Lesson Plan

Eunice Foote: Scientist and Suffragette

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

The greenhouse effect and climate change are hot topics in today's news. Young scientists may be surprised to learn that the concept is not a new one. In fact, Eunice Newton Foote, scientist, inventor, and suffragette, discovered the effect in 1856; however, she did not receive credit for her discovery until 2011. Class members study the unequal treatment of female scientists by reading and discussing an article that compares her treatment to a male scientist who explored the same phenomena three years later. To conclude the lesson, participants research Foote's work in the suffrage movement, her involvement with the Seneca Falls convention, and her contributions to The Declaration of Sentiments.

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CCSS: Designed
Instructional Ideas
  • Recreate Foote's experiments in the school's lab
  • Include the lesson during March's Women's History Month studies
Classroom Considerations
  • Requires copies, one per participant, of several documents
Pros
  • Includes two versions of the "Foote vs. Tyndall" reading; one version is for middle schoolers and the other for high school level classes
Cons
  • None