Sexual revolution

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/sexual-revolution

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the historical period?Predominantly 1960s-1970s, with roots in earlier movements
2. What is the key technological enabler?Widespread availability and use of the oral contraceptive pill
3. What was the Sexual Revolution and when did it happen?It was a time in the 1960s and 1970s when people started thinking differently about love, families, and how they express themselves. It changed how people talked about and understood relationships.
4. Why did people start talking more about sex during the Sexual Revolution?New ideas, like the birth control pill and feminist movements, made people feel they could choose when to have babies and who to love. This made talking about sex less secret.

Reproductive Autonomy: An individual's ability to make informed decisions about their reproductive health and choices.
Gender Roles: Societal expectations and norms associated with masculinity and femininity.
Sexual Liberation: The freeing of sexual expression from societal restrictions and moral constraints.
Counter-culture: A subculture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society.