Lesson Plan: "May I Quote You on That?"

Lesson Plan

Before Exploring

Write the following quotation on the chalkboard:

"It is getting to be generally accepted that any woman who wishes to work must be permitted to do so."

Ask students to write the answers to the following questions in their notebooks.

•  What country might the speaker be from? Why do you think so?

•  What might be the approximate time frame to which the speaker is referring? Why do you think so?

Have students share their answers with the rest of the class and point out the correct response when and if it is given by a student. (The speaker is a woman from Canada within the radio broadcast "The Homemaker's Program," commenting in 1946 upon the continued need for women in the workforce after the Second World War.)

Ask: Do you think this quotation reflects women in Canadian society today? Why? Are there any countries in the world today where this statement might apply? Are there any countries in the world today where women are not "permitted" to work? Ask students about their opinions on the topic of sex discrimination.

Outline the Opportunity

Have students explore all of the clips in the topic A Woman's Place: Programming for the Modern Homemaker on the CBC Digital Archives website. Students will find and record three other quotations that represent the role of Canadian women in society between the years 1946 and 1969. Based on the quotations they find, students create a political cartoon depicting their opinion about the fairness or injustice of women's roles between 1946 and 1969 and the place of the media in portraying or influencing this role.

Revisit and Reflect

Create a display of students' work that includes their cartoon along with the three quotations they chose. After students have had time to view one another's work, gather the class. Ask students to share their ideas by telling about or stating the quotations they found, sharing their opinion about women's roles and the media's influence in portraying them, and explaining the meaning of the cartoon they created.

Extension

Students can interview an older female relative about her role in Canadian society between 1946 and 1969. They can ask how she believes women's roles have changed and her opinions about the role of media in portraying or influencing women's roles.

Materials

Drawing Materials

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