Women of the Industrial Era
What can we learn from diverse people today and in history about private action for the common good?
Photo Credit: Women on the Home Front in World War One by Paul Townsend is licensed under CC by 2.0
Students learn about the Industrial Revolution and its impact on women. They learn about Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony and Clara Barton. At the conclusion of the unit, the students will organize a blood drive in the school in conjunction with the American Red Cross.
This lesson is designed to introduce the industrial revolution to students. They will learn about some of the key inventions that affected people in the nineteenth century and their effects on families, especially women. The work of children in supporting the family will also be explored.
This lesson is designed to provide the students with information about Sojourner Truth's contributions to abolitionism and women's suffrage. She worked tirelessly to aid the freed men after the Civil War and brought about increased recognition of their plight. Students will discuss the right of all voices to be heard in a democracy and determine how Sojourner Truth's work on behalf of various causes was philanthropic.
This lesson will introduce Elizabeth Cady Stanton and her involvement with the woman's movement. It will focus on her work, in conjunction with others, to change women's rights in the United States. It will also show her concern toward fugitive slaves, a common thread of the women in this unit. Students will analyze the contributions of individuals in the anti-slavery and women's movements as acts of philanthropy.
This lesson is designed to enlarge students' thinking about the famous suffragist Susan B. Anthony. Although she is best known for this role, she was active in six different causes as an abolitionist, educational reformer, labor activist, temperance worker, suffragist, and women's rights campaigner. Students will analyze why Anthony was so insistent on the importance of the vote for women. Since her work did not come to fruition until after her death, students will determine whether she merits consideration as a philanthropist.
This lesson will explore the contributions made by Clara Barton to help those less fortunate. It will explore her efforts as a nurse and founder of the American Red Cross. This will be another example of the women from the Industrial Era making a difference through contributions to society. This lesson will also incorporate a service project connecting the students to the Red Cross.