Women’s History Month: Resources for Your Classroom

Girl Power! Celebrate the contributions of women with these leveled lessons.

From the voting booth to the science lab, women throughout history have overcome a wide range of obstacles to pave the way for others. And every March, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia celebrate these accomplishments with Women’s History Month. We have come a long way since the days of Susan B. Anthony, and it is exciting to think of all that is yet to come. In honor of the the powerful women who worked so hard to make the world a better place for all mankind, here is a list of curated lessons for introducing your students to and talking about women’s history and women’s rights.

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Free Close Reading Lessons

• Progress Is the Law How did Elizabeth Cady Stanton use words and actions to fight for the rights of women? (Grades 3-5; CCSS.CCRA.R.8)
• Not Just For the Guys Why are more girls playing soccer now than in the past? (Grades 3-5; CCSS.CCRA.R.8)
• The Other Army: The Women of World War II How did women support the war effort during World War II? (Grades 3-5; CCSS.CCRA.R.2)
• Just Say No! The Daughters of Liberty How did women help in the fight for independence? (Grades 3-5; CCSS.CCRA.R.8)
• Cecilia Payne, Astronomer How did Cecilia Payne change the world? (Grades 3-5; CCSS.CCRA.R.8)
• Alice Paul How did Alice Paul help shape history? (Grades 3-5; CCSS.CCRA.R.5)
• Marie Curie, Scientist How did Marie Curie change the world? (Grades 3-5; CCSS.CCRA.R.8)
• A woman on the $20 bill? How do people feel about putting a woman's face on U.S. money? (Grades 3-5; CCSS.CCRA.R.7)
• Harriet Tubman, The Woman Called Moses What events led to Harriet Tubman's participation in the Underground Railroad? (Grades 6-8; CCSS.CCRA.R.3)
• Early Women Soldiers In what ways did women contribute to the success of military campaigns? (Grades 6-8; CCSS.CCRA.R.5)
• Out of Her Hands: The Woman Who Didn't Win the Nobel Prize How did the work of Rosalind Franklin contribute to the discovery of DNA's structure? (Grades 6-8; CCSS.CCRA.R.6)
• Beatrix Looks at Lichens Which trait best helped Beatrix Potter make significant discoveries about lichens? (Grades 6-8; CCSS.CCRA.R.8)
• Live Wires What role did the telegraph play in transportation, business, and the social lives of people, especially young women, in the late 1800s? (Grades 6-8; CCSS.CCRA.R.8)
• A Landmark Concert 75 Years Ago What statement did Eleanor Roosevelt and Marian Anderson want to make through the Freedom Concert? (Grades 6-8; CCSS.CCRA.R.4)
• The Duty of Women What obstacles within and outside of the movement for women's rights did leaders of the movement have to overcome to win the right to vote? (Grades 9-10; CCSS.CCRA.R.1)
• What Keeps Girls from Pursuing STEM Fields What factors contribute to lower numbers of girls than boys pursuing STEM fields? (Grades 9-10; CCSS.RI.9-10.5)
• A Message to Lululemon Founder Chip Wilson: Stop Shaming Women’s Bodies! How much of an impact do fashion brands have on how we perceive and value ourselves and our self-image? (Grades 9-10; CCSS.CCRA.R.8)
• Introducing the Girl Effect Accelerator What kinds of global changes can we expect if we "put girls at the center of development"? (Grades 9-10; CCSS.CCRA.R.8)
• Wilma Rudolph: The Potential for Greatness What made Wilma Rudolph an American hero? (Grades 9-10; CCSS.CCRA.R.5)
• Protector of Children How did Jane Addams change the history of child welfare in the United States? (Grades 9-10; CCSS.CCRA.R.8)
• Women in Mathematics: Things Are Better, but Still Far from Good Does the author make a convincing argument that the mathematics community should make a stronger effort to recognize the work of women? (Grades 11-12; CCSS.CCRA.R.6)
• The Fairy Tale Called Workplace Meritocracy Does the author make a convincing case for implementing her recommended changes regarding gender equality in the workplace? (Grades 11-12; CCSS.RI.11-12.4)

Applied Argumentative Writing Lessons

• Florence Nightingale: The Lady of the Lamp How did Florence Nightingale overcome challenges to make a difference in the world? (Grade 3; CCSS.RI.3.3; CCSS.W.3.2)
• Lynda Blackmon Lowery What do Lynda Blackmon Lowery's actions suggest about fighting for what you believe in? (Grade 4; CCSS.RI.4.2; CCSS.W.4.1)
• Rosie the Riveter What parts of the picture of Rosie the Riveter suggest women should be strong? (Grade 4; CCSS.RI.4.7; CCSS.W.4.1)
• Multiday Informational Text: "The Power of a Voice" and "Eleanor Roosevelt and Marian Anderson" Based on the evidence from different points of view represented in these accounts of Marian Anderson and Eleanor Roosevelt's work together, how were the two women able to help break down racial segregation in the United States? (Grade 5; CCSS.RI.5.9; CCSS.W.5.1)
• "Grace Abbott and the Child Labor Movement" and excerpts from the Fair Labor Standards Act Based on the information provided in both texts, what was the lasting impact of Grace Abbott's work? (Grade 6-8; CCSS.RH.6-8.9; CCSS.WHST.6-8.1)
• Malala Yousafzai: A Girl with a Voice What makes Malala Youafzai a hero? (Grade 7; CCSS.CCRA.R.7.9;CCSS.W.7.1)
• Looking Through Their Eyes: How Dorothea Lange Used Photography to Focus In on Poverty and Injustice Based on the information provided in this article and the photographs themselves, describe the ways in which Dorothea Lange’s photographs of migrant workers were an effective way to make a case to the American people about government policies during the Depression. (Grade 8; CCSS.RI.8.7; CCSS.W.8.1)
• 100 Years Later, Lessons from the Sufferin’ Suffragettes What claims, according to historians, can we make about the suffragette movement based on the documents and artifacts from the period? (Grade 9; CCSS.RI.9-10.7; CCSS.W.9-10.1)
• Woman's Right to the Suffrage Why does Anthony call a government that denies women the right to vote "the most hateful aristocracy ever established" in the world? (Grade 9; CCSS.RI.9-10.9; CCSS.W.9-10.1)
• Taking Courage to New Heights How did Amelia Earhart's desire to become a pilot develop and ultimately affect her life and legacy? (Grade 11; CCSS.RI.11-12.3; CCSS.W.11-12.2)
• American Woman Who Shattered Space Ceiling How did Sally Ride's ambitions to become an astronaut develop and ultimately affect her life and legacy? (Grade 12; CCSS.RI.11-12.3; CCSS.W.11-12.2)
• Multiday Short Fiction: The Yellow Wallpaper Why does the narrator attack the yellow wallpaper rather than her husband? Consider how the author develops the themes of madness or illness in relation to the roles that nineteenth century women were expected to play. (Grade 12; CCSS.RL.11-12.2; CCSS.W.11-12.1)

Differentiated Lesson Sets for Grades 4-12

• Women in War What are the opportunities and challenges of women fighting in combat? (CCSS.CCRA.R.5; CCSS.W.1)
• Personal Identity How is our identity shaped by how others perceive us? (CCSS.RI.2; CCSS.W.1)
• Cultural Memoirs How does culture help shape the people we become? (CCSS.RL.2; CCSS.W.1)