Steps to Suffrage: The Famous 5
History is often more interesting than fiction. The facts about Canada’s Famous 5 certainly are!
1. What came before? What makes someone a person? Until quite recently many people did not have the same rights as others. Women, people of color, people who did not own land, and even people native to the land where the government was being established often were not mentioned in constitutions. By studying your country’s history and constitution, you can learn more about human rights, which gives us energy to get to where we need to be. The history of women’s suffrage in Canada is inspiring.
2. Canadian women (who were British subjects) could vote in federal elections, but they were not allowed to be elected to government office until 1929. How could women change this if they were not even considered to be people? Using the very document that disenfranchised them, five women appealed to the Supreme Court for clarification. Learn more about these "Famous 5." Their struggle for women’s rights helped to pave the way for other excluded peoples to gain their right to vote as well.
3. Identify benchmarks. Study the history of your country’s steps to full suffrage. Make note of the benchmark decisions with Crayola® Erasable Colored Pencils. Then create a pop-out display to show what you’ve learned.
4. Show the steps to suffrage. With Crayola Scissors, make two long, parallel cuts through a folded file folder, one near each end. Fold the long, wide tab that you made backwards to create a crease. Open the file folder and pull the tab through. The crease now folds out toward you. Fold the pop-up piece in accordion style to get the number of steps needed for your staircase.
5. Use Crayola Fine Line Markers to write the timeline for your steps to suffrage on each stair riser. Include dates and appropriate words and symbols. At the top of the steps, illustrate the nation, people, or organizations represented on your timeline. Visually connect the illustration with the steps.
6. With Crayola School Glue, attach craft sticks to the back of your display so it will stand upright. Explain and compare your history of suffrage to other students.
Adult supervision is required for any arts & crafts project. Observe children closely and intervene as necessary to prevent potential safety problems and ensure appropriate use of arts and crafts materials. Some craft items, particularly beads and buttons, are potential choking hazards for young children. Avoid use of such small parts with children younger than 3 years. Craft items such as scissors, push pins and chenille sticks may have sharp points or edges. Avoid use of materials with sharp points by children younger than 4 years. Read all manufacturers' safety warnings before using arts and craft supplies.
Scissors—ATTENTION: The cutting edges of scissors are sharp and care should be taken whenever cutting or handling. Blunt-tip scissors should be used only by children 4 years and older. Pointed-tip scissors should be used only by children 6 years and older.
Wood—By its nature, wood is rough and may contain splinters or sharp points
- Divide into five small groups to research the biographies of Canada’s Famous 5: Emily Murphy, Louise McKinney, Nellie McClung, Henrietta Muir Edwards, and Irene Parlby. Write and produce a play describing their experiences.
- Debate similar issues about groups of people whose rights could be improved. For example, does your national anthem accurately embrace your country’s history? What human rights issues face your country?
- Look for historical markers in your area. What stories do they tell? What facts do they omit? What could be done to make them more accurate?
- Assessment: Verify the accuracy of historical information and the detail in the construction.
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