Individual Lesson View
Senaca Falls Convention
From: Zinn Education Project
Grade Level: HS, (College)
Remote Ready: With Modifications
Time: 2-3 class periods
Length of Reading: Chapter
Seneca Falls, 1848:
Women Organize for Equality
Students read chapter 6 from A People's History of the United States, by Howard Zinn (available online). Discussion questions are provided.
Then students are divided into 5 groups. Each group is assigned an identity: white middle and upper-class reformers, mill workers in New England, Cherokee women in Oklahoma, Mexican women in New Mexico, and African American women who are enslaved. There is a one page description of each group. Students write resolutions from the perspective of the group they represent using the provided instructions. Next "traveling negotiators" from each group cycle through the other groups, attempting to build consensus on resolutions. Top resolutions are brought to the floor for group discussion.
Finally, students discuss the actual resolutions at the Seneca Falls Convention. Students put each actual resolution into their own words. And students critique the actual declaration from the perspective of their assigned group.
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Grade Level: HS, (College)
- This lesson is intended for high school (HS) students.
- However, we think it would be excellent for college students as well.
Remote Ready: With Modifications
- Links to the reading assignments can easily be emailed or posted for students.
- It’s much easier for small groups or pairs to coordinate a phone call or video conference meeting than for the entire class to sync their schedules. Have these small groups post answers, a synopsis, or a video of their discussion to your LMS.
- You could mix members of each group to discuss each group’s resolutions on video conference. Or you could skip this step.
- Students can discuss the actual Seneca Falls resolutions via video chat or text chat on your LMS. Or you can skip this step.
- Students can post their synopses of the actual Seneca Falls resolutions on your LMS.
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This means that this activity utilizes primary sources
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This activity calls for working in pairs, a group, and/or having a class discussion
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This activity involves a student debate
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This activity involves asking students to portray historical figures
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