Which methods were most successful in the fight for female suffrage?
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can compare the campaign methods of the Suffragists and Suffragettes and evaluate the impact they had on women's rights.
Key learning points
- The National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS), set up by Millicent Fawcett, became known as the Suffragists.
- The Suffragists aimed to gain women's suffrage by consistently pressuring the Government through peaceful campaigning.
- The Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) was set up in 1903 and became known as the Suffragettes.
- The Suffragettes used more militant methods in their campaigns.
- Today, women have the same voting rights as men. However, women are not equally represented in Parliament/Government.
Keywords
Suffrage - the right to vote
Suffragists - a group who advocated for women’s suffrage using peaceful methods
Suffragettes - a group who advocated for women’s right to vote using militant methods
Militant - the use of confrontational or violent methods in support of a political or social cause
Common misconception
As women now have the same voting rights as men in the UK, they are equally represented in the Government and Parliament.
This is not the case in the UK. However, as of the 2024 General Election, 40.5% of MPs in the House of Commons are female, which is the highest number ever recorded of female MPs.
Teacher tip
Emphasise the context of the Suffragists' and Suffragettes' actions. Help pupils understand the challenges these groups faced, such as widespread opposition to women in politics.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Suffrage means:
Q2.Political rights are:
Q3.Match the figure to the correct description.
age you can vote in a general election in the UK today
% of men who could vote following the Great Reform Act 1832
the number of people who signed a Chartist petition in 1839
Q4.In 1900, which of the following were issues with the voting system?
Q5.How many key points were outlined in the People's Charter written by the Chartists in 1838?
Q6.Which of the following answers are impacts of the Chartists' campaign?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the key term to the correct definition.
a group who used peaceful methods to achieve votes for women
a group who used militant methods to achieve votes for women
confrontational or violent methods in support of a cause
the right to vote
Q2.Which of the following were reasons why Parliament was reluctant to give women the vote?
Q3.Put the following events of the campaign for female suffrage into the correct chronological order.
Q4.Which of the following tactics were used by the Suffragists (NUWSS)?
Q5.Which of the following statements are true?
Q6.Which of the following answers demonstrate the impact of the Suffragettes?
To help you plan your 8 citizenship lesson on: Which methods were most successful in the fight for female suffrage?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 citizenship lesson on: Which methods were most successful in the fight for female suffrage?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 citizenship lessons from the Why was the struggle for the vote important today? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.