For whatever reason, there are some topics we only teach during certain times of the year. We always do (fill in the blank) in November, and then (fill in the blank) in January, and, oh yeah, don't forget (fill in the blank) in March. This makes sense for holidays like New Year's Day, Valentine's Day, and the 4th of July.
But the plight of a people, the victories of the oppressed, and the daring journeys of underdogs should be shared and celebrated throughout the year. Those are the stories of real people solving real problems in real life. We should be studying them, questioning them, and allowing them to inspire and impact our own lives ... on any random day of the week, during any month we want.
So why do we wait to talk about amazing women in March? Let's talk about them now. And tomorrow. And next month if we want to. We need heroes every day because WE are also real people solving real problems in real life.
I love this book👇written by Chelsea Clinton. She introduces children to 13 outstanding women who changed the world because they didn't take no for an answer. They persisted. There are some familiar faces like Ruby Bridges, Helen Keller, Oprah Winfrey, and Sally Ride, for example. And there are other women who may be new names for children, such as Sonia Sotomayor, Claudette Colvin, Maria Tallchief, and Virginia Apgar. They are doctors, dancers, astronauts, journalists. Strong. Determined. Resilient.
Finding quality picture books about these women (and many others) is pretty easy. You can find dozens of books in libraries and bookstores. I've even pinned several collections on a Pinterest board I used to call Women's History Month, but I dropped the word month as a reminder that their stories are relevant any time of the year.
Although there are plenty of great books to read aloud to my students, it's hard to find books at a level of text difficulty they can read and comprehend on their own, so I made a set of biographies they can tackle with greater independence. The texts have been differentiated to accommodate a variety of needs. The first sample shows a simpler version with a more predictable text format.
The book set also includes a more comprehensive biography for each of six amazing women and includes multiple nonfiction text features such as captions, labels, arrows, and fact boxes.
The resource highlights the extraordinary lives of Jane Goodall, Oprah Winfrey, Amelia Earhart, Wilma Rudolph, Marie Curie, and Clara Barton. Written comprehension activities are also provided.
Posters of additional women offer another text level and format for early readers along with (my favorite part) a notable quote from each.
If you're planning lessons about informational text, biographies, or the important contributions made by women throughout history, check out the resources on the Pinterest board above. You can also check out this teaching resource to help supplement your instruction. Every sample you see above is included in the set below.
One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world. -Malala Yousafzai
Happy teaching!
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