Feminist Movements - 11 Modern History - First wave of Feminism in Australia (1880s)

A lesson (23 slide PPT) designed for use early in the unit which introduces students to key terms, ideas and concepts. The lesson begins with some terms to add to their glossary (patriarchy & reproductive rights). It is followed by a 13minute ClickView viewing activity (Feminism: Whatever Happened to Women’s Lib?) which is good for prompting discussions. Following this there are notes for students to take (underlined) as well as supporting materials from reliable sources. Information covered includes: ‘The first forms of feminism in Australia,’ ‘Early feminist organisations,’ ‘Important dates,’ and ‘The differences between Australian / British / American feminists in that era.’ This is followed by an exploration of what ‘Women’s rights’ were at the time (both in the family unit and at work) and what advancements the feminists wanted. Following this the achievements of Australia’s ‘first wave’ feminists are summarised including the right to vote (both state and national). This is followed by 7 checking for understanding questions. Afterwards students can create multiple choice questions for a class Kahoot which will be used for revision in later lessons.

Resources designed for the new senior Modern History syllabus (implemented in QLD in 2019). Designed as part of a unit entitled Women’s movements since 1893 which has the scope to span from when Women’s suffrage in New Zealand became law to the present. Our school decided to focus on the Second Wave of Feminism for our assessment (while briefly touching on the other waves of feminism).The other resources are also available in my store - Aussie_Resources. The end of term assessment for this unit was an essay under exam conditions.