Home / Identity Unit / Lesson 2: Feminist Icon

Lesson 2: Feminist Icon

Guiding Questions

  • What does it mean to be a feminist? Who are the icons of this movement?
  • How have women’s rights evolved since the “second-wave feminism” of the 1970s?
  • How were women’s lives and careers affected by social constructions of gender in the 20th century?
  • What are the public roles and responsibilities of a female writer or activist?
  • Why does understanding the lives and contributions of historical women matter?
  • What forms of sexism, abuse, and gender inequality affect women today?
  • How can students support women’s issues and gender equality?

Learning Objectives

  • Understand Sontag’s key arguments about feminism, gender inequality, and power
  • Explore Sontag’s public role and her contributions to the feminist movement
  • Relate students’ experiences of sexism and gender inequality to Sontag’s key ideas
  • Identify social and cultural barriers to equality for women, and reflect on the injustices women of all backgrounds face today
  • Consider contemporary social and political movements that support women’s rights and gender equality
  • Use art, writing, and visual displays creatively to express complex issues

Time Required

1-4 Class Periods

Subject Areas

  • Art and Culture

Medium > Visual Arts
Subject Matter > Art History

  • History and Social Studies

People > LGBTQ
People > Women
Themes > Civil Rights
Themes > Culture
Themes > Modern World
Themes > Politics and Citizenship

  • Literature and Language Arts

Genre > Biography
Genre > Essay
Place > The Americas
Place > Modern World

Student Skills

  • Analysis
  • Compare and contrast
  • Critical thinking
  • Cultural analysis
  • Discussion
  • Evaluating arguments
  • Expository writing
  • Gathering, classifying and interpreting written, oral and visual information
  • Historical analysis
  • Internet skills
  • Interpretation
  • Investigating/journalistic writing
  • Literary analysis
  • Making inferences and drawing conclusions
  • Media analysis
  • Online research
  • Oral communication
  • Oral presentation skills
  • Persuasive writing and speaking
  • Report writing
  • Representing ideas and information orally, graphically and in writing
  • Research
  • Summarizing
  • Synthesis
  • Technology
  • Textual analysis
  • Using archival documents
  • Using primary sources
  • Using secondary sources
  • Visual presentation skills
  • Vocabulary
  • Writing skills

Common Core Standards

  • ELA Reading: 1, 3-7, 10
  • ELA Writing: 1-2, 4-10
  • ELA Speaking & Listening: 1-6
  • ELA Language: 4, 6
  • HSS Reading: 1-10
  • HSS Writing: 1-2, 4-10

About This Lesson

Susan Sontag was one of the most famous writers of her era and, as such, something of an icon for women, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s. She wrote several significant feminist essays in the 1970s, militantly demanding gender equality. Yet she was also a feminist who found fault with many women, did not help her feminist “sisters,” and sometimes wanted to be seen outside of gender altogether. This lesson explores Sontag’s views on issues such as beauty, gender, and power, looking at her arguments in historical terms while also considering their relevance today. Students will have opportunities to research the lives and work of feminist thinkers and artists in exhibits and presentations, and to use Sontag’s ideas as starting points for essays and speeches on issues that affect women in their own communities.

LESSON 1 HANDOUTS
LESSON 1 STUDENT ACTIVITY OPTIONS

How to Teach This Lesson

  1. Watch Regarding Susan Sontag and reflect on its relevance to your students and subject area. For extracurricular organizations, community groups, and book clubs, consult our guide on adapting the curriculum.
  2. Select the handout(s) and student activity you will use with this lesson.
    • Begin the lesson by watching and discussing the lesson video module with Handout 1
    • Continue the lesson with Handouts 2-4 to deepen learning (optional)
    • Complete the lesson with a student activity: options include writing, presentation, and creative assignments as well as class projects or debates
  3. Download or print all related resources for this lesson at our resource center (video module, handouts, worksheets, teaching plans), and prepare for classroom use. Preview the video module, familiarizing yourself with the content and any potential areas of sensitivity for your students (see viewing and discussing sensitive materials).

Extending The Lesson

  • Screen Regarding Susan Sontag and discuss with our Educational Screening Guide before beginning this lesson.
  • Assign full texts or articles in place of handout excerpts.
  • Assign supplementary texts or facilitate independent research with our Identity Unit Research handout, which includes:
    • Online resources related to queer and feminist studies
    • Reference texts on identity (unit citations and recommendations)
  • Allow additional time for discussion, group work, peer-review, editing, revision, or student evaluations and critiques of finished work.
  • Coordinate presentations of student activities outside the classroom, such as a class blog, podcast or online gallery posts, school newspaper or literary/art journal publications, student radio or video broadcasts, or all-school exhibits, panel discussions, and screenings.
  • Teach this lesson with additional content from the curriculum guide. See our Interdisciplinary Diagram for help choosing related units and lessons.