The Women's Rights Movement

Two significant factors contributed to the emergence of women's history. The women's movement of the sixties caused women to question their invisibility in traditional American history texts. The movement also raised the aspirations as well as the opportunities of women, and produced a growing number of female historians. Women's history was also part of a larger movement that transformed the traditional content of history textbooks used in schools.

The study of "History" traditionally translated to political history that chronicled the key political events and leaders, primarily men, who influenced them. But, by the 1970s, that began to change and replace older style history. Emphasis shifted to a broader spectrum of American life, including such topics as the history of urban life, public health, ethnicity, the media, and poverty.

The new millennium has witnessed a significant change and attitudinal shift in both women's and society's thoughts about women's equality and emancipation. Many young women today may feel that they have reached an acceptable level of equity. But many feminists from the 1970's know too well the ingrained traditions of patriarchal society.

The unfortunate fact is that women still receive pay that isn't equal to their male counterparts, and are still not present in relatively equal numbers in business or politics. Globally speaking, women's education, health, justice, and career opportunity in the underdeveloped countries is woefully lacking.

Students can learn more about the struggle for women's rights, both in America and the world, by using a special model BookCart created by ProQuest: Women's History--Struggle for Equality.

The BookCart includes examples of essential questions for critical thinking that motivate and guide students to do more than find and regurgitate facts. Teachers can create additional questions if needed. Teachers can also add student directions and correlated print resources to make each of these BookCarts a complete learning activity. Students only need to go to one place to get everything they need to complete the assignment.

To learn more about lesson planning with BookCarts, consult our collaboration guide.

To copy this BookCart for your students:

• Access the eLibrary CE Teacher Edition
• Click BookCart Admin link at the top right
• Select the ProQuest Carts tab
• Click the folder SS--U.S. History
• Type women in the Search box
• Click the Copy icon to the right of Women's History--Struggle for Equality
• Click Return to My Local Carts.
• Note: Students will be able to open this BookCart by clicking the BookCart tab on the search page.

To edit this BookCart for your student to find and use:

• Click the new BookCart Title--it will have the prefix "Copy of"
• Delete "Copy of" in the Title
• Type your name in the Author boxes and "teacher email" in the email box
• Scroll down and click Save button at bottom
• Click Return to My Local Carts to see your new BookCart
• Note: Students will click the BookCart tab next to My List to open and work on their assignment.

Use our custom ProQuest models for written and PowerPoint-style reports.

Assign each student to select a different and famous women author of the 20th century who wrote about women's rights. Assign students to create a report of at least 150 words, or, a presentation of at least two minutes and seven slides. Students should cite at least three resources. Students should use one of the Select Study Questions listed at the bottom of the Feminist Writers section (see Pathfinder below).

Pathfinder:
Click the Study Pages tab > Literary Movement Pages > Feminist writers

Use our custom ProQuest models for written and PowerPoint-style reports.

Students should write a report of at least 150 words and cite at least three sources. The report should address at least three of the following essential questions for critical thinking (you can add or substitute others):

• Who were three of the most famous women in the feminist movement and what did they do?
• What strategies did women use to gain the right to vote?
• When was the next significant women's right gained and who helped to obtain it?
• What significant rights are still not afforded women?
• What would you do to make progress on these new rights?
• Why would you oppose any progress on these new rights?

Pathfinder:
Click the Study Units tab > Enter Feminist Movement in the keyword Search box > Select American Feminism link

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