March.
Women's History Month.
Do you do something extra special? Or, do you find ways to incorporate amazing women in history throughout your curriculum all year? I am in the "hit and miss" category. Some years I do something additional to recognize women during the month of March, other years I do not.
But regardless if I cram March full of memorable women and their accomplishments, or sprinkle factoids and biographies throughout the school year, I always look forward to teaching about Women's Suffrage.
Here are some of the ways I celebrate women and the amazing movement that forever changed America.
Make a Collaborative Poster
I love Art with Jenny K. resources. They are a wonderful blend of left and right brain. Her collaborative posters are an absolute favorite! I especially love the dialog the students and I have during different points of crafting and assembly; but the best is when the posters are done and the students stand and stare at their collective creation. It's absolutely the best.
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| Women of History Collaboration Poster |
By time March rolls around my students have usually completed a few of Jenny's posters. For the poster pictured above, I chose to print it on pink paper. I thought it would be a nice contrast to the Black History poster we had the month before. The students and the staff loved the switch!
You can find this amazing resource here along other Art with Jenny K resources for Women's History Month here.
Read "The Hope Chest"
Do you enjoy historical fiction? I had never heard of The Hope Chest until it popped up in my State's scope and sequence. Now, I am a forever fan. I would teach this novel whether it stays or go in the official curriculum.
Author Karen Schwabach transports her readers to 1920 America as a young girl, Violet, seeks her older sister and finds herself unwittingly caught up in the fight for the 19th Amendment. Told in the first person through Violet's eyes, the reader experiences the cultural expectations and limitations for girls and women in the early twentieth century. The Hope Chest also gives readers an inside look at racial segregation, government policy, and lobbyists.
The Hope Chest is jam-packed with historical references - big and small. Every year I teach it, I notice something new. I do teach quite a bit of background knowledge because rarely does a page turn where there isn't a "current event" being casually discussed between characters or jargon interspersed in the dialog.
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| Suffrage Map, 1920 |
The artistry in Schwabach's words and craft is brilliantly woven throughout the novel but especially leaves the reader on the edge of their seat during the ratification vote in Nashville- despite knowing it passed!
I love to create anchor charts with my students and have them contribute ideas using sticky notes. Whether working in small groups, pairs, or individually, sticky note anchor charts are a great way to gather information and determine if students are able to find text evidence to support their ideas.
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| Evidence Chart for Ch. 1-3 |
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| Character Traits |
Character development is a key component of this novel. Readers get to watch the transformaiton of Violet from a more docile, obedient young girl to a more vocal, self-assured young lady. Schwabach gives students ample text evidence to demonstrate the tranformation in Violet through her "feelings", "actions", things she "says" and the way she "thinks".
Using a character FAST helps students cite and discuss the specific text evidence of Violet's change.
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| Violet Character FAST |
I also create a long anchor chart that tracks which characters are suffragists and which are anti-suffragists. It becomes most helpful toward the end of the novel when the characters are in Tennessee and there is a tremendous amount of dialog and back-and-forth with the mindsets of some of the characters.
Again, we use page numbers to indicate where in the novel text evidence can be found to support the classification of an anti or a suff.
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| Anti/Suff Anchor Chart |
There is no question that every reader will take away a broader knowledge about 1920 America after reading this novel. It is a must-read! You can find these and other ideas to engage with this novel here --> The Hope Chest Literature Study
If an entire novel is more than you can do, how about a picture book? I have a few faves that I use each year to give the students some insight to the times and struggles of women before the 19th Amendment guaranteed women the right to vote.
I will usually pick one standard that we are working on, choose a picture book, and have the students focus on that single standard when responding to the text. Focusing on a single standard keeps the rigor up and makes the planning manageable. The bonus is that the students are getting a bit of history infused with the ELA- it's a win, win!
QR Code Fun
If your students are anything like mine, they love anything that involves tech! To help get their interest piqued, I try and use QR Codes whenever possible; sometimes it's with scanning to websites and close reading information about individuals involved with the Women's Suffrage movement. Othertimes, I get them up and moving around with QR Code scavenger hunts.
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| Susan B. Anthony QR Code Activity |
Find it fast by clicking below!
Women's Suffrage Folders
It's no secret that elementary teachers struggle to find time for social studies and science. Oftentimes, teachers will flip-flop a section of the day where they choose between the two subjects.
I wanted to find a way to give my students a broad overview of the Women's Suffrage Movement. But, I couldn't take "too long" to cover the information. So I created 5 folders chock full of factoids about key points in the movement:
- July 19-20, 1848: The 1st Women's Rights Convention
- November 5, 1972: Susan B. Anthony Voted
- March 3, 1913: Women Marched in Washington D.C.
- June 5, 1916: The National Woman's Party was Established
- August 18, 1920: The 19th Amendment was Ratified
Students get a range of information about women's suffrage starting with the First Women's Rights Convention in 1848 and ending with the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920. Each event is broken down and explained using a sequence of events structure, incorporates vocabulary support, and offers discussion questions. Each folder can be used as a stand-alone resource.
I use these folders every year. I typically have students work in small groups and rotate through the five folders. When we were fully remote last spring, I added a digital component to them.
Make a Class Book or Bulletin Board
No matter the topic or time of year, a class book is always a winner. Have students choose a women to research and write a report about her contributions to the world. Collect all the reports and make a class book of amazing women!
I can remember once upon a time when I would ask the librarian to put together a collection the students could choose from. Over time, my own classroom collection grew and I didn't need to rely as much on the school library.
Today's access to information is much easier. Students can now type a name into a search engine and have pages and pages on information at their fingertips. Students simply need to organize their information and share it out in their report.
I bought these Women's History Month Teach-Go Pennants from The Little Ladybug Shop last year. I love them! The simple design helps students determine the most important information to include in their research. I also love that I can choose to print them and create an amazing bulletin board or assign them on a digital platform.
I hope some of these ideas will get your juices flowing on how you can bring Women's History to life in your classroom. Whether your lesson plans are akin to a flash in the pan or a long drawn out slow-cooker event, celebrating women with your students will have long-lasting effects beyond the month of March.