"Time passages" introduces the Famous Five and their achievements within the context of historical events during the early 1900's.

Activity one

Student Resources

Activity two

Have students work in small groups. Refer each group of students to the Famous Five Timeline. Ask each group to use the Timeline to identify the gains and accomplishments of women throughout the first half of the 1900's. Ask each group to use the student resource to create a comic strip summary of these key gains and accomplishments. Students can be asked to create their comic strips to represent what they found out using the storyboard format of this student resource.

Ask students to consider what they might like to find out about events and people in Canadian history during this time period. Work with the students to create a list of inquiry questions. Students can use the For My Inquiry (29KB PDF) student resource to record their questions

Student Resources

Activity three

Tell students that they will work in small groups to investigate the place of the Famous Five in Canadian history in the early 1900s. Provide each group with the selected Famous Five Profiles and ask them to investigate one of these women.

Have the students use the sources to look for evidence of the impact the Famous Five had on events and people in Canadian history during this time period. Students may be asked to use Analyzing Photographs (340KB PDF) and Analyzing Documents (70KB PDF) to help them discuss and examine the sources.

Student Resources

Activity four

Have the class work together to create a three-dimensional timeline of Canadian history in the early 1900s, focusing on women's accomplishments and the involvement and contributions of the Famous Five. Have each small group take responsibility for a period of years and create a mobile that represents the events during these years. String a wire across the classroom and display the completed mobiles in chronological order on the wire.

Have students work individually and use the class timeline to create their own summary timelines of this period in Canadian history.

Student Resources

"Equal Pay for Equal Work" looks at their achievements within the broader scope of equality and human rights.

Activity one

Student Resources

Activity two

Have students work in small groups. Introduce the students to the Famous Five and women's and equality by providing them with the Achievements pages and readings from the Famous Five Profiles . Ask each group to use these sources to identify issues relating to the concept of equality and rights. Students can also be asked to consider how rights of children and youth might have been an issue during the time period in which the Famous Five lived. Ask each group to use the Setting the Stage (33KB PDF) student resource to identify these issues. Students can be asked to record information and any illustrations they found using the storyboard format of this student resource.

Ask students to think about the kinds of things that can be learned from historical sources such as political cartoons, posters and handbills dealing with controversial issues. Have them add information on using different types of sources to their How I Use Sources (66KB PDF) student resource.

Ask students to consider what they might like to find out about the fight for equal rights in the context of Canadian history as well as in current contexts. Work with the students to create a list of inquiry questions. Students can use the For My Inquiry (29KB PDF) student resource below to record their questions.

Student Resources

Setting the Stage (33KB PDF)
For My Inquiry (29KB PDF)
How I Use Sources (66KB PDF)

Activity three

Tell students that they will work in small groups to investigate ways in which the Famous Five fought for equal rights for women and children. Refer each group to the one of the Famous Five Profiles and The ‘Persons’ Case pages below, or print off these pages. Each small group may be asked to focus on investigating one of the Famous Five.
Have students use the sources to look for evidence of the impact the Famous Five had on the suffrage movement and women's and children's rights. Students may be asked to use Analyzing Photographs (340KB PDF) and Analyzing Documents (70KB PDF) to help them discuss and examine the sources.

Student Resources

Activity four

Have students do a media search to identify current issues relating to equality and human rights in Canada. Have them write a letter to the editor of the local newspaper responding to this issue and using the Famous Five Profiles and The ‘Persons’ Case as an example of the fight for equality.

Have students work individually and use the class timeline to create their own summary timelines of this period in Canadian history.

Student Resources

"Casting the Vote" focuses on one of these achievements and the importance of citizens' right to vote.

This lesson could be used in a Social Studies, Civics, or Canadian history course to introduce students to the Famous Five as citizens who were involved in the fight for women’s right to vote. This lesson also introduces students to different types of historical sources, including photographs and textual sources.

Students will learn how the Famous Five, particularly Nellie McClung, were active in promoting women's right to vote. They will examine the attitudes and perspectives of the Famous Five in the Context of Canadian history and the development of Canada as a nation. They will examine the Mock Parliament of 1914 and its influence on Manitoba women winning the right to vote. They will use and analyze different types of historical sources.

Activity one

Student Resources

Activity two

Have students work in small groups. Have groups use classroom, library or Internet sources of information to research and discuss the following questions:

• Does everyone have the right to vote in elections?
• What are the restrictions on voters?
• What would it feel like to be excluded from voting
• What restrictions do you think there would be, if any, on voting
• What groups were excluded from voting in Canada’s past?
• When did some of these groups obtain the right to vote?

Student Resources

Setting the Stage (29KB PDF)
For My Inquiry (29KB PDF)
How I Use Sources (29KB PDF)
Famous Five Timeline

Activity three

Tell students that they will work in small groups to investigate the perspectives and influence of the Famous Five, particularly Nellie McClung, Henrietta Muir Edwards and Louise McKinney, on women's right to vote. Each small group may be asked to focus on investigating one of the Famous Five.

Have students use the first three Readings below to look for evidence of the impact the Famous Five had on the right to vote.

• Louise McKinney - "Where are Canadian Women Going—Back to Their Homes or Continue in Business Life?
• Louise McKinney - "Alberta Women and Alberta Laws"

Have students use a Visual Organizer (479KB PDF) such as the two-column chart to summarize their research by answering questions such as the following:

• What were Henrietta Muir Edwards' and Louise McKinney's opinions on women's right to vote?
• What reasons were given for not allowing women to vote?
• How did Nellie McClung have an impact on women achieving the right to vote in Manitoba?
• Did the vote come at the same time in each province?
• When could women vote in federal elections?
• What other roles did the Famous Five play in the building of Canada's parliamentary system?
• Which of the Famous Five were active in politics?
• What did they accomplish as politicians?

Students may also be asked to use Analyzing Photographs (340KB PDF) and Analyzing Documents (70KB PDF) to help them discuss and examine the sources.

Then refer each group to The Mock Parliament of 1914 , or print off these pages. This source presents Nellie McClung's description of the Manitoba Mock Parliament of 1914 from her book Purple Springs. Students may be asked to use this source in a variety of ways:

• Have groups use the dialogue to stage a reenactment of the Mock Parliament.
• Have groups create their own version of the Mock Parliament and enact it.
• Have groups adapt the Mock Parliament to present a current issue.

Student Resources

Activity four

Have students apply their research to current issues using projects such as the following:

• Have students research topics such as the actual percentage of votes cast in various provincial and federal elections and the percentage of women and men who vote.
• Ask students to think about why it is important not only to have the right to vote, but to vote.
• Have them create a poster, radio or television advertisement to promote the need for people to vote in elections.

Student Resources

"Setting an Example" demonstrates the importance of active citizenship, as exemplified by Famous Five.

This lesson could be used in a Social Studies, Civics, or Canadian history course to introduce students to the Famous Five as citizens who contributed to the building of Canada as a nation and the status and accomplishments of women. This lesson also introduces students to different types of historical sources, including photographs and textual sources.

The Famous Five made contributions as citizens to the civic purposes of their communities. Students will identify the rights and responsibilities of citizenship and apply these to their own situations. They will use a variety of historical sources of information.

Activity one

Student Resources

Activity two

Have students work in small groups. Have groups look at different pages from the Famous Five website, including the Profiles and The 'Persons' Case  pages below, to identify examples of social and political action without focusing on providing details or analyzing the sources.

Ask each group to use the Setting the Stage (29KB PDF) student resource to record their examples. Students can be asked to record sentences and any illustrations they found using the storyboard format of this student resource.

Ask students to consider what they might like to find out about different ways of taking action on issues and causes. Work with the students to create a list of inquiry questions. Students can use the For My Inquiry (29KB PDF) student resource located below to record their questions.

Student Resources

Setting the Stage (29KB PDF)
For My Inquiry (29KB PDF)
The ‘Persons’ Case
Famous Five Profiles

Activity three

Tell students they will work in small groups to research the following questions. Each small group may be asked to focus on investigating one of the Famous Five, using their Profiles below. Emphasize the need now to look for details and analyze the information in the sources.

• What did this woman contribute to her community as a citizen?
• To which communities did she contribute?
• How was this woman viewed by others in her fight for the causes she believed in?
• How is this woman viewed today?
• What opinions and actions of this woman's do you agree with?
• What do you disagree with?
• What are some parallels from current issues?
• Are there other examples of individuals or groups that fight as citizens for causes?
• How would you use the examples from this woman's life to define a citizen?
• What would you consider to be the rights and responsibilities of citizenship?

Have each group use the website section on The 'Persons' Case to answer the questions from the perspective of the Famous Five working as a group of citizens.

Students may also be asked to use Analyzing Photographs (340KB PDF) and Analyzing Documents (70KB PDF) to help them discuss and examine the sources.

Student Resources

Activity four

Have students apply their research to current issues using projects such as the following:

• How are the Famous Five role models for women today?
• Are the Famous Five role models for students?
• What examples do the Famous Five provide citizens participating in Canadian society?
• Why do we remember the accomplishments of the Famous Five?
• What can you do now to be an active citizen?
• What causes do you think are important? Why?
• To what extent would you be willing to become involved in them?
• What difference can an individual make?
• What difference can a group of citizens make?

Student Resources