*Created by Melissa Raetz*
Social Studies Activity: Margaret Sanger & the Birth Control Movement
Working with primary source documents
Time: 1 class period (40 minutes)
Objectives:
1. Through careful examination of primary source documents, students will compare and contrast the mission statement of “No Gods, No Masters” by Margaret Sanger with the current mission statement of Planned Parenthood NYC.
2. Students will demonstrate understanding of the significance of the birth control movement to the women’s rights movement by completing a quick write that synthesizes the two documents.
Standards:
New York State Learning Standards – Social Studies
Unit 8: Global Connections & Interactions
I. The Constitution Tested: Nationalism & Sectionalism
B: Constitutional stress and crisis:
(d) The birth of the American reform tradition (women’s rights movement)
Unit 4: The Progressive Movement: Responses to the challenges brought about by industrialization and urbanization
I. Reform in America
B. Progress: Social and economic reform and consumer protection
Women’s rights and efforts for peace
3. Beginnings of fight for birth control (Margaret Sanger)
Description of Activity:
1. Students will be introduced to the topic.
2. Teacher will introduce the class activity by explaining that students will be completing an independent quick write in response to the following prompt:
Provide at least two ways the mission statements are different.
Write a concluding sentence about Margaret Sanger’s impact on the women’s rights movement.
3. In groups of 3-4, students will use laptops in the classroom to read the two primary source documents.
Questions to consider in Sanger’s piece:
- What does Sanger say about women’s right to contraception?
- How do Sanger’s views on contraception challenge the traditional role of women in the family (as a wife & mother)?
- What action does Sanger plan to take to educate women on their contraceptive rights?
- How does Sanger incorporate adolescent girls into her mission?
Pamphlet accessible online at http://issuu.com/ppnyc/docs/ymm.ppnyc367.f04?mode=embed&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml&showFlipBtn=true
Questions to consider on Planned Parenthood website:
- How does Planned Parenthood view reproductive rights?
- What socioeconomic and ethnic groups does Planned Parenthood serve?
- How does Planned Parenthood advocate for women’s contraceptive rights?
- How does Planned Parenthood incorporate adolescent girls into their mission?
4. Students will answer the quick write prompt by writing independently for 10 minutes.
5. Students will use their quick writes to respond the following questions in a closing class discussion:
- What was Sanger’s contribution to the women’s rights movement?
- How did her efforts affect the role of women prior to 1920?
- How have Sanger’s efforts endured to today?
Assessment of Student Learning:
1. Students will be assessed on their response to the quick write, which will be handed in at the end of the class.
At least two ways the mission statements are different.
A concluding sentence about Margaret Sanger’s impact on the women’s rights movement.
2. Students will be assessed on their participation in the lesson.
How this lesson will enhance literacy awareness & student’s learning:
1. This lesson will enhance student’s learning because students will explore the origins of the birth control movement and will assess how Margaret Sanger’s initial efforts in the birth control movement endure today.
2. This lesson will enhance student’s literacy awareness because students will use comprehension questions to help them to analyze the two primary source documents. In addition, the quick write assessment will enhance literacy awareness by encouraging students to think critically about the two documents and choosing the most important details to include in their quick write.
Social Studies Activity: Margaret Sanger & the Birth Control Movement
Working with primary source documents
Time: 1 class period (40 minutes)
Objectives:
1. Through careful examination of primary source documents, students will compare and contrast the mission statement of “No Gods, No Masters” by Margaret Sanger with the current mission statement of Planned Parenthood NYC.
2. Students will demonstrate understanding of the significance of the birth control movement to the women’s rights movement by completing a quick write that synthesizes the two documents.
Standards:
New York State Learning Standards – Social Studies
Unit 8: Global Connections & Interactions
I. The Constitution Tested: Nationalism & Sectionalism
B: Constitutional stress and crisis:
(d) The birth of the American reform tradition (women’s rights movement)
Unit 4: The Progressive Movement: Responses to the challenges brought about by industrialization and urbanization
I. Reform in America
B. Progress: Social and economic reform and consumer protection
Women’s rights and efforts for peace
3. Beginnings of fight for birth control (Margaret Sanger)
Description of Activity:
1. Students will be introduced to the topic.
- Teacher will provide brief background information on the foundation of the birth control movement & Margaret Sanger in the form of a class lecture. Students will take notes during this part of the lesson.
2. Teacher will introduce the class activity by explaining that students will be completing an independent quick write in response to the following prompt:
- Compare and contrast the mission statements of “No Gods, No Masters” by Margaret Sanger with the current mission statement of Planned Parenthood NYC.
Provide at least two ways the mission statements are different.
Write a concluding sentence about Margaret Sanger’s impact on the women’s rights movement.
3. In groups of 3-4, students will use laptops in the classroom to read the two primary source documents.
- First edition of The Women’s Rebel – “No Gods, No Masters” by Margaret Sanger
Questions to consider in Sanger’s piece:
- What does Sanger say about women’s right to contraception?
- How do Sanger’s views on contraception challenge the traditional role of women in the family (as a wife & mother)?
- What action does Sanger plan to take to educate women on their contraceptive rights?
- How does Sanger incorporate adolescent girls into her mission?
- Mission statement and “Who we are” section of current Planned Parenthood NYC website
Pamphlet accessible online at http://issuu.com/ppnyc/docs/ymm.ppnyc367.f04?mode=embed&layout=http%3A%2F%2Fskin.issuu.com%2Fv%2Flight%2Flayout.xml&showFlipBtn=true
Questions to consider on Planned Parenthood website:
- How does Planned Parenthood view reproductive rights?
- What socioeconomic and ethnic groups does Planned Parenthood serve?
- How does Planned Parenthood advocate for women’s contraceptive rights?
- How does Planned Parenthood incorporate adolescent girls into their mission?
4. Students will answer the quick write prompt by writing independently for 10 minutes.
5. Students will use their quick writes to respond the following questions in a closing class discussion:
- What was Sanger’s contribution to the women’s rights movement?
- How did her efforts affect the role of women prior to 1920?
- How have Sanger’s efforts endured to today?
Assessment of Student Learning:
1. Students will be assessed on their response to the quick write, which will be handed in at the end of the class.
- Students must include the following in their quick write to receive full credit:
At least two ways the mission statements are different.
A concluding sentence about Margaret Sanger’s impact on the women’s rights movement.
2. Students will be assessed on their participation in the lesson.
- While reading the primary source documents in a small group.
- In answering the discussion questions during the closure of the lesson.
How this lesson will enhance literacy awareness & student’s learning:
1. This lesson will enhance student’s learning because students will explore the origins of the birth control movement and will assess how Margaret Sanger’s initial efforts in the birth control movement endure today.
2. This lesson will enhance student’s literacy awareness because students will use comprehension questions to help them to analyze the two primary source documents. In addition, the quick write assessment will enhance literacy awareness by encouraging students to think critically about the two documents and choosing the most important details to include in their quick write.