Canadian Studies · Grade 10

Active learning ideas

Second-Wave Feminism & Reproductive Rights

Active learning works well for this topic because it connects historical policies to lived experiences. Students engage with primary sources and legal arguments, making the fight for reproductive rights and systemic change feel immediate. Collaborative tasks like jigsaws and debates help them see how recommendations and court cases shaped everyday life for women in Canada.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• ON: Canada, 1945–1982 - Grade 10
• ON: Social, Economic, and Political Context - Grade 10

• 35–60 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Jigsaw
• 45 min · Small Groups

Jigsaw: Commission Recommendations

Divide class into expert groups, each assigned one key recommendation from the Royal Commission such as daycare or pay equity. Experts study sources for 10 minutes, then regroup to teach peers and discuss impacts. Conclude with a class vote on most transformative recommendation.

Explain the key recommendations of the 1970 Royal Commission on the Status of Women.

Facilitation Tip

In the Role-Play, assign roles clearly, such as lawyer, judge, or witness, and provide guiding questions to ensure students focus on legal reasoning rather than performance.

What to look for

Facilitate a class debate using the prompt: 'To what extent did the recommendations of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women and the fight for reproductive rights fundamentally alter the social and political landscape of Canada between 1970 and 1982?' Students should use specific evidence from the commission's report and the Morgentaler case to support their arguments.

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

Activity 02

• Jigsaw
• 35 min · Pairs

Debate Pairs: Pill vs. Morgentaler

Pairs prepare arguments on whether the pill or Morgentaler case had greater impact on women's lives, using timelines and quotes. Pairs debate with a partner, switch sides, then share key insights with the class. Teacher facilitates with evidence checklists.

Analyze how the introduction of 'the pill' and the Morgentaler case transformed women's lives.

What to look for

Provide students with a short excerpt from the 1970 Royal Commission report and a brief summary of the 1988 Supreme Court decision in R. v. Morgentaler. Ask students to identify one key recommendation from the commission and one key legal principle established by the court, explaining how they address barriers faced by women.

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

Activity 03

• Gallery Walk
• 50 min · Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Feminist Timelines

Small groups create timelines of second-wave events, including the pill's introduction and Morgentaler trials, with images and quotes. Groups post timelines around the room for a gallery walk where students add sticky-note comments and questions. Debrief connections to first-wave.

Compare the goals of second-wave feminism with earlier women's movements in Canada.

What to look for

On an exit ticket, ask students to write one sentence comparing a goal of second-wave feminism with a goal of the suffrage movement. Then, ask them to write one sentence explaining how the availability of the birth control pill impacted women's lives.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 04

• Jigsaw
• 60 min · Small Groups

Role-Play: Court Challenge

Assign roles as lawyers, judges, and activists in a mock Morgentaler trial. Groups prepare 5-minute arguments based on historical evidence. Perform for the class, followed by a jury vote and reflection on rights evolution.

Explain the key recommendations of the 1970 Royal Commission on the Status of Women.

What to look for

Facilitate a class debate using the prompt: 'To what extent did the recommendations of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women and the fight for reproductive rights fundamentally alter the social and political landscape of Canada between 1970 and 1982?' Students should use specific evidence from the commission's report and the Morgentaler case to support their arguments.

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

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should approach this topic by grounding abstract policies in human stories. Use primary sources like excerpts from the Royal Commission report to show systemic barriers, not just dates. Avoid framing second-wave feminism as a simple victory; instead, highlight incremental changes and persistent inequities. Research suggests that student-centered activities, like debates and role-plays, build deeper understanding than lectures alone.

Successful learning shows when students can explain how the Royal Commission’s recommendations addressed multiple barriers, not just abortion. They should articulate the significance of the birth control pill and the Morgentaler case in changing women’s rights. Evidence of critical thinking includes comparing second-wave goals with suffrage and recognizing ongoing gaps in equality.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Jigsaw on Commission Recommendations, watch for students assuming the Royal Commission focused only on abortion rights.

  Use the jigsaw’s shared reporting phase to highlight how groups’ assigned recommendations connect to broader issues like wage gaps, daycare, and education access. Have students map these on a whiteboard to visualize the interconnected goals.

• During the Gallery Walk on Feminist Timelines, watch for students believing the birth control pill instantly resolved all reproductive barriers.

  Use the timeline’s blank spaces to prompt students to insert legal milestones like the Morgentaler case alongside the pill’s introduction. Discuss in pairs why access remained limited despite the pill’s availability.

• During the Role-Play on the Court Challenge, watch for students thinking second-wave feminism achieved complete equality.

  After role-playing, have students compare their simulated arguments with real outcomes from the Morgentaler case. Use a Venn diagram to contrast second-wave goals with suffrage, emphasizing unfinished progress.

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Methods used in this brief

• Jigsaw
• Gallery Walk