Debate - role as Debate Moderator)

Individual Unit Theme:

Subject: History Grade Level: 11th/12th
Focus Standards
HISTORY:
S1. PO 2. Assess how the following social developments influenced American society in the
late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries:
a. Civil Rights issues (e.g., Women’s Suffrage Movement, Dawes Act, Indian schools, lynching, Plessy v.
Ferguson)
b. mass media (e.g., political cartoons, muckrakers, yellow journalism, radio)
c. consumerism (e.g., advertising, standard of living, consumer credit)
d. Roaring Twenties (e.g., Harlem Renaissance, leisure time, jazz, changed social mores)
S1 PO 2. Describe the impact of American involvement in World War II:
a. movement away from isolationism
b. economic recovery from the Great Depression
c. homefront transformations in the roles of women and minorities

History Anchor Standards:

SP1: Chronological reasoning requires understanding processes of change and continuity
over time, which means assessing similarities and differences between historical periods
and between the past and present.

SP2: Thinking within the discipline involves the ability to identify, compare, and
evaluate multiple perspectives about a given event to draw conclusions about that event
since there are multiple points of view about events and issues.

SP4: Thinking within the discipline involves the ability to analyze relationships among
causes and effects and to create and support arguments using relevant evidence.

H2: Cycles of conflict and cooperation have shaped relations among people, places, and
environments

H4: Patterns of social and political interactions have shaped people, places, and events
throughout history and continue to shape the modern world.

Enduring Understanding Learning Outcomes

Important Concepts:
● Social climates and events have the
power to create opportunities to
implement change.
● Crusaders of social movements are
mavericks who went to great lengths
to support their cause and fight for
change.
● Feminist movements had a lasting
impact on society by giving women a
voice and creating new and equal
opportunities.
Students will know and be able to do:
● Identify key events that began to shift
the social climate and roles of women
in society.
● Identify specific feminist and their
roles and impact on the movement.
● Identify specific laws that were passed
as a result of feminist movements.
Texts Assessment
Video: Women’s Suffrage: Crash Course Formative: Summative:
History.
Women’s Suffrage Semantic Feature
Video: Emma Watson’s Unstoppable Current Debate (preparation Analysis Map
(form 3:30) and performance)
Multiple Level
Document Analysis Excerpts: Document Analysis Timeline
Excerpt A: Harper's Magazine 1953
Excerpt B: The Feminine Mystique by Reader’s Theatre Picket Sign (or
Betty Friedan Propaganda or PSA
Excerpt C: The Woman’s Home Graphic Organizers Video for GATE
Companion by Historian Joanne Meyerowitz students)
Excerpt D: Writings of Historian Alice
Kessler-Harris

An Appeal to the Women of The United

States: The National Woman Suffrage

Consistent democracy : the elective franchise

for women

Women's rights; Todd, John, 1873.

Sister Outsider; Lorde, Audre, 1984.

Learning Plan: Scope and Sequence Differentiation:

Week 1: First Wave Feminism/ Women’s

Suffrage

Introduction to the unit, an overview of what

will be discussed in the coming weeks.

Discuss the origins of the first wave of

feminism. Introduce suffragettes by viewing
Women’s Suffrage: Crash Course History.
Students will annotate a write a short DBQ
on An Appeal to the Women of The United
States: The National Woman Suffrage
Students will view a series of protest photos
and pro/anti suffrage propaganda. They will
then predict who the women in the photos
were? why were they there? what were they
risking by being there? why were people
Students will be given modified versions of
the text and will work in groups with teacher
guidance.
Differentiation for the Multiple Level
Timeline for Special Education includes
students being provided with printed out
copies of the first level (the historical context
level) of the timeline. Students will remain
responsible for correctly completing the
opposing them? did all women want the right second level (the feminist wave progression
to vote-why/why not? level) as the unit progresses.
● Students will create a graphic
organizer displaying the similarities
and differences they see in the pro/anti
suffrage propaganda
Students will analyze two primary sources
documents from the first wave of feminism
one for and one against suffrage for women Differentiation for ELL and Special Ed
and answer a series of guided reading students during the suffragette debate include
questions. students being provided with a Character
1. Consistent democracy : the elective Card (Anticipation Guide). This card will
franchise for women provide students with key points and beliefs
2. Women's rights; Todd, John,1873. of a person/historical figure concerning
Who are the authors? what is the purpose of women's’ suffrage in America. Students will
each text? What claims are they making to be able to refer to their Character Card during
support or not support equal voting rights? Do the debate, using the key points and beliefs of
they support their claims? their character to guide their argument,
● Students will add to their graphic rebuttal, and reflection.
organizer the similarities and
differences they find in each article Differentiation for GATE Students during
the suffrage debate include providing students
Students will divide into groups of 4 and hold to fulfill the role of debate moderator in order
mini debates. For the debates student will step for students to understand and apply their
back in time and play the role of an anti- content knowledge towards directing and
suffragette or a suffragette. Students will then managing the progression of the debate.
engage in a class discussion on the impact of
suffragettes on the first wave of feminism. As
a class students will decide what events to
contribute to their multiple level timeline.

Week Two: Second Wave Feminism /

Equality

Students will analyze documents from

multiple sources and perspectives, in order to
investigate the role of women in 1950’s
America.
Excerpt A: Harper's Magazine 1953
Excerpt B: The Feminine Mystique by
Betty Friedan
Excerpt C: The Woman’s Home
Companion by Historian Joanne Meyerowitz
Excerpt D: Writings of Historian Alice
Kessler-Harris
Differentiation for ELL Students: students
will receive modified version of text
excerpts.
ELL students will also receive a list of social
studies specific vocabulary words, their
definition, and application in a historical
context / context within the document.
 After analyzing and answering guided
questions for each document, a class
discussion can begin, in order to evaluate and
answer the following question: “Is the image
of the happy 1950’s housewife accurate?”
This activity will transition students into
studying second wave feminism.

Students will analyze American magazine and

newspaper advertisements for household Differentiation for Special Education
products from the 1950’s, 1980’s, and today Students include providing students with
that include women. In a graphic organizer, partially filled out graphic organizers. This
students will record the changes they notice in would provide students with the foundational
the advertisements over time in relation to the information that leads to and requires students
following: to recall and apply their content knowledge
How is the product being advertised?
Who is the target audience for the
advertisement?
How are women being depicted in the Differentiation for GATE Students
advertisement? allowing students to create their own graphic
organizers for assignment completion.
Students will participate in a structured
writing activity defending or refuting the
following prompt: “Women (and additional
minority groups) have gained equality in the
present day United States. Students will be
required to use evidence from the first and
second waves of the feminist movement, in
order to make connections with the
movements’ advocacy and the current social
and political standpoints in current era United
States.

Equal Rights Feminist and Radical Feminists

Week Three: Third Wave Feminism /

Grassroots Movements / Intersectionality

Students will create a RAFT letter in order to

role-play as a feminist / civil rights activist
advocating for equal and civil rights. Students
will be required to write from a feminist
activist’s (from the third wave) point of view
to one of the following Audience members:
Congress
State senators
 Feminist organizations
Additional feminist leaders / activists

Students will conduct research on feminist /

civil rights organizations through accessing
organization websites. Students will fill out a
graphic organizer to neatly and coherently
track their research of the organization and
advocacy involvement. Potential websites for
students to review include:
awid.com - Association for Women’s
Rights in Development
hrc.org - Human Rights Campaign
Students will present this information in small
groups, sharing their research on their
organizations advocacy, promotion and
involvement, credibility, and reputation.
Differentiation for Special Education
Students include providing students with
partially filled out graphic organizers. This
would provide students with the foundational
information that leads to and requires students
to recall and apply their content knowledge
Differentiation for GATE Students
allowing students to create their own graphic
organizers for assignment completion.

Students will read excerpts/ speeches from

Audre Lorde’s Sister Outsider, in order to
analyze and comprehend intersectionality
within the feminist movement. Students will
be sectioned into 4 groups, with each group
reading a different speech from Sister
Outside. After reading and interpreting their
speech, each group will perform a Reader’s
Theatre representing their speech to the rest of
the class.

Week Four: Modern Feminism

Students will read and jigsaw (groups) a

variety of articles on currents events within
Feminism.
The Evolution of the Word
Support for the Term
#MeToo
Women's March 2018
Students will present the content of their
article to the class while explaining how they
relate to the movement, how they relate to
previous movements and how feminism has
changed or remained the same over time.
Students will view Emma Watson celebrates
the "unstoppable current" of the feminist
...https://www.oneyoungworld.com/.../emma-
watson-celebrates-unstoppable-current-
femin… (from minute 3:30)
While watching students will be given a series
of questions to consider:
1. Emma Watson states “Gender equality
intersects with every single other issue
that we face” what other issues might
she be talking about? How does the
current feminist movement impact
you?
2. Within her speech she lists what she is
“willing to do” to support her cause.
What cause are you passionate about?
What are you “willing to do” to
support that cause?
Student will get into small groups and discuss
these questions and the importance of being
involved and supporting a cause.

As a ticket out the door students will

complete a quick write about their
discussions,and what they can do to become
an activist for cause that is meaningful to
them.

Students will have time in class to work on

their interdisciplinary essay + project.
Research time/ Picket Sign.

Accomodations for the Multiple Level

Towards the end of the unit, students will
complete, peer review, and submit the
summative assessments for the unit including:
Semantic Feature Analysis
Multiple Level Timeline
Picket Sign (or Propaganda or PSA Video for
GATE students)
Timeline for Special Education has included
students being provided with printed out
copies of the first level (the historical context
level) of the timeline. Students will remain
responsible for correctly completing the
second level (the feminist wave progression
level) as the unit has progressed.
Accomodations for GATE Students include
allowing student choice in completing the
Interdisciplinary Unit Picket Sign Project.
 GATE students will be encouraged to create a
piece of propaganda or PSA type video in
place of the Picket Sign Project. This is to
encourage higher order thinking,
organization, and communication of content
knowledge.

The propaganda piece includes creating an

image and textual description representing
advocacy for an feminist / civil rights issue
demonstrated throughout the unit.

The PSA type video includes students

creating a Public Service Announcement
Video that summarizes the history,
progression, and progress of the feminist
movement. Students will explain why and
how each wave was influential, as well as any
additional progress they still wish to see
today.

Individual Unit Theme:

Subject: English Grade Level: 11th/12th
Focus Standards
Arizona’s English Language Arts Standards – 11-12th Grade

Reading

11-12.RL.2 Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their
development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another
to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.

11-12.RL.6 Using a variety of genres, analyze how the narrative point of view impacts the
implicit and explicit meanings in a text

*11-12.RL.9 Drawing on a wide range of time periods, analyze how two or more texts treat
similar themes or topics

11-12.RI.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is
particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the effectiveness of the
text

11-12.RI.8 Delineate and evaluate the rhetorical effectiveness of the authors' reasoning,
premises, purpose, and argument in seminal U.S. and world texts.
11-12.RI.9 Analyze foundational U.S. and world documents of historical and literary
significance for their themes, purposes, and rhetorical features.

Writing

11-12.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas,

concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization,
and analysis of content

11-12.W.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective
technique, well‐chosen details, and well‐structured event sequences.

11-12.W.7 Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question
(including a self‐generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when
appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the
subject under investigation.

11-12.W.8 Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources,
using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in
terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to
maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and
following a standard format for citation.

11-12.W.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection,
and research.

Speaking and Listening

11-12.SL.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one‐on‐

one, in groups, and teacher‐led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics, texts, and issues,
building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

11-12.SL.3 Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, use of evidence, and use of rhetoric,
assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone
used.

11-12.SL.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence in an organized, developed

style appropriate to purpose, audience, and task, allowing listeners to follow the speaker's line
of reasoning, message, and any alternative perspectives.
Enduring Understanding Learning Outcomes
Important Concepts:
● Literature has the power to depict the
struggles of certain groups and leave
long-lasting impact within social
movements
o Literature as a means to spread
a message related to struggles
that have been invisible in the
eye of society
▪ Literature, and art in
general, as the voice of
the oppressed
● Speeches utilize various rhetorical
devices to convey messages
appropriate for different audiences and
purposes
● Biases present in different sources of
information affect their validity and
the bias is typically heavily connected
to a message the source wants to
convey.
● Cultural background combined with
societal norms and expectations are
especially connected/influential in
creating personal narratives
Texts/Resources
Address at Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 -
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
On Women’s Right to Vote - Susan B.
Anthony
Ain’t I a Woman? - Sojourner Truth
The Yellow Wallpaper - Charlotte Perkins
Gilman
The Feminine Mystique - Betty Friedan
We Should All Be Feminists - Chimamanda
Ngozi Adichie
Link for more resources/resource list
Students will know and be able to do:
● Examine how historical and social
context are represented by speeches or
works of writing exclusive to certain
periods of time
● Write different types of texts that take
historical accuracy and context into
consideration
● Identify components of an effective
speech and know how to use them
● Identify bias in different sources and
know how to select informational
resources with little to know bias
● Write a brief informational paper that
discusses either a gender/women’s
issue in history or a woman who made
significant achievements within a
certain era of U.S. history
● Conduct a discussion in which they
critically think about and share their
views on elements of feminism/gender
equality and their place in the modern
era.
Assessment
Formative: Summative:
Reading annotations Unit notebook
(for all readings) including notes,
specific assignments
Model-writing based and worksheets,
on Anthony’s speech. quickwrites/journal
writings, etc.
In-class discussions
on themes in texts Interdisciplinary
like The Yellow project and essay.
Wallpaper or The
Feminine Mystique.
Unsent Letters based
on TFM.

Learning Plan: Scope and Sequence
Journal entries or quick writes would be
given most days to help activate prior
knowledge of concepts related to
feminism/gender equality.
Week 1:
Introduce overview of what the unit is about,
what we will be doing and discussing
throughout it. Students will be given a mini
reading/writing notebook assignment to
compile throughout unit.
Introduce the origins of feminism in the U.S.,
first wave feminist literature, Seneca Falls
Convention - Students begin reading
Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s Address at Seneca
Falls in 1848
Students begin learning speech techniques.
They are given a worksheet/graphic organizer
that lists the names of different speech
techniques and an example (ethos, pathos,
logos, tone, etc.). After reading the speech as
a class (teacher read-aloud, students annotate
text), teacher explains definition and
examples of the terms on the worksheet.
Worksheet will go in their notebook once
completed. After explaining a term, students
are tasked with looking through Stanton’s
speech to find what may be an example of
the speech technique. Discuss with the class
how and why Stanton might have used these
Identifying bias in
articles group
checklists.
Mini-essay
(informative) on
gender-related issue
Philosophical chairs
based on We Should
All Be Feminists
Differentiation
When discussing a text/video, students will be
given prep time before to gather information
they may need to participate or to discuss the
topic with their peers in small, informal
groups. With the Philosophical Chairs, some
students will be provided with the list of
questions that will be given throughout the
discussion activity before the activity actually
begins, rather than having to wait for each
question to appear on the board and needing
to come up with a stance on the spot.
For speech technique activity, ELL/SPED
students will be provided with a second, two-
column graphic organizer with a quote from
the speech in column, which then only
requires them to determine which speech
technique is being used.
ELL students will be provided with actual
templates to fill out/modify for each possible
model paragraph from Susan B. Anthony’s
On Women’s Right to Vote that they can use
to complete their model-writing assignment.
ELL/SPED students will work in a group with
the teacher to read The Feminine Mystique in
a reader’s theater-style so the teacher can
guide/assist them as necessary to complete the
reading.
For bias activity, ELL students will be
provided the same article/website print as
techniques. Who was her audience and what
was her purpose?
Students read Susan B. Anthony’s speech On
Women’s Right to Vote for homework. In
class, students and teachers work to identify
techniques again. Students are assigned to do
a writing-style imitation piece using
Anthony’s speech. They can choose from
paragraphs 1, 4 + 5 (“It was…” + “For
any…”), 6, or 8. They must choose a social
issue, take the paragraph they’ve selected, and
then write about the social issue using the
paragraph as a sort of model, following the
same style and using similar vocabulary as
SBA does. It is due the first day of the
following week.
Student’s read Sojourner Truth’s Ain’t I a
Woman? and using Save the Last Word for
Me, students discuss the historical context of
the speech and Truth’s purpose and message
(alternate between small-group and whole-
class)..
their group members, but theirs will have
areas highlighted as indicators of bias/non-
bias. They will only have to explain why that
area was selected as an indicator.
Struggling writers can do a mini-
PowerPoint/presentation about a gender
issue/significant woman rather than an mini-
essay. (They do not need to present it in front
of the class - as with essay, the main element
of assessment is ability to select informational
sources)
Gifted students can become the discussion
directors for the Philosophical Chairs activity.
They will present the questions, ask peers to
elaborate on positions, guide neutral students
to a side or have them defend neutrality,
moderate exchange between sides, etc.
Gifted students can be assisted with writing a
script/storyboard for their alternate PSA video
assignment for the interdisciplinary project.

Week 2:

Students share their Anthony speech

imitations with the class and class evaluates
whether or not their peers effectively adapted
her words to convey their message.

Students will begin reading The Yellow

Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. I
will play an audiobook version of it and the
students will annotate the print version. As
the story goes on, I will stop it to take student
questions or clarify potentially confusing
parts.

Quick-write about how the story reflects

themes about women’s voices being heard.
Quick-write will go in unit notebook. How
does that connect to the idea of suffrage and
what ECS/SBA stated in their speeches?
Leads to informal discussion in class about
connections between narratives and real-
world contexts.

Presentation on second wave feminism

(SWF) + feminist literature in this wave.

Read The Feminine Mystique (Excerpt of

Chapter 1) by Betty Friedan. Students will
read it in groups with self-assigned roles
(similar to reader’s theater). Briefly discuss
what publishing the letters included might
have meant for second-wave feminism and
how it brought attention to invisible thoughts
and issues.

Students are taught how to do Unsent Letters.

For homework, students must look at what
they have learned in their history class about
SWF, use a timeline of feminism, and
conduct their own research to either
1. Write a letter to Betty Friedan in the
60s as a person (man or woman) that
could fit in The Feminine Mystique
2. Write a letter that would appear a first
wave version of TFM
The letter should accurately reflect what a
man or woman of the time would think or say
in regards to a social standard/expectation that
affected them in some way. Due following
Monday.

Before officially discussing third/fourth wave

feminism the following week, students will be
divided into three groups (or six groups, but
each two sharing the same topic). Each group
will be assigned one of three articles related
to feminism. One article will have heavy bias
in favor of radical feminism, one article will
be neutral and free of bias, and one article
with heavy anti-feminist bias. After doing a
brief presentation on elements of bias in
sources, teacher will ask students to work in
their groups to examine their article and fill
out the SMELL checklist to evaluate its
validity. After completing and discussing
checklists, they will go in unit notebook.
Week 3:

Presentation on third and fourth wave

feminism, focusing on how they blend
together, iconic works of the time; discuss
how students perceive feminism today.

Introduce mini-essay assignment (primarily

done in class) where students have to write a
2-3 page report on a gender-related issue
within one of the waves of feminism, describe
the issue’s origins, the effects/affected people
of the issue, and its evolution over time OR a
woman from Real American Women A-Z by
Kate Schatz and the time period in which she
exists/ed related to gender issues, what she
did, and why she is important to women’s
history. Due on Sunday of the week. It will
primarily be assessed on the student’s abilities
to select and use non-biased sources for
informative purposes. After the presentation,
students will be given time to conduct
research in class. The following day, students
will be given the class time to work on the
mini-essay and conference individually with
the teacher.

Introduce the interdisciplinary unit project

and essay.

In class, students will watch Chimamanda

Ngozi Adichie’s TEDTalk, We Should All be
Feminists. Students will be provided with a
transcript of the talk to annotate.

Culture and Intersectionality - Students will

lead a Philosophical Chairs discussion. One
question will appear on the board each round.
They will move in the room according to
whether they agree, are neutral on, or disagree
with the following questions:
1. Are things still different or harder for
women nowadays?
 2. Have our ideas of gender related
specifically to the roles and abilities of
men and women evolved now?
3. Has the society you were/are being
raised in taught you, consciously or
subconsciously, that men are more
important or valuable than women?
4. Is anger required or justified when
trying to create social change?
5. Does society place unfair standards on
men as well? If so, are they just as
harmful to men as certain social
standards are harmful towards
women?
6. Concluding Question: Does gender
affect the way we experience the
world in the modern era?

Note: No students should remain neutral

before moving onto a new question, or if they
want to remain neutral, they must discuss why
they feel strongly about their neutrality.

Quick Write on what being a feminist means

to the student. Goes in unit notebook.

Last day of week is used to either work on

mini-essay or interdisciplinary project/essay.

Week 4

Week dedicated to working on the

interdisciplinary essay + project.

Students will spend one day peer reviewing

another student’s speech or paper. One half of
the class will be spent reading their partner’s
paper, and the other half will be spent
discussing strengths and weaknesses/areas of
improvement.

Last day will be used to present speeches and

signs (can extend to an extra day in a fifth
week if necessary).
 Hyperlinks to IDU Resources:

● Performance Task - Speech Rubric

● IDU Presentation