We'll get you yet! A Historical Role Play

By Diane Vautour, 2010 Governor General's Award Recipient

INTENDED GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT AREA

Grade 10 Academic and Applied History

CONCEPTS

1900-1928: Birth of an Identity – Growth, Sacrifice, and Dreams of Peace.

INSTRUCTIONAL OUTCOMES

Students will:

• demonstrate an understanding of the contributions of various social and political movements to Canadian history during the twentieth century.
• demonstrate an understanding of how individual Canadians have contributed to the development of Canada and an emerging sense of Canadian identity

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

This historical role play takes place in 1917, around September 10th. The government of the time was Robert Borden’s Conservatives. WWI was in its third year and Canadian troops were in desperate need of relief. Pressure had mounted on Borden to supply Britain with new recruits to finish off the war in favour of the Allies. Borden decided to draft a piece of legislation called the Wartime Elections Act.

Through this project, students will be able to gain a better understanding of how women agitated for the vote and the different methods suffragists/suffragettes took to pressure the government and gain public attention of their cause. Many textbooks do not provide an in-depth examination of the tactics used to gain the vote or of the political engagement and awareness of many notable Canadian women such as Nellie McClung or members of the WCTU. There is also an interesting comparison to be made between the work of the British, Canadian and American suffragettes that is covered in the preparatory lessons for this role play. At the end, students will come to understand that women were heavily engaged in the fight for female suffrage and used different tactics to gain public support and awareness. Also, students will learn how the war played into the fight for suffrage and question the government’s plan to extend the vote to female relatives of active soldiers.