Canadian Studies · Grade 10

Active learning ideas

The Suffrage Movement in Canada

Active learning works for this topic because the suffrage movement was shaped by real people, real conflicts, and real strategies. Students need to move beyond dates and names to see how ideas clashed, how barriers were built, and how progress was uneven. Hands-on activities help them experience these dynamics firsthand.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• ON: Canada, 1914–1929 - Grade 10
• ON: Social, Economic, and Political Context - Grade 10

• 25–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 45 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: The Suffrage Timeline

In small groups, students create a timeline of when different groups of women gained the right to vote in Canada (provincially and federally). They identify the gaps and discuss why some women had to wait much longer than others for this fundamental right.

Analyze the strategies and key figures of the Canadian suffrage movement.

Facilitation Tip

During the Collaborative Investigation, circulate to ask groups to justify their placement of events rather than just finding ‘the right’ order.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Why did some groups of women gain the right to vote in Canada much earlier than others?' Guide students to discuss factors like race, ethnicity, location (e.g., Western provinces first), and the specific goals of different suffrage organizations. Encourage them to use the term 'intersectionality' in their responses.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Simulation Game
• 50 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: A Suffrage Meeting

Students act as members of a 1910 suffrage organization. They must decide on their main strategies (e.g., petitions, marches, mock parliaments) and debate whether they should include all women in their campaign or focus only on those most likely to win the vote first.

Explain why different groups of women gained the right to vote at varying times.

Facilitation Tip

For the Simulation, provide a brief role sheet for each character but leave room for improvisation to encourage deeper engagement with perspectives.

What to look for

Ask students to write on an index card: 'Identify one strategy used by Canadian suffragists and one reason why Indigenous women were excluded from voting for so long.' Collect these to check for understanding of key concepts.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Suffrage Propaganda

Students analyze various pro- and anti-suffrage posters from the early 1900s. They discuss with a partner the different arguments used (e.g., 'maternal feminism' vs. 'social order') and which they think were most effective at the time.

Evaluate the long-term impact of gaining suffrage on women's political participation.

Facilitation Tip

In the Think-Pair-Share, assign each pair a different propaganda poster so they can compare strategies and discuss how messaging shifted over time.

What to look for

Present students with a timeline of key suffrage milestones in Canada. Ask them to work in pairs to identify two events and explain the significance of each event in advancing or hindering women's right to vote. Circulate to provide feedback.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers approach this topic by centering the voices of marginalized women in the movement, not just the most famous activists. Avoid framing suffrage as a simple victory; instead, highlight the compromises, exclusions, and ongoing struggles. Research shows that students grasp intersectionality better when they analyze primary sources side by side, such as petitions, newspaper clippings, and legislative records from different provinces.

Successful learning looks like students recognizing that the suffrage movement was not a single, unified effort but a series of competing goals and strategies. They should be able to explain why some women gained the vote earlier than others and how the movement’s goals expanded beyond voting rights alone.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Collaborative Investigation: The Suffrage Timeline, students may assume all Canadian women gained the right to vote at the same time in 1918.

  During the Collaborative Investigation, provide a 'Who Could Vote?' chart as a source. Ask groups to verify each event on the timeline by checking who was included or excluded, then revise their placements to reflect exclusions based on race and Indigeneity.

• During the Think-Pair-Share: Suffrage Propaganda, students may believe the suffrage movement was solely focused on gaining the vote.

  During the Think-Pair-Share, assign each pair a propaganda poster that highlights a social reform, such as temperance or labor rights. Ask them to explain how these goals connected to the broader suffrage campaign and report back to the class.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inquiry Circle
• Simulation Game
• Think-Pair-Share