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This lesson was developed as part of the Worcester Women's History Project and was supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The topic is intended for high school level students with an interest in social sciences, in particular, social history, women's rights and first amendment issues.
Sexuality and reproduction. Whether the issue is birth control or abortion, most individuals, sooner or later, make decisions of conscience. Polling in recent decades has attempted to uncover the aggregate of these individual decisions so that we have a reasonably accurate sense of how the general population and various sub-sets of it are deciding. We have strong arguments available to us today on either side of abortion and birth control issues. Mention of Roe vs. Wade conjures up an ongoing emotionally charged debate. While often considered separately, birth control and abortion are issues that intersect with one another.
This WebQuest assumes familiarity with the contemporary debate on both issues and seeks instead to guide the reader into some aspects of its evolution since the early nineteenth century. It has been a lively debate with fascinating individuals as spokespersons for either side. Controversies over birth control and abortion have often been distinct from one another and at other times they have intersected. In the process, the debate has frequently extended into issues of censorship and free speech.
This WebQuest invites the researcher to focus on the role of Dr. Charles Knowlton early in the nineteenth century and reaches forward to that of Margaret Sanger in the early twentieth century. Tasks I through IV below can be pursued by individuals or teams of researchers. In either case, a number of remarkable individuals await as you uncover rich sources of information and discover surprising connections among issues and individuals.
birth control, abortion, Roe vs. Wade, liberal, conservative, Women's Rights, eugenics, Utopian Communities, 1st Amendment to the United States Constitution (ratified 1788).
Task: select among the four below.
I. With the sources presented in this WebQuest as the basis for research, write an essay which applies one of the five Learning Standards below.
II. Trace the story of Charles Knowlton's ideas on birth control through the trial of Annie Besant, the crusades of Anthony Comstock and the activities of Margaret Sanger. For each of the three:
III. For a number of individuals in this WebQuest, their commitment to changing ideas extended far afield from the issue of birth control.
IV. The freedom of speech issue runs a parallel course to the birth control debate and, at times, it extends into issues beyond birth control.
Address each part of the task you have selected. Use the Evaluation Rubric to decide how far you want to go.
Print Sources |
| Dictionary of American Biography; New York Times Index; Notable American Women |
------ "Ann Trow Lohman" Notable American Women, Vol., 2, 424-425.
------ "Charles Knowlton", Dictionary of American Biography Vol. V, 471-472.
Knowlton, Charles. Fruits of Philosophy, or the Private Companion of Adult People (Mount Vernon: Peter Pauper Press, 1937).
Marden, Parker G. "A Man Ahead of His Time" Dartmouth Alumni Magazine (January 1967)
Riegel, Robert E. "The American Father Of Birth Control" New England Quarterly, Vol. 6 (1933)
Rubric for Task I
| Poor | Better | Best | |
| Introduction | missing | Addresses the learning standard | Clearly addressed the learning standard and captures reader interest. |
| Body | Some segments [a, b, c] not addressed. Inappropriate or missing examples and explanations. | Each segment [a, b, c] is addressed with some examples and explanations. | Each segment [a, b, c] is addressed with appropriate examples and explanations. |
| Conclusion | missing | Restates main ideas of the essay. | Brings together the best thinking in the essay. Stresses new knowledge or questions. |
| Style | Numerous problems in either sentence or paragraph construction and organization. Failure to spell check. | Well constructed sentences. Well organized paragraphs. Spell checked. | Well constructed sentences. Well organized paragraphs. with effective transitions. Spell checked. |
| Sources | Over dependence upon few sources. | Several sources. | Numerous appropriate sources indicate broad research background. Primary and secondary sources play significant part. |
| Documentation | missing or seriously deficient. | Most sources appropriately documented. | All sources appropriately documented. |
Rubric for Tasks II, III, IV
| Poor | Better | Best | |
| Introduction | missing | Addresses the question | Clearly addressed the question and captures reader interest. |
| Body | Some segments [a, b, c] not addressed. Inappropriate or missing examples and explanations. | Each segment [a, b, c] is addressed with some examples and explanations. | Each segment [a, b, c] is addressed with appropriate examples and explanations. |
| Conclusion | missing | Restates main ideas of the essay. | Brings together the best thinking in the essay. Stresses new knowledge or questions. |
| Style | Numerous problems in either sentence or paragraph construction and organization. Failure to spell check. | Well constructed sentences. Well organized paragraphs. Spell checked. | Well constructed sentences. Well organized paragraphs. with effective transitions. Spell checked. |
| Sources | Over dependence upon few sources. | Several sources. | Numerous appropriate sources indicate broad research background. Primary and secondary sources play significant part. |
| Documentation | missing or seriously deficient. | Most sources appropriately documented. | All sources appropriately documented. |