Second-Wave Feminism & Reproductive RightsActivities & Teaching Strategies
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.
Learning Objectives
- 1Explain the key recommendations of the 1970 Royal Commission on the Status of Women and their impact on Canadian policy.
- 2Analyze the social and legal impact of the introduction of 'the pill' and the Morgentaler case on women's reproductive autonomy.
- 3Compare and contrast the primary goals and strategies of second-wave feminism with those of earlier women's movements in Canada.
- 4Evaluate the significance of the Royal Commission and reproductive rights advancements within the broader context of Canadian social change from 1945-1982.
Want a complete lesson plan with these objectives? Generate a Mission →
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.
Prepare & details
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.
Setup: Flexible seating for regrouping
Materials: Expert group reading packets, Note-taking template, Summary graphic organizer
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.
Prepare & details
Analyze how the introduction of 'the pill' and the Morgentaler case transformed women's lives.
Setup: Flexible seating for regrouping
Materials: Expert group reading packets, Note-taking template, Summary graphic organizer
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.
Prepare & details
Compare the goals of second-wave feminism with earlier women's movements in Canada.
Setup: Wall space or tables arranged around room perimeter
Materials: Large paper/poster boards, Markers, Sticky notes for feedback
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.
Prepare & details
Explain the key recommendations of the 1970 Royal Commission on the Status of Women.
Setup: Flexible seating for regrouping
Materials: Expert group reading packets, Note-taking template, Summary graphic organizer
Teaching This Topic
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.
What to Expect
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.
These activities are a starting point. A full mission is the experience.
- Complete facilitation script with teacher dialogue
- Printable student materials, ready for class
- Differentiation strategies for every learner
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Common MisconceptionDuring the Jigsaw on Commission Recommendations, watch for students assuming the Royal Commission focused only on abortion rights.
What to Teach Instead
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.
Common MisconceptionDuring the Gallery Walk on Feminist Timelines, watch for students believing the birth control pill instantly resolved all reproductive barriers.
What to Teach Instead
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.
Common MisconceptionDuring the Role-Play on the Court Challenge, watch for students thinking second-wave feminism achieved complete equality.
What to Teach Instead
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.
Assessment Ideas
After the Debate Pairs, 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?' Assess students’ use of evidence from the commission’s report and the Morgentaler case.
During the Jigsaw on Commission Recommendations, provide students with a short excerpt from the 1970 report and a brief summary of the 1988 Supreme Court decision. Ask them to identify one key recommendation and one legal principle, explaining how they address barriers in a quick written response.
After the Gallery Walk on Feminist Timelines, 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.
Extensions & Scaffolding
- Challenge early finishers to research and present on how second-wave feminist goals appear in current Canadian policies, such as parental leave or affordable childcare.
- Scaffolding for struggling students: Provide a partially completed timeline or debate argument template with sentence starters to reduce cognitive load.
- Deeper exploration: Have students analyze media from the 1960s-80s, such as newspaper articles or advertisements, to identify how reproductive rights were framed in public discourse.
Key Vocabulary
| Royal Commission on the Status of Women | A government-appointed body established in Canada in 1967 to investigate the status of women and recommend ways to ensure equality. |
| Reproductive Rights | The concept that individuals have the right to make decisions about their reproductive health, including access to contraception and abortion. |
| Contraception | Methods or devices used to prevent pregnancy, such as birth control pills or IUDs. |
| Feminism | The advocacy of women's rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes, particularly concerning social, economic, and political rights. |
| Social Change | Significant alterations in social structures, cultural norms, and patterns of behavior over time. |
Suggested Methodologies
More in Women's Rights & Social Change
The Suffrage Movement in Canada
Students examine the Canadian women's suffrage movement and the uneven path to voting rights.
3 methodologies
Women in the Workforce & Pay Equity
Tracing the changing role of women in the Canadian workforce and issues of pay equity.
3 methodologies
Gender Equality Today & Intersectional Feminism
Assessing the current state of gender equality and intersectional feminism.
3 methodologies
Ready to teach Second-Wave Feminism & Reproductive Rights?
Generate a full mission with everything you need
Generate a Mission