Discussing historical and societal attitudes
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explore and discuss historical and societal attitudes effectively.
Key learning points
- There were societal expectations placed on women’s behaviour in the 18th century.
- The ‘Spectator’ article reveals the dominant attitudes towards women and how they were objectified.
- Effective discussions will take turns, develop ideas, use evidence and respond to the other speaker.
Keywords
Objectify - to treat someone like a thing or object, instead of a person
Derogatory - a disrespectful or belittling attitude towards someone or something
Witty - clever and amusing
Idealistic - to view something with unrealistic perfectionism
Inferior - lower in rank or status
Common misconception
That discussions are just 'chats' and aren't that important.
Think about all of the times you may need to use your verbal skills e.g. an interview or presentation. Being able to articulate yourself well verbally is an important skill to have.
Teacher tip
Learning cycle 2 can be completed as a written task, if discussion is not a viable option.
Equipment
You will need a copy of 'The Spectator' article, which can be found in the additional materials.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of these answers is false with regards to the following statement: non-fiction texts ...
Q2.Match the words to the correct definitions.
Q3.What word beginning with 'C' means to 'behave or think in a socially acceptable way'?
Q4.Which statement reflects societal attitudes towards marriage in the 18th and 19th centuries?
Q5.What does the phrase "a good understanding without being a wit" suggest about societal expectations?
Q6.What does the description “polite and delicate of speech, her temper humane and tender” suggest about the expectations of women?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of these adjectives would you not use to describe the societal expectations of women’s behaviour in the 18th century?
Q2.What does it mean to "objectify" someone?
Q3.Which phrase from 'The Spectator' reveals how the writer views women?
Q4.What do words like "charming virgin", "chastity," and "innocence" reveal about the attitudes towards women in the 18th century?
Q5.An effective discussion involves ...
Q6.Which word beginning with 'D' describes a disrespectful or belittling attitude towards someone or something?
To help you plan your 9 English lesson on: Discussing historical and societal attitudes, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 9 English lesson on: Discussing historical and societal attitudes, 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 English lessons from the Women's rights across the ages: non-fiction reading and writing unit, dive into the full secondary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.