March is Women's History Month Interactive Notebook Activity 2024

 

In 1978, a school district in  California, organized a “Women’s History Week”. By 1981, Congress passed a resolution establishing a National Women’s History Week and in 1987, Congress created a month, March, to honor the contributions of women and to promote the teaching of women’s history. The following information may be helpful  for Women’s History Month.In 2024, the theme is "Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.” The theme is to highlight women who have tried to eliminate bias and discrimination in our lives. There are many women who have made contributions which have shaped our world.

At one time, women weren’t able to do many things because of their gender. Here are some women trailblazers.  Being the first, made it easier for other women to follow in their footsteps. Every year, new firsts continue to be made by women. Here is just a sampling of firsts made by women.

Lucy Brewer

First woman Marine

1812

 

Elizabeth Blackwell

First woman to receive a medical degree

1849

 

Amelia Jenks Bloomer

Publisher/editor of first prominent women's rights newspaper

1849

 

Harriet Tubman

First woman to run underground railroad to help slaves escape

1850

 

Lucy Hobbs

First woman to graduate from dental school

1866

 

Arabella Mansfield Babb

First woman admitted to the bar to practice law

1869

 

Frances Elizabeth Willard

First woman to become a college president (Evanston College)

1871

 

Victoria Chaflin Woodhull

First woman to be presidential candidate

1872

 

Helen Magill

First woman to receive a Ph.D. degree (Boston University)

1877

 

Belva Ann Lockwood

First woman to practice law before U.S. Supreme Court

1879

 

Clara Barton

Founder of the American Red Cross

1881

 

Suzanna Madora Salter

First woman mayor (Argonia, Kansas)

1887

 

Marie Curie

First women to win  a Nobel Prize AND first person awarded TWO Nobel Prizes(as of 2016)

1903 AND 1911

 

Mary McLeod Bethune

First woman to establish secondary school that became 4-year accredited college

1904

 

Blanche Scott

First woman to fly an airplane

1910

 

Jeannette Rankin

First woman U.S. House Representative (Montana)

1917

 

Bessie Coleman

First African American Female pilot in USA and first AMERICAN to receive an international pilot’s license

1921

 

Hallie Ferguson

First woman governor of U. S. state (Texas)

1924

 

Amelia Earhart

First woman to be a passenger on an airplane across the Atlantic Ocean (1928)

and first woman to fly  across the Atlantic Ocean

1932

 

Jane Addams

First American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize

1931

 

Hattie Wyatt Caraway

First woman elected to U.S. Senate

1932

 

Amelia Earhart

First woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean

1932

 

Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova

First woman to fly in space, aboard Vostok 6

1963

 

Mary Clarke

First woman to be named major general in U.S. Army

1978

 

Sandra Day O'Connor

First woman to become a Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court

1981

 

Sally Kristen Ride

First American woman to reach outer space.

1983

 

Ann Bancroft

First woman to walk to North Pole

1986

 

Christa McAuliffe

First woman citizen passenger on a space mission(teacher)

1986

 

Lt. Col. Eileen Collins

First American woman to pilot a Space Shuttle

1995

 

Madeleine K. Albright

First woman Secretary of State and highest ranking woman in the U.S. government

1997

 

Condoleezza Rice

First African-American woman to be appointed Secretary of State

2005

 

Nancy Pelosi

First woman to become Speaker of the House

2007

 

Hillary Clinton 

First FIRST LADY to become a senator (from NY).First woman to be in a presidential primary and caucus in every state. She would go on to be the first female candidate for President for a major political party(Democratic Party)

2008/2016

 

Michelle Obama 

First African American First Lady

2008

 

Kathryn Bigelow

First woman to win the Best Director Award

2010

 

Mary Barra 

First female CEO of General Motors

2013

 

Women 

Allowed to compete in ski jumping events at the Winter Olympics for the first time

2014

 

Katie Higgins 

First female pilot of the Blue Angels(US Navy Flight demonstration squad)

2014

 

Megan Brennan

First female United States Postmaster General

2014

 

Carla Hayden

First woman(and African American woman) to become the 14th Librarian at the Library of Congress

2016

 

Susan Polgar

First woman in history to achieve the Grandmaster title in chess

On March 29th, Christina Koch and Anne McClain went outside the ISS and participated in the first all female space walk, part of Women's History Month.
2019

 

Did You Know? 

During the Revolutionary War, patriotism had no gender. A number of women worked as spies to help the patriots. Agent 355, her name was never identified, referenced a woman in the Culper Spy Ring. During the American Revolutionary War, the Culper Spy Ring was organized to work to defeat the British. Agent 355 and other members of the spy organization were very important in the colonists being victorious in the War for Independence from England. Agent 355 has been called the “hidden daughter of the American Revolution”.  Other women who worked as spies included  Anna Smith Strong, Lydia Darragh, Emily Geiger and Nancy Morgan Hart, Several women also helped fight and others spread the word of approaching British soldiers during the Revolutionary War. Molly Pitcher carried water to soldiers and helped with a cannon during the Battle of Monmouth. Another woman, Deborah Sampson dressed as a male soldier and joined the army. Margaret Corbin and Ann Bailey were two other women how fought in the war as soldiers. Catherine “Kate” Moore Barry is called the “Heroine of the Battle of Cowpens” for her efforts to help the patriots’ victory which was a turning point in the Revolutionary War.

It is estimated that approximately 400-700 WOMEN fought as soldiers during all the major battles of the Civil War including  the Battle of Gettysburg, the First Battle of Bull Run and the  Battle of Shiloh. Since females were not allowed to fight in battles at that time, those women that did become soldiers disguised themselves as men. To disguise themselves, the women had to cut their hair very short, had to wrap fabric to bind their chests and dressed in men’s clothing. The women also used charcoal to make a “pretend” shadow of a beard. Some women wore false mustaches! The learned to walked in a way to not give away their real identity and also adapted a lower voice or not talk very much at all. Some of the women even took up smoking or chewing and spitting tobacco to not cause suspicion. Several women known to have fought as soldiers during the Civil War included Sarah Rosetta Wakeman, Sarah Emma Edmonds, Amy Clarke and Mary Galloway.

During World War 2, women provided a very valuable service as pilots. It was the first time American women would fly military aircraft. The women Air Force Service Pilots(WASPS) flew new planes from factories to military bases such as the B-26s and B-29s. It wasn’t known whether these “superfortress” bombers were even safe. The women also tested planes that had been repaired and determining if they were safe before a male pilot would fly in it! Probably, the most dangerous job was that of towing targets attached to a plane. Using REAL ammunition, soldiers shot at the targets for combat practice. Several WASP actually got shot in their feet when a stray bullet went through the plane.  Names of women pilots during World War4 2 included Jackie Cochran, Cornelia Fort and Margaret Phelan Taylor.

Questions:

2.  What are 3 character traits of women who have been trailblazers? What would you list as 3 of your best character traits?

 

3.  There is a Hispanic Heritage Month, a Native American Month, a Black History Month and a Women’s History Month. Why do you think such months were established? Do you think there is a need for such months to highlight different groups? Why, why not?

 

4.  If you could interview a woman trailblazer(past or present), who would it be and why? What might be 2 questions you would ask of that person?

 

5. Illustrate one of the women’s history facts.

 

For Teachers:

 

Sites of interest for additional materials:

 

1.  Statues built to honor woman 

 

2.    Quiz your women’s history knowledge(women adventurers)    Quiz your women’s history knowledge (women leaders)

 

3. Check out the National Women’s Hall of Fame, opened in 1979, in Seneca Falls, NY.    Check out the inductees to the National Women’s Hall of Fame: 

 

4.  Another great source of women past and present.

 

5.  Books to recommend

 

POSSIBLE RESOURCES of INTEREST:

2. Women History: A Bundle of TEN  Reader's Theater Scripts on Women in History:
3. Readings on TEN Famous Women in History:

4. Check out my web quest on famous First Ladies:

5. Check out my TpT Store for Reader’s Theater Scripts on Famous women in history, science and literature: Susan B.Anthony, Elizabeth Blackwell, Hillary Clinton, Bessie Coleman, Michelle Obama, Edith Bolling Wilson, Eleanor Roosevelt, Amelia Earhart,Dolly Madison, Abigail Adams, Florence Harding, Lady Bird Johnson, Sacagawea, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Marian Anderson, Katherine Johnson and Rachel Carson:

A. Famous Women Pilots in WW2.

B.  Female Spies during the Revolutionary War.

C.  Revolutionary War Heroine: Catherine Kate Moore

D.  Female Soldiers during the Civil War.

6. Women Trailblazers. Test your Knowledge Challenge:

Note: Photographs from wpclipart.com(photograph of Elizabeth Blackwell:public domain)