Women in modern society are as close to equal rights as they have ever been, thanks to the efforts of early feminists like Mary Wollstonecraft. Her 1792 work, A Vindication of the Rights of Women, advocated for the equal education of women, access that had been historically denied due to women's supposed irrationality and hyperemotional state. High schoolers view a short video that summarizes Wollstonecraft's text with helpful animation.

Concepts

famous women, women's history, women's rights, equal rights, mary wollstonecraft

Show More Show Less

Additional Tags

social studies

Show More Show Less

Instructional Ideas

• Compare the summary of Wollstonecraft's views from the video to a class reading of the primary source
• Have learners watch the video at home and come to class prepared with discussion questions or a completed KWL chart

Classroom Considerations

• Begins with an advertisement that you can skip
• Refer to the publisher's website for a complete analysis of the text
• The applicable example from the book, which compares the value of women in society and the nutritional value of fruit, may offend members of your class; use their indignation as the basis for a thoughtful discussion

• This video is hosted on YouTube

Pros

• Explains the historical context of the book
• Uses animation to illustrate the main idea

Cons

• None

Common Core

RH.9-10.2 RH.9-10.9 RH.11-12.2 RH.11-12.9