Women's History Month
by Cindi Sutter, Founder & Editor of Spirited Table® - content provided by Thinkmap Visual Thesaurus
I consider myself very fortunate to have discovered Thinkmap Visual Thesaurus about the same time I launched spiritedtable.com. Oddly, I never considered myself much of a writer, so the grander plan of writing every day was certainly a surprise to me too. Armed with this visually fun and engaging tool, I've never lacked for a way to wordsmith a sentence. Cheers to Thinkmap for celebrating Women's History Month with a few tips, tricks and lessons for teachers, administrators and those that might be curious about history, documents, and speeches.
TIPS & TRICKS
Bring More to Your Women's History Month Lessons
March is Women’s History Month. It's a time when many educators are looking for quality resources that will help them teach their students about the vital role of women in history.
Whether you plan to delve into a complete unit of study or to supplement your curriculum with selected readings, Vocabulary.com makes it easy to seamlessly integrate vocabulary instruction into your Women’s History Month lesson plans. Here's how:
- Choose the texts you want your students to read. Maybe this is the year to try a new title with your class, have small groups each read different books, or support independent reading with self-selected texts. We've recommended some texts below.
- Check out our high-quality, ready-made lists. Developed by seasoned educators, our lists are designed to align with your curriculum and to support either independent or group reading. You can use the lists as they are, or copy and customize them.
- Assign a Practice activity. When students Practice the words on the list you assigned, they learn key vocabulary and preview the text before they tackle the reading.
- Follow-up made easy. Vocabulary.com automatically works with students until they master any words they struggled with. You can also create a custom quiz based on the list you assigned.
Below, you'll find recommended reading for Women's History Month, along with links to our curated vocabulary lists for each text. Our suggestions include a range of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction that addresses major topics in women's history.
Bear in mind that the recommendations below represent only a fraction of our vocabulary lists. You can find more great resources on our Lists page.
Historical Documents and Speeches
Declaration of the Rights of Women (1791) Written in 1791 by Olympe de Gouges, the main structure, and contents of this declaration parallel and parody its male counterpart, Declaration of the Rights of Man.
Declaration of Sentiments (1848) The Declaration was presented by Elizabeth Cady Stanton in 1848 at the Seneca Falls Conference, the first major women's rights convention organized by women. Stanton and Lucretia Mott modeled the Declaration upon the United States Declaration of Independence. It was signed by 68 women and 32 men, including Frederick Douglass.
Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman?" (1851) Sojourner Truth's speech at the 1851 Women's Rights Convention in Ohio asked a profound and provocative question that spoke to the undeniable humanity of both women and slaves.
On Women's Right to Vote (1873) Susan B. Anthony was arrested when she illegally voted in the 1872 presidential election. She delivered this argument for women's suffrage in 1873.
Why Women Should Vote (1910) Jane Addams's short essay on women's suffrage, "Why Women Should Vote," was first printed in a 1910 issue of the Ladies' Home Journal.
The 19th Amendment (1919) Passed in 1919 and ratified in 1920, the 19th amendment guarantees American women the right to vote.
Margaret Chase Smith's "Declaration of Conscience" (1950) Margaret Chase Smith's address to the US Senate was a "Declaration of Conscience" in response to Joseph R. McCarthy's accusations about Communist subversives in the government. Smith was the first woman to serve in both Houses of Congress.
Nonfiction
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose. Claudette Colvin is a lesser-known figure in American history. In this biography, Hoose tells the story of a Civil Rights leader who tirelessly fought segregation in Montgomery, Alabama.
Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad by Ann Petry. This biography tells the extraordinary story of the woman who became known as the Moses of her People.
Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly. This memoir is descriptively subtitled: "The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race."
I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai. She was a girl just like any other until the Taliban took control of her hometown in Pakistan. Then, she became the girl who "stood up for education and changed the world." Malala Yousafzai is the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.
Fiction and Poetry
In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. This novel follows the four brave Mirabal sisters as they seek to overthrow the corrupt Trujillo government in the Dominican Republic.
"Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou. Angelou's uplifting poem affirms the power of resilience, self-love, and joy in the face of oppression.
"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. This is an unnerving short story about a woman diagnosed with "hysteria" and confined to a yellow bedroom by her husband.
“No Name Woman” from The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston. Kingston's blend of memoir and myth recounts the troubles and triumphs of Chinese women in ancient folklore and in modern day America.
“Planetarium” by Adrienne Rich. Rich’s poem is inspired by Caroline Herschel, a British-German astronomer who discovered eight comets between 1786 and 1797.