Unit 3: A Woman’s Crusade: Dorothea Dix

Grades

• 9-10
• 11-12

Subjects

• Civics
• History
• Language
• Social Studies

Overview of Lesson Plan

Standards

• 1. Explain, analyze and show connections among patterns of historical change.

  2. Analyze group and institutional influences on people, events, and elements of culture in historical settings.

  3. Describe the various forms institutions take and explain how they develop and change.

  4. Describe and examine belief systems basic to specific traditions in historical movements.

  5. Analyze and evaluate the influence of various forms of citizen action on public policy.

Objectives

• 1. To be able to define "expose´" and give examples of how it has been used in America to improve the quality of life for different groups and individuals.

  2. To understand how the treatment of people with disabilities at any time in history is related to the politics, culture, and beliefs of that time.

  3. To examine the role of individuals in creating social change.

Questions to Consider

• 1. How do Dix’s and Blatt’s roles in the history of reform of social services compare and contrast?
• 2. What kind and how much “progressâ€� was made in institutions for people with disabilities from Dix’s time to Blatt’s time?
• 3. In human services, what counts as progress for people with disabilities?  Who decides?

Resources and Materials

• 1. Steve Taylor, “A Woman’s Crusade: Dorothea Dix.â€�

  2. Steve Taylor, “Burton Blatt’s Purgatory.�

  3. Blatt, B., & Kaplan, F. (1974). Christmas in Purgatory: A Photographic Essay on Mental Retardation and links to all related images.

  4. Dorothea Dix, Memorial to the Massachusetts Legislature, 1843.

Activities and Procedures

• 1. Reading: Have students read the essay, “A Woman’s Crusade: Dorothea Dixâ€� (Taylor, 2004). If time permits, students should also read “Memorial to the Legislature of Massachusettsâ€� (Dix, 1843).
• 2. Reading: Then have students read the essay, “Burton Blatt’s Purgatoryâ€� and study the text and images from Christmas in Purgatory (Blatt & Kaplan, 1974).
• 3. Group Discussion: Divide the class into pairs and have one person in each dyad answer these questions about Dix (in writing):
• a) What do you suppose motivated Dix to engage in this work?
• b) What tools did Dix use in trying to reform the system?  Were these tools effective?
• c) Dix wanted better treatment and conditions for people with mental illness and other disabilities.  What reforms did she deem necessary?
• 3a. At the same time, the other person in the pair should answer these questions about Blatt (in writing):
• a) What do you suppose motivated Blatt to engage in this work?
• b) What tools did Blatt use in trying to reform the system?  Were these tools effective?
• c) Blatt wanted better treatment and conditions for people with disabilities. What reforms did he deem necessary?
• 4. Group Discussion: Next, have students consider the work of these two activists by engaging in an imaginary “fishbowlâ€� discussion between the two individuals.  In this activity, the class forms a circle with their chairs and two students (representing Blatt and Dix) sit in the center and discuss their views.  As students sitting on the outside hear something they want to clarify or expand upon, they move into the center of the circle and “becomeâ€� one of the characters.  The individual who was initially representing that person then joins the rest of the class on the outside of the circle.  The teacher may become one of the “charactersâ€� at any time in order to provide needed information.  The teacher should also act as a moderator of the discussion, asking questions and clarifying points.  The following questions might serve as a guide for the discussion:
• a) What impact do you feel your work had on the lives of people with disabilities?  Do you have any regrets about your work?  What makes you the most proud when you reflect on your work?
• b) How do you feel the use of exposé worked as a tool for reform?  
• c) Why do you feel asylums failed?
• d) What advice would you give to activists today?
• 5. Class Discussion: As a whole class, discuss the following questions in a round-robin style:

  “If conditions did not really seem to improve for people living in institutions between the mid-1800s and the mid 1900s, does that mean that Dix’s work was meaningless?  Did she make an important contribution?  Why or why not?  Why did Blatt’s work create more meaningful changes for people with disabilities?â€�

  Call on one person to start the round-robin discussion and then when he or she has made a point, have that individual call on another student to make another point or to answer another question. Continue until everyone in the room has had an opportunity to comment on these questions.

• 6. Class Discussion: In groups of 3-4 have students engage in a short web-based “scavenger huntâ€� to find more information on the use of exposé in reform.  Each group should find one example of how an individual or a group used exposé to try and create change.  Then students should present their findings to the rest of the class.  Groups should stress the following points:
• a) What was the perceived problem or question that prompted the exposé?
• b) What exact methods were used?
• c) What problems, if any, were faced by the investigators?
• d) What impact, if any, the exposé seemed to have?
• 7. Class Discussion: Have students discuss effective reform.  Have students do a quick “whipâ€� to answer the question: “What is effective reform?â€�  The teacher should point to each student in the classroom to answer this question in one sentence or less.  The teacher should not speak in between student responses.  The students just respond one after the next to the same prompt.

Eras

• 1810-1865
• 1961-1980

Disability

• Developmental Disabilities
• Intellectual Disabilities
• Mental Illness
• Mental Retardation
• Psychiatric Disabilities

Topics

• Asylum
• Exposés
• Government
• Institutions
• Media
• Mental Hospital
• Poorhouse
• Public Policy
• Reform

Copyright

• (c) Syracuse University 2006. All rights reserved.

Author(s)

• Paula Kluth, Ph.D.

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