Mary Ann McCracken

• Art and design
• Primary Education

Mary Ann McCracken

Mary Ann McCracken 

Mary Ann McCracken 

In this lesson you will...

Learn about Mary Ann McCracken and Belfast's history

Learn about voting and the suffragettes

 

Learn key terms like equality, inequality,  philanthropy and  campaigning

Use what you already know 

Learn some new facts

Get ready to take part

Reflect on what you have learned

When you see this symbol...

Where?

Map with pinpoint

Where did she live?

When was she alive? 

1770-1866

That's over 150 years ago!

She was born in Belfast and lived on Donegall Street. 

Click the hotspot for "When was she alive?"

She was born in 1770 and died at 96 in 1866. 

This is Mary Ann McCracken

We know she lived in Belfast, and we know she was alive between 1770 and 1866. 

But what did she do? 

Her motto was "it is better to wear out than to rust out” 

What is a Philanthropist?

A person who donates generous amounts of money to causes or charities that help other people. 

What is a Campaigner?

Someone who takes part in organised activities that are intended to change something (normally a problem) in society. 

She was...

a Writer

a Businesswomen

a Philanthropist

a Campaigner

What did she campaign for?

Education for girls and the poor,

Votes for women,

An end to slavery.

Teachers could assign pupils with one of these roles now, for a later activity/ discussion

Let’s think like business owners!
If you lived in the 1790s what business would you set up?

Give class 5-10 minutes to think about this question, before answering. 

Creativity and discussion should be encouraged. 

Mary Ann (and her sister Margaret) had a business producing patterned and checked muslin.

Margaret McCracken & Co. Muslin Manufacturers

37 Waring Street

They called it...

So, what was her business?

Muslin is a fabric. It is very light, slightly see-through and made out of cotton. 

What is muslin?

Check

A check is a pattern of lines that cross over to make different coloured squares

Pattern

A pattern is a repeated design

Checks and Patterns 

Here are some patterns from the National Museums NI collection... 

This pattern was made between 1900-1910

This pattern was made in 1931

Activity: Why don't you try designing your own pattern or check!

Optional Activity : Create a pattern or check using pens, crayons etc on paper. 

Girls in school and the workplace

Mary Ann and Margaret needed a factory to make their fabric. In this factory they employed women.

In the late 1700s and early 1800s, it was uncommon for girls to go to school.

But Mary Ann went to a school in Belfast which offered education for girls and boys (like our primary schools today). 

Equality and Inequality 

What is 'equality'?

When everyone is treated the same they have 

equality – because they are equal. 

What is 'inequality'?

When people aren't treated equal or don't have equality, it is called inequality. 

Throughout history many people have not had equality. Mary Ann felt very strongly about about equality. 

One of the things she campaigned for was equality in voting. 

What is voting? 

'Voting' is to make an official choice for or against someone or something by casting a ballot, raising your hand or speaking your choice aloud. 

Voting activity:

Print off ballot slips.

Split class into groups (e.g. 1,2,3,4 or pink, orange, blue, purple).

Propose an issue to vote on

- e.g. should morning break be moved to the afternoon. Should lunch time be 10 minutes. Should school close on Wednesdays. Should group 1 teach the class on Mondays and group 2 on Tuesdays.

One of the groups can’t vote, after each vote swap this group.

Discussion with the class on how they felt in the activity e.g. did they feel left out? Were their opinions presented by other pupils? Were their opinions ignored?

Do you think it is important to vote?

Yes

No

Not sure

Voting Timeline

In the past...

Throughout history many people weren't allowed to vote

Before 1918

Only men could vote.

1903 - 1918

So in 1903 a group of women called the Suffragettes started a campaign to be allowed to vote, but this took 15 years!

Now

Now everyone can vote over the age of 18 in the UK and Ireland.

Mary Ann McCracken was a Belfast Suffragette who was involved in the very early days of the movement.

Click the hotspots. 

What did Suffragettes look like? 

They had flags...

Rosettes...

Postcards...

Suggest teacher asks class why they think they chose these colours. 

Answer: The purple represents loyalty. The white represents purity. The green represents hope

What is a Campaigner?

Someone who takes part in organised activities that are intended to change something (normally a problem) in society. 

Recap

What is 'inequality'?

When people aren't treated equal or don't have equality, it is called inequality. 

What is voting?

'Voting' is to make an official choice for or against someone or something by casting a ballot, raising your hand or speaking your choice aloud. 

Teachers could assign pupils with one of these roles now, for a later activity/ discussion

If you were a business owner now, what would you make, sell, do? 

Is there something you could invent? 

Activity: What would you do? 

If you were a writer, what would you write about? 

If you were a campaigner, what would you campaign for? 

If you were a philanthropist, who or what would you donate your millions to? 

Activity in roles previously set by teacher (writer, campaigner, business owner, campaigner, philanthropy)

- If you were a writer, what would you write about?

- If you could set up a business, what would you make, sell, do? Is there something you could invent?

- If you were a campaigner, what would you campaign for? Birthdays twice a year, more holidays. Kids teach the teachers.

- If you were a philanthropist, who or what would you donate your millions to? Dinosaur conservation, zoos, the dogs trust, your football club.

Encourage creativity. Give them 5-10 minutes to think about it, then ask them to present their idea. They can present this verbally, write it on the board, write about it, draw it. 

What was the most interesting thing you learned in this lesson?

What did you think of this lesson?

😒🙁😐🙂😃

- Visit the Ulster Museum to learn more about Belfast's history. 

- Visit the Mary Ann McCracken sculpture in the grounds of Belfast City Hall.

- Download the Mary Ann McCracken’s Belfast map created by The Mary Ann McCracken Foundation.

Next Steps