“Eastern and Southern Africa has nearly achieved gender parity in primary education, with 25 million more girls enrolled in primary school in AFE today than in the early 2000s.”
From World Bank.
“Eastern and Southern Africa has nearly achieved gender parity in primary education, with 25 million more girls enrolled in primary school in AFE today than in the early 2000s.”
From World Bank.
“After a yearslong trend of elite colleges dropping standardized test requirements from their applications, the tide seems to be turning for the SAT. Long derided as unfair, unnecessary, or even sexist and racist, college entrance exams are gaining new defenders who point out that, contrary to common conception, standardized tests help—not hinder—talented yet disadvantaged students.”
From Reason.
Reading the news can leave you depressed and misinformed. It’s partisan, shallow, and, above all, hopelessly negative. As Steven Pinker from Harvard University quipped, “The news is a nonrandom sample of the worst events happening on the planet on a given day.”
So, why does Human Progress feature so many news items? And why did I compile them in this giant list? Here are a few reasons:
Below is a nonrandom sample (n = ~1000) of positive news we collected this year, separated by topic area. Please scroll, skim, and click. Or—to be even more enlightened—read this blog post and then look through our collection of long-term trends and datasets.
“New calculations by the Global Education Monitoring Report reveal that 50 million more girls have been enrolled in school globally since 2015. There are also 5 million more girls completing each level of education from primary to upper secondary education.”
From UNESCO.
You can find a PDF of this lesson plan here.
Featured article: Heroes of Progress, Pt. 46: Astell and Wollstonecraft by Alexander C.R. Hammond
In this lesson, students will learn about the lives and legacies of Mary Astell and Mary Wollstonecraft, two feminist authors whose philosophical ideas helped form the basis for later movements for gender equality and female empowerment.
What do you know about Mary Astell and Mary Wollstonecraft?
Before reading, watch this overview of Mary Astell’s life until 5:23 in the video. Then watch this three minute video about Mary Wollstonecraft.
In partners, small groups, or as a whole class, have students answer these questions:
Read the article, then answer the following questions:
Which education reforms did they seek? | What philosophical arguments did they use to support their positions? | |
Astell | ||
Wollstonecraft |
For each category below, write at least one reform that you think Astell and Wollstonecraft would seek to change in the 21st century
Current Issue | What reforms do you think Astell and Wollstonecraft would propose to improve women’s lives today? |
Gender pay gap | |
Lack of workplace accommodations for childbearing and childcare | |
Sexual harassment at school and work | |
Domestic violence |
Be a Contrarian.
Most people in the United States today see nothing radical about the proposals Astell and Wollstonecraft made during the 17th and 18th centuries. These two writers sought equal rights and opportunities for women in education, marriage, and political representation.
Imagine that you are a contemporary of Wollstonecraft living around the time of the French Revolution. You do not support her positions. Think critically and argue against her ideas. What philosophical, historical, biological, and/or religious reasons would you use to refute her calls for equality?
Write a Eulogy for Mary Astell or Mary Wollstonecraft
In addition to being first-rate intellectuals and writers, Astell and Wollstonecraft were both strong, independent women who persevered despite discrimination and personal setbacks.
After reading the article, write a eulogy, a short piece normally read at a memorial service or funeral, for either Mary Astell or Mary Wollstonecraft. Choose the person whose life resonates most with you. Your eulogy should honor and remember her life and accomplishments.
Who Inspires You? Write a Letter to them.
The article says, “Astell and Wollstonecraft’s writings were unsuccessful in bringing about immediate reforms when they were published. The works of the two thinkers, however, provided the intellectual foundation for the suffragette and feminist movements, which started in the late 19th century and continue around the world to this day. Although they were considered radicals during their time, without their ideas it is unlikely that women’s rights would be as extensive today as they are.”
Who is a person who inspires you? It could be someone in your school or community, someone you follow on social media, or an activist, writer, or political leader. What does this person stand for? How does this person make their voice heard? Why does this person inspire you?
Write the person a letter sharing why you appreciate their activism and how they’ve inspired you.