We’ll get you yet!

1. ENGAGING STUDENTS THROUGH HISTORICAL ROLE PLAY We’ll get you yet! Diane Vautour Loretto College TCDSB

2. EXPECTATIONS Citizenship and Heritage • CHV.01 • – demonstrate an understanding of the contributions of various social and political movements to Canadian history during the twentieth century; • CH1.01 • – assess the contributions of the women’s movement (e.g., suffrage, access to employment, equal pay for work of equal value); • CHV.02 • – demonstrate an understanding of how individual Canadians have contributed to the development of Canada and an emerging sense of Canadian identity. • CH2.01 • – explain how significant individuals (e.g., Robert Borden, Henri Bourassa, Nellie McClung, Billy Bishop, Arthur Currie) contributed to the growing sense of Canadian identity during World War I;

3. EXPECTATIONS Methods of Historical Inquiry • MIV.01 • – ask questions, identify problems, and effectively use historical research methods to investigate topics and issues in history; • MIV.02 • – use a variety of information sources effectively when researching historical topics or issues, accurately record relevant information, and then organize this information in a meaningful way; • MIV.03 • – analyse and evaluate information when researching historical topics or issues;

4. THE WARTIME ELECTIONS ACT(basis for the role play) [Assented to 20th September, 1917.] HIS Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:- 1. During the present war, and until demobilization after the conclusion of peace, the operation of Part I of the Dominion Elections Act (being sections 5 to 30 inclusive) shall be suspended, and Part II of that Act (being sections 31 to 65 inclusive) shall operate and apply as if amended, and shall be deemed to be amended, in the following respects:-

5. You swear that you are legally qualified to vote at this election, that you are of the ('male' or 'female') sex, a British subject, a resident of Canada, and of the full age of 21 years. (In the case of a female voter add the following) You do further swear that you are the ('wife', 'widow,' 'mother,' 'sister,' or 'daughter', as the case may be) of a person who is serving or has served without Canada in the military forces (or within or without Canada in the naval forces) of Canada (or of Great Britain, as the case may be) in the present war. So help you God";

6. Cartoon on women's suffrage, February 26, 1913. Premier Scott of Saskatchewan stated that he was in favour of extending the franchise to women but did not care to enact the necessary legislation until the women asked for it. -From the "Grain Growers' Guide".

7. DIVISION OF ROLESPOSSIBLE CROSS CURRICULAR APPROACH 1. STAGING OF NELLIE McCLUNG’S MOCK PARLIAMENT (GRADE 12 CHY 4U CLASS) • Students tasked with studying and performing the play • Students researched the early feminist movement in Canada, America or Britain and wrote an obituary or eulogy for a selected suffragist/suffragette

8. 1. STAGING OF NELLIE McCLUNG’S MOCK PARLIAMENT (GRADE 12 CHY 4U CLASS) • Students made invitations and delivered them to classrooms

9. DIVISION OF ROLES GRADE 10 HISTORY CLASSES: • STAGED A PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE • SELECTED ACTUAL POLITICIANS FROM THE HANSARD RECORD OF THE DEBATE OF THE WARTIME ELECTIONS ACT – CONS AND LIB • PRESS GALLERY: STUDENTS PLAYED EARLY FEMALE JOURNALISTS • DELEGATION OF WOMEN: STUDENTS PLAYED CANADA’S SUFFRAGISTS

10. POLITICIANS • Researched the Hansard record • Used newspaper archives to find articles about the Wartimes Elections Act debate • Researched the history of female suffrage and arguments for or against • Prepared a speech stating arguments fitting in with their assigned character’s historical position • Prepared answers to questions from the press gallery • Submitted a letter to the editor of the women’s pages of any of the newspapers present at the press gallery (published in student newspapers)

11. SUFFRAGISTS/SUFFRAGETTES • Invited as delegation (inspired by Manitoba’s experience) • Research archived news articles about issues surrounding the debate • Research assigned role and organization she represents • Prepare a speech stating arguments for female suffrage • Prepare answers to journalists’ questions • Submit a pamphlet detailing the arguments for female suffrage – convince and educate • Large class = possible additions of suffragettes from USA and Britain (historical leniency)

12. SUFFRAGETTE ROLES • -Violet McNaughton (Women’s Grain Growers’ Association) • Nellie McClung (Manitoba Political Equality League) • Louise McKinney, Henrietta Muir Edwards (Women’s Christian Temperance Union) • Dr. Augusta Stowe Gullen (Toronto Women’s Suffrage Association) • Emily Murphy (Edmonton Political Equality League) • Luella Denton, Helen Fowlds (Nursing Sisters) • Helen Armstrong (Women’s Labour League) • Irene Parlby (United Farmers of Alberta)

13. NEWSPAPER WOMEN In the early 1900s, presswomen stressed that women were not all the same and that even if most of them were wives and mothers, they required something more than recipes and baby lore to lift their horizons – and that women journalists were perfectly capable of serving this enlarged mission. One female journalist argued that “the conduct of a social page, a beauty department or a section on home adornment did not exhaust the possibilities of a newspaper woman.” Another said, “The field for really strong stuff on women’s pages is deep, wide, high. It is barely scratched.” She pressed for female journalists to impress on men editors that women’s pages “ought to have editorial comment...ought to offer...business and professional women something worthy of their intellectual steel.” -adapted from Marjory Lang, Women Who Made the News: Female Journalists in Canada, 1880- 1945, Ottawa: Carleton University Press, 1999.

14. NEWSPAPER WOMEN • Form the press gallery • Review the play • Create a newspaper according to the style of assigned paper – women’s pages • Letters to editor • Additional items matching readership (urban vs rural, ads for products, society news, recipes, fashion patterns) • Consider paper’s stance – liberal or conservative? • Balance between ‘traditional’ women’s topics and new political concerns • Between phases of role play, interview journalists and suffragists • Report on the debate • Prepare questions for press gallery after the debate

15. -ELIZABETH LONG –WINNIPEG FREE PRESS –THE WOMEN’SPAGE -FAITH FENTON (PEN NAME ALICE FREEMAN) –TORONTO MAIL AND EMPIRE -FRANCIS BEYNON AND LILLIAN BEYNON –GRAIN GROWERS GUIDE (WINNIPEG) -KIT COLEMAN – TORONTO MAIL AND EMPIRE– HAS HER OWN WOMEN'S PAGE CALLED "WOMEN'S KINGDOM" -AMY KERR – WESTERN WOMEN’S WEEKLY – ONLY FEMALE FOCUSED NEWSPAPER – LASTED FROM 1917-1924 -FLORENCE SHERK– EDITORFORT WILLIAM’S DAILY TIMES SAMPLING OF NEWSPAPER WOMEN

16. TIPS AND TRICKS • Involve as much of the school as possible • Different History classes play different roles • Theology class = Women’s Christian Temperance Union • Involve parents • Honoured guests • Costumes • Invite distinguished guests • Women’s groups • Local media • Superintendent • Trustees • Lt. Governor of Ontario • Other schools?

17. OTHER PROJECTS • Memorial quilt – students researched a chosen group or event in Canada’s war history, wrote an ‘in character’ diary entry and designed a quilt piece symbolizing the contributions of the group or significance of the event and sewed the quilt together • Presented it to school as part of Remembrance ceremonies • Based on the Red Cross quilts stitched by CDN women in WWI and WWII (for more information, read about these quilts here and here and here)

18. MEMORIAL CHALLENGE • Students research a battle or group in Canadian history and present a proposal to the Canadian government for a memorial in its/their honour • Military personnel invited as judges and winner declared • Model or illustration/3D mock up of memorial required

19. JUNO BEACH PROJECT • Research two Canadian regiments who stormed Juno Beach • Nan Green sector at Courseulles, France • Royal Regina Rifles and Royal Winnipeg Rifles • Contact with regiments and Department of Defense • Build model as whole class project

20. RESOURCES Available on my website: http://teacherweb.com/ON/LorettoCollege/Vautour • Go to role play page • Use contact me to inquire about other projects