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For Teachers: Religion & Culture: examining patriarchal and matriarchal society and culture
by Suzanne Guthrie


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lesson intro preparation procedures

Inside this section:

This lesson provides students with an opportunity to explore different perspectives regarding Patriarchal and Matriarchal cultures. Students will study and understand the basic definitions for the terms patriarchy and matriarchy and will then create their own definitions for these terms. Students will examine different cultures, focusing particularly on Rwanda following the genocide, after which women have taken on a much larger role in running the country because Rwanda lost a large number of men due in the conflict. Students will develop their own theories about what the United States would be like if, following World War II, women had taken a larger role in the continued growth of the country.

Grade Level: 9-12

Time Allotment: Two to four 45-minute class periods

Subject Matter: Freedom of Expression

Learnign Objectives:

Students Will

Use primary sources such as news reports and video to gather information about current and recent world history.

Analyze the information gathered from these primary resources to draw conclusions about matriarchy and patriarchy.

Be encouraged to form and create their own individual ideas and concepts about matriarchal societies and patriarchal societies.

Gain a broader view and understanding of how gender division can change a culture following conflict.

academic standards

National Standards for History
http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/nchs/standards/thinking5-12-5.html
Standards 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, 5E, 5F

    A. Identify issues and problems in the past and analyze the interests, values, perspectives, and points of view of those involved in the situation.

    B. Marshal evidence of antecedent circumstances and current factors contributing to contemporary problems and alternative courses of action.

    C. Identify relevant historical antecedents and differentiate from those that are inappropriate and irrelevant to contemporary issues.

    D. Evaluate alternative courses of action, keeping in mind the information available at the time, in terms of ethical considerations, the interests of those affected by the decision, and the long and short-term consequences of each.

    E. Formulate a position or course of action on an issue by identifying the nature of the problem, analyzing the underlying factors contributing to the problem, and choosing a plausible solution from a choice of carefully evaluated options.

    F. Evaluate the implementation of a decision by analyzing the interests it served; estimating the position, power, and priority of each player involved; assessing the ethical dimensions of the decision; and evaluating its costs and benefits from a variety of perspectives.
National Standards for Social Studies
http://www.socialstudies.org/standards/

    IX. Global Connections: Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of global connections and interdependence.

    X. Civic Ideals and Practices: Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of the ideals, principles, and practices of citizenship in a democratic republic.


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