Skip to content

Emmeline Pankhurst KS2

This Emmeline Pankhurst KS2 ready-to-teach lesson begins with children learning about the role of women in the 19th century. They will find out how women began to speak out against their inequality with men, and in particular, how they wanted the right to vote. As a class, children will explore and discuss the work of Emmeline Pankhurst and the WSPU, as well as looking at the role of women during the First World War. In their independent activities, they will look in more detail at the different viewpoints of people at the time. In the alternative activity, children are challenged to compare the actions of the WSPU and the actions of women during the war, and decide which had the most influence on women winning the vote.

This Emmeline Pankhurst KS2 History lesson includes:

  • a detailed lesson plan with differentiated activities
  • a slideshow for the teaching input
  • a range of printable resources for independent learning activities

This lesson is part of our British History Heroes scheme for Year 3 and Year 4.

Emmeline Pankhurst KS2 Lesson Pack

£2.99

Scroll through the pictures for a preview of the lesson's resources:

Emmeline Pankhurst KS2 slideshow example 1
Emmeline Pankhurst KS2 slideshow example 2
Emmeline Pankhurst KS2 slideshow example 3
Emmeline Pankhurst KS2 slideshow example 5
Emmeline Pankhurst KS2 slideshow example 5
Emmeline Pankhurst KS2 worksheet example 1
Emmeline Pankhurst KS2 worksheet example 2
Emmeline Pankhurst KS2 worksheet example 3
Emmeline Pankhurst KS2 lesson plan example 1

Emmeline Pankhurst

Who was Emmeline Pankhurst?

Emmeline Pankhurst was an activist who fought for women's rights, especially the right to vote, in the late 19th and early 20th century.

Emmeline was born on 14th July, 1858 in Manchester, England. She had nine siblings; Emmeline was the oldest girl. Both of her parents supported equal suffrage (the right to vote) for men and women. When she was 14, she attended her first public meeting about women's voting rights alongside her mother. Emmeline attended a girls' school and later went to Paris to study, where she learned more about the importance of women’s roles in society. This early life shaped her dedication to the suffrage movement.

In 1878, Emmeline married Richard Marsden Pankhurst, a lawyer who was also a strong supporter of women's rights. Over the next ten years, she had five children while remaining active in the Women's Suffrage Society.

Emmeline Pankhurst, c.1913

Emmeline Pankhurst, c.1913

What did Emmeline Pankhurst do?

In 1903, she founded the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU), which campaigned for women to have the same voting rights as men. Emmeline and her supporters, known as suffragettes, used protests, marches and even acts of civil disobedience to demand change. For example, in 1913, when the government announced that they wouldn't be considering any voting bills that session, the WSPU cut telephone wires, broke windows and even started fires. Emmeline and other suffragettes were jailed a number of times for acts like these. The authorities often saw their actions as unlawful, but Emmeline and the suffragettes used these tactics to draw attention to their cause. While in jail, Emmeline went on hunger strikes to protest against her imprisonment, which brought even more public attention to the fight for women's rights.

Emmeline Pankhurst being arrested outside the gates of Buckingham Palace in 1914

Emmeline Pankhurst being arrested outside the gates of Buckingham Palace in 1914

How did Emmeline Pankhurst change the world?

In 1918, after years of campaigning alongside the other suffragetes, women over the age of 30 gained the right to vote. Ten years later, in 1928, 'The Representation of the People Act' gave equal suffrage to men and women.

How did Emmeline Pankhurst die?

The many years of touring, lecturing, imprisonment and hunger strikes had taken its toll on Emmeline's health. In 1928, she was moved into a nursing home, where she died on 14th June at the age of 69. She was buried in Brompton Cemetery in London.

Emmeline Pankhurst is remembered as a courageous woman who helped make history by fighting for equality. Many people would agree that she was one of the most influential people of the 20th century. Today, she is honoured through statues, such as the one in London’s Westminster, and through schools and places named after her. Her legacy continues to inspire people around the world to stand up for equality and social justice.

 

You might also be interested in our KS2 History scheme, The Changing Role of Women, which explores the changing roles and rights of women from ancient times to today.

1355