Student Resources:

• Reform Movements of the Nineteenth Century Reference Sheet Handout
• Quotes Handout
• Scissors and glue

Teacher Resources:

• Reform Movements of the Nineteenth Century Stations

Facilitation Notes

• There are several options for implementing this lesson based on class time available:
  • If you have 30 minutes: read the information and sort the quotes.
  • If you have a full class period: read the information, sort the quotes and do the first extension.
  • If you have multiple days: read the information, sort the quotes, and do both extensions.
• The quotes come two sets per page and teachers will need to cut the pages prior to class.

Engage

• Project or read the quote from Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I A Woman” speech: “If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them”
• Ask students: “Based on this quote, whose role in society is Sojourner trying to change? Why?”
  • Tell students “In the 1800s several groups of reformers, or people wanting to make positive changes to already existing organizations, began working hard to make those changes. It was not easy and many of the changes took decades. Today we will look at several reform movements to see what changes they were fighting to make.”

Explore

• Distribute the student handout and read with students the information about each reform movement, utilizing the Modes of Reading Teacher Resource.
• Hand out the quotes sheet. Instruct students to cut the quotes, match them to the correct reform movement, and check that they have the right quote paired to the correct reform movement before gluing them onto the empty white space.

 

Assess & Reflect

• Why do you think so many reform movements happened at the same time?
• Which movement do you think was the most successful and why?
• Can you think of any modern movements that seem similar?

Extend (Optional)

• Stations Activity
  • Post the stations documents around the room and have small groups of students rotate to each, answering the question(s) that go with each document.
  • Links are provided if you want to make this a digital activity so that students can zoom in on parts of the primary sources.
• Create a visual one-pager
  • Give students a sheet of blank white paper and the following instructions:
    • Using pictures and words to complete the following:
      • A 1-inch border around the edge of the paper to frame, that should contain words or drawings that represent the main purpose of the reform movement
      • The name of the reform movement centrally featured
      • The goals of the movement
      • Challenges they faced
      • Accomplishments
      • How their legacy shows up today