May 5, 2003

THE DAWN OF A NEW E.R.A.
Debating the Equal Rights Amendment

Grades:  6-8, 9-12

Subjects:  American History, Civics, Language Arts, Social Studies

Related New York Times Article
"Annissa Hambouz", July 9, 2001

Overview of Lesson Plan:: In this lesson, students research the history and politics behind the Equal Rights Amendment; they then stage a debate to discuss the Amendment’s potential for ratification eighty years after its introduction to Congress.

SUGGESTED TIME ALLOWANCE:   1 hour

OBJECTIVES:
Students will:

  1. Consider the necessity of a Constitutional guarantee of equal treatment for women.
  2. Explore the current revival of the Equal Rights Amendment more than twenty years after its defeat, by reading and discussing “Advocates of Equal Rights Amendment Resume Their Fight.”
  3. Research and debate the possibility of ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment in the twenty-first century.
  4. Write a persuasive essay arguing for or against the need for the E.R.A.

RESOURCES / MATERIALS:

ACTIVITIES / PROCEDURES:

  1. WARM-UP/DO-NOW: Students respond to the following prompt (written on the board prior to class): "Do you think it is necessary to constitutionally guarantee equal treatment for women? Why or why not?" Ask students to share responses briefly, then review a few basic concepts regarding the Constitution and the amendment process. Begin by sharing with them the complete text of the Equal Rights Amendment (written on the board or copied in a handout): After reading the text, explain that while the E.R.A. was first introduced to Congress in 1923, it was not passed by Congress until 1972 and missed ratification (three-fourths approval of the states) by three states when its deadline expired in 1982. What might be some reasons the E.R.A. did not receive the required three-fourths majority approval? Should supporters of the Amendment be allowed to challenge the deadline if they can find more states in favor today? Why might some people still fight for the Amendment’s ratification? Why might some be opposed to it?
  2. As a class, read and discuss “Advocates of Equal Rights Amendment Resume Their Fight,” using the following questions:
    1. Who is Gwen Margolis?
    2. What is the Equal Rights Amendment?
    3. Why does Gwen Margolis support the Amendment?
    4. Who is Jeb Bush?
    5. Why is he critical of the Amendment, according to the article?
    6. What happened after Congress approved the Amendment in 1972?
    7. Why might it be difficult to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment now?
    8. What states currently have legislation to ratify the Amendment?
    9. What are the chances of these bills passing in each state, according to the article?
    10. What example does Illinois State Representative Louis Lang give of discrimination women face based on their sex?
    11. What is being done on a federal level to restart the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment?
  3. Divide the class in half, one to argue in favor of the E.R.A. and one to argue against it. Then, divide each side into two groups, for a total of four groups.
    Assign the first groups on each side of the debate the following two questions: Assign the second groups on each side of the debate the following two questions: Using all available classroom resources, groups research responses to their questions. When students have completed their research, allow them to reconvene to debate the topic. Make sure to allow sufficient time for rebuttals.
  4. WRAP-UP/ HOMEWORK: Students write persuasive essays on the E.R.A., based on their own informed opinions (and not necessarily representative of the view they debated in class). Do they agree with Representative Maloney's statement: "We need to have the basic principles of women's equality in the Constitution"? Why or why not?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

EVALUATION / ASSESSMENT:
Students will be evaluated based on their written journal responses, group research, participation in the Equal Rights Amendment debate, and thoughtful persuasive homework essays on the E.R.A.

VOCABULARY:
legislators, ratification, constitutional, throwback, retro, unconstitutional, legislatures, ratification, contend, futile, denied, co-signer, initiatives

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:

  1. Create a timeline of the Equal Rights Amendment, starting with its inception at the 1923 Seneca Falls Women’s Rights Convention.
  2. Investigate Illinois Representative Jesse Jackson Jr.’s current amendment proposal that would guarantee the right to vote. What might have prompted this bill, and what other types of electoral reform legislation are currently in Congress? Present your findings in an article for your school or local newspaper.
  3. Some advocates of women’s rights legislation argue that the E.R.A. might not provide enough of a Constitutional protection for reproductive or lesbian and gay rights. They have proposed the Constitutional Equality Amendment as an alternative. Research the text of this Amendment and compare it to the E.R.A. How do the two proposals differ? Make a chart that details the differences to present in class.

INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS:
Economics- How has the pay gap between men and women changed since the E.R.A. was defeated? Research salary statistics then and now, and chart them on a bar graph. You may wish to also chart differences in median salary for African-American and Hispanic women.

Global History- The Equal Rights Amendment proposal came about shortly after the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which guaranteed women the right to vote. When did women gain this right in other parts of the world? Choose twenty countries from around the globe, and research their policies on women’s suffrage. Chart the dates on a map of the world.

Math- How many women represent the United States population in Congress? Make a pie chart of male vs. female members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, then create a word problem to calculate the number of seats needed in each house to accurately reflect the population.

Copyright 2003
The New York Times Company

linie

Unterricht konkret