Enlightenment: Mary Wollstonecraft
Jaylyn Zimmer, September 2023, Grade 10, Periods 1-(modified for virtual),3,8
CONTEXT OF LESSON: This is the eighth lesson of Unit 10.2b. In the last lesson,
discussed the effects of Enlightenment ideas on abolition and William Willberforce. In
this lesson, we will be learning about the effects of Enlightenment ideas on women’s
rights and the influence of Mary Wollstonecraft and her writings. This lesson will use
regents questions to help build the skill of analyzing documents. This lesson provides
the students with an understanding of the effect that Enlightenment ideas had on
movements such as women's rights.
STANDARDS:
A) Key Ideas:
a) 10.2 : ENLIGHTENMENT, REVOLUTION, AND NATIONALISM:
The Enlightenment called into question traditional beliefs and inspired
widespread political, economic, and social change. This intellectual
movement was used to challenge political authorities in Europe and
colonial rule in the Americas. These ideals inspired political and social
movements.
B) Conceptual Understanding:
a) 10.2b: Individuals used Enlightenment ideals to challenge traditional beliefs and
secure people’s rights in reform movements, such as women’s rights and
abolition; some leaders may be considered enlightened despots.
C) Content Specifications:
Students will explore the influence of Enlightenment ideals on issues of gender
a)
and abolition by examining the ideas of individuals such as Mary Wollstonecraft
and William Wilberforce.
D) Common Core Standards: RH9-10.4; WHST9-10.1; SL9-10.1
SWBAT:
~ Students will be able to EXPLAIN the influence of Enlightenment ideals on
women’s rights by examining the ideas of individuals such as Mary Wollstonecraft
PERFORMANCE TASK(S):
Students will be tasked with following a brief lecture on women's rights and
filling in a notes sheet to follow along with the lesson. Students will also work as a
group and independently on reading and answering questions based on the documents.
Students will begin by answering the Welcome Work task which is a series of true or
false statements on women’s rights during the Enlightenment. Students will conclude
the lesson by completing a google form answering true or false questions and
responding to a regents document.
MATERIALS NEEDED:
● Printed Worksheet or Google ● Powerpoint Slide
doc (Enlightenment Period -Zimmer)
● Pens/pencils/markers ● Chromebooks for Google Forms
TEACHING/PROCEDURES:
A) Anticipatory Set:
a) The class will start off by answering their Welcome Work. The task will
be to answer a series of true or false statements in which I provide the
statements verbally, and have the students stand if they think it's true,
and sit if it's false. This task should take no more than 5 min. Students
will pull out their packet upon completion,
B) Preview/Statement of Purpose:
a) After the welcome work, the teacher will begin by introducing the plan
for the day. This lesson will focus on introducing the issues surrounding
women’s rights at the time, as well as Mary Wollstonecraft. The plan
includes a reading in which we will complete as a class. Students will
then answer questions independently, and participate in a
Think-Pair-Share.
C) Presentation of material:
a) The teacher will begin with introducing the Welcome Work, which is a
standing True/False survey. After the students complete the survey, they
will return to their seats to complete a reading that the teacher will
facilitate. Once the reading is completed, we will answer the first
question as a class and students will independently answer the associated
questions. From there, students will pair up at random (different colored
shoes) and participate in a think-pair-share. After about 5 minutes, the
students will then share their answers with the class. Students will return
to their seats to begin a separate reading which we will complete
together. Be sure to give time for students to fill in answers. After the
reading, students will complete a Google Form closure activity.
STUDENT ACTIVITIES: Day 1
1) Upon entering the classroom, students will settle into their seats and park their
phones. Once students are settled and prepared for class, they will participate in
a standing True/False Survey. The teacher will verbally provide the statements,
and students will stand if they think the statement is true, and sit if they think
the statement is false. Once completed, have students return to their seats and
bring out their packets.
2) Introduce the plan for the day with the students (lesson on women’s rights and
introducing Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Women).
3) Begin the lesson on women’s rights. Through a reading, we will introduce the
historical context and the social reform movement for women’s rights. We will
complete this reading as a class.
a) Be sure to pull out tier two vocabulary and ask students to recall
information from the reading.
4) Once completed, we will answer the first question together. Remind students to
restate the question and to write in complete sentences. Once finished, have
students complete the remaining questions independently. Provide the students
5-8 minutes.
5) Once the students have completed the questions, have them all stand and find
someone with different colored shoes that they are wearing. They will discuss
their answers with their partner and then each pair will share their answer with
the class.
6) Students will then return to their seats and complete another reading as a class.
The reading is about A Vindication on the Rights of Women. Through this
reading, we will recall information about Enlightenment ideas and connect
those ideas to social reform such as the women’s rights movement. Once we
complete the reading, students will restate the question, and provide the answer.
This will be completed as a class.
7) Once all the work is completed, students will pull out their chromebooks to
complete a closure activity. This activity is a Google Form that asks the
students the same True/False statements as before. The form also includes a
regents question with a reading from A Vindication of the Rights of Women. The
students will also need to write a “because statement” defending their answer.
INDEPENDENT PRACTICE:
The independent practice will be to complete the questions associated with the
first reading, before they pair up to discuss their answers. Another independent
practice that the students will complete is the closure assessment, which asks them to
respond to true/false statements, complete a regents reading and associated question,
and write a because statement defending their answer.
ASSESSMENT(S):
~ Students will be able to EXPLAIN the influence of Enlightenment ideals on
women’s rights by examining the ideas of individuals such as Mary Wollstonecraft
by answering question with associated readings, then sharing their answers to the
class through a think-pair-share
~ Students will be able to respond to true/false statements based off of a reading
completed in class, and defend their response to a regents question using a
because statement.
CLOSURE:
To wrap up the lesson, students will bring out their chromebooks to complete a
Google Form assessment. This assessment will consist of the same True/False
statements that were used at the beginning of class. The form will also include a
regents question which is an excerpt from A Vindication on the Rights of Women and
an associated question. The students will need to defend their answer by writing a
because statement.
