Women and Change

Overview

Lesson 1 of 16 introduces the unit question: How did women help create social and political change in New Zealand? Students learn that historians ask questions, examine evidence, consider perspectives and arrange events to understand change over time.

Learning intentions

• WALT ask useful questions about the past.
• WALT use sources as evidence.
• WALT recognise that people may have different perspectives.
• WALT begin a timeline of women’s leadership and change in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Success criteria

• I can explain what a historical inquiry is.
• I can ask a question about women and change.
• I can identify what a source shows and what it does not show.
• I can place key events in approximate chronological order.

Curriculum links

• Understand how people, places and environments are shaped by, and respond to, natural and cultural processes.
• Understand how the ideas and actions of people in the past have shaped Aotearoa New Zealand.
• Use evidence from sources to investigate social and political change.
• Develop critical, creative and ethical thinking through questioning, discussion and reflection.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–4 minutes – Hook: Who creates change? Open with the introduction and hook slides. Display a striking image collage of women involved in public life in Aotearoa New Zealand, without naming the people. Ask: “What might these women have changed?” Students think silently, then share with a partner. Record a few ideas without confirming answers yet.

2. 4–8 minutes – Introduce the big question Reveal the unit question on the big question slide: How did women help create social and political change in New Zealand? Explain that social change affects how people live and participate in society, while political change affects laws, rights or decision-making. Clarify that the class will investigate evidence rather than simply memorise names and dates.

3. 8–13 minutes – What is historical inquiry? Use the historical inquiry teaching slides to introduce four classroom historian moves: ask, investigate, interpret and explain. Model a simple source question using one image: “Who created this? When might it have been created? What does it suggest? What might be missing?” Emphasise that a source can be useful even when it does not tell us everything.

4. 13–20 minutes – Source detective pairs Distribute the historical source inquiry organiser to pairs. Show two contrasting sources from the deck, such as a photograph, newspaper extract, speech extract or poster connected to women’s participation in public life. Pairs record one observation, one possible inference, one question and one perspective. Remind students to separate “I can see/read…” from “I think this might mean…”.

5. 20–25 minutes – Perspectives and evidence discussion Return to the source discussion prompts. Invite three pairs to share one response. Ask: “Whose voice is represented?” “Whose voice may be missing?” and “What evidence would help us know more?” Explain that historians compare sources because accounts can reflect the creator’s purpose, audience and point of view. Reinforce respectful discussion: challenge ideas with evidence, not people.

6. 25–28 minutes – Build the class timeline On the board, draw a timeline labelled “Earlier” to “Later”. Give five or six event cards or write broad milestones on the board, including women gaining the vote, women entering Parliament and later movements for equal rights. Invite students to suggest an order and explain the evidence or prior knowledge behind their choices. Explain that the timeline will be revisited and improved as the unit develops.

7. 28–30 minutes – Individual reflection and next step Students complete the final section of the historical source inquiry organiser: “One question I have about women and change is…” and “One source skill I used today was…”. Take two or three responses, then explain that the next lesson will investigate women’s suffrage and the campaign for voting rights.

Resources

• the Women Leading Change introduction deck
• the historical source inquiry organiser
• Projector or interactive board
• Board and markers
• Two contrasting historical sources suitable for display
• Five or six event cards, or teacher-prepared event labels
• Sticky notes or small pieces of paper
• Students’ books or pencils

Assessment

• Listen for students distinguishing an observation from an inference during pair work and discussion.
• Check worksheet responses for a relevant question, evidence-based observation and recognition of a represented or missing perspective.
• Use the timeline discussion to identify students’ prior knowledge and misconceptions; do not assess date accuracy heavily in this introductory lesson.

Differentiation

• Provide sentence starters: “I notice…”, “This may suggest…”, “The source was created for…”, and “I wonder…”.
• Pair students strategically and read source text aloud. Offer enlarged sources, reduced writing demands or speech-to-text for students who need them.
• For EAL learners, pre-teach source, evidence, perspective, social change and political change, using simple explanations and visuals.
• Extend confident students by asking them to explain how a source’s purpose or audience might influence its message, or to suggest a source that could challenge the class timeline.