Modern History · Year 12

Active learning ideas

Key Issues and Achievements of Second-Wave Feminism

Second-wave feminism asks students to move beyond dates and names into the lived realities of women’s activism, where theory met street protests and policy changes. Active learning works here because students must grapple with the messiness of movement infighting, partial victories, and unfinished agendas—exactly the kind of critical reflection that lectures or readings alone cannot spark.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9HI12K33
• AC9HI12K34

• 40–60 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Jigsaw
• 50 min · Small Groups

Jigsaw: Core Issues of Second-Wave Feminism

Assign small groups to research one issue: reproductive rights, workplace equality, or patriarchy. Each group creates a poster with evidence and achievements, then rotates to teach other groups. Conclude with a whole-class synthesis discussion.

Assess the key legislative and social achievements of second-wave feminism.

Facilitation Tip

In Jigsaw, assign each expert group a single issue like equal pay or domestic violence so they master one piece before teaching peers, reducing cognitive overload.

What to look for

In small groups, students will discuss the following: 'Which legislative achievement of second-wave feminism do you believe had the most significant long-term impact on Australian society, and why? Support your answer with specific examples.'

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 02

• Formal Debate
• 45 min · Pairs

Formal Debate: Achievements and Limitations

Pairs prepare arguments for and against the statement 'Second-wave feminism achieved lasting equality for all women.' Present in a structured debate with rebuttals, followed by class voting and reflection on diverse perspectives.

Compare the demands of second-wave feminists with those of first-wave feminism.

Facilitation Tip

During the debate, assign one student to track contradictions between feminist factions so the discussion stays grounded in evidence rather than rhetoric.

What to look for

Provide students with a short primary source quote from a first-wave suffragette and a second-wave feminist. Ask them to write one sentence identifying the core difference in their primary demands and one sentence explaining why that difference emerged.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Philosophical Chairs
• 40 min · Small Groups

Source Carousel: First vs Second Wave

Set up stations with primary sources from both waves. Small groups rotate, analyze similarities and differences, and note Australian contexts like WEL campaigns. Groups report findings to the class.

Critique the limitations of second-wave feminism in addressing the needs of diverse women.

Facilitation Tip

For the Source Carousel, place primary sources at eye level and rotate students in timed intervals so they practice extracting arguments quickly, mirroring how historians work.

What to look for

On an exit ticket, students will list two key goals of second-wave feminism and one specific group of women whose needs were arguably not fully addressed by the movement, briefly explaining why.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Philosophical Chairs
• 60 min · Small Groups

Protest Role-Play: Recreate Key Events

In small groups, students script and perform protests like the 1970 abortion rallies. Incorporate historical signs, chants, and counterarguments, then debrief on strategies and impacts.

Assess the key legislative and social achievements of second-wave feminism.

Facilitation Tip

In Protest Role-Play, give students a one-page character brief and props like signs or slogans so their performances stay historically accurate while feeling authentic.

What to look for

In small groups, students will discuss the following: 'Which legislative achievement of second-wave feminism do you believe had the most significant long-term impact on Australian society, and why? Support your answer with specific examples.'

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Self-Awareness
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with a cold call on what students already think feminism achieved, then let the activities dismantle those assumptions. Research suggests that role-play builds empathy, while jigsaw deepens content knowledge, so layer them intentionally. Avoid framing second-wave feminism as a heroic march—use the debates and protests to show that progress often comes with conflict and compromise.

Students will leave able to trace the connections between grassroots protests, legal reforms, and cultural shifts in second-wave feminism. They will also articulate the movement’s internal tensions and blind spots using evidence from primary sources, role-plays, and debates, showing both knowledge and critical analysis.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Debate: Achievements and Limitations, watch for students assuming second-wave feminism was a unified movement that achieved complete gender equality.

  Use the debate structure to force students to cite specific factions and partial wins, then redirect any overgeneralizations by pointing to the 1984 Sex Discrimination Act’s loopholes or the ongoing equal pay gap discussed in the Arbitration Commission case.

• During the Source Carousel: First vs Second Wave, watch for students claiming second-wave feminism ignored first-wave suffrage entirely.

  Have students physically match demands across the two waves on a timeline, then ask them to articulate how second-wave goals expanded rather than replaced voting rights, using Germaine Greer’s The Female Eunuch as a counterexample.

• During the Jigsaw: Core Issues of Second-Wave Feminism, watch for students assuming the movement only involved white, middle-class women.

  Assign expert groups to research diverse figures like Faith Bandler or Zora Cross, then require each group to present one moment where these women’s work challenged mainstream feminist priorities, using their group’s materials as evidence.

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Methods used in this brief

• Jigsaw
• Formal Debate
• Philosophical Chairs