WHERE ARE THE FAMOUS WOMEN IN HISTORY?
By: Christopher Colson

Standard: All students will be able to identify women who are leaders and achievers in the particular core content curriculum area.

Grade Level: 4-6, Social Studies

Objectives:

1. The student will recognize the role of women in American history.
2. The student will use research tools available to them.
3. The student will identify important women in American history.
4. The student will recognize that important roles were filled by women who may go with far less recognition then their male counterparts.

Time: 1-2 hours

Materials: History text, modern library, chart paper, index cards

PROCEDURES:

Introduction: The children will be asked to name as many of the famous men in U.S. history as possible. Place this list on a chart. Then ask for all of the famous women in U.S. history that they may know. Place this list on an index card or small paper. Ask why these papers were used?

Discussion: Why where they able to name more men in U.S. history then women? Have them examine the author(s) of their text. Ask: Is the author a male or a female? Discuss what effect this may have had on history, as well as the writing of the text.

Activity: Examine the text. Make a list of all of the women who are shown in pictures. Ask students to select one of the women to research (one per student). Research these women, and find out what importance each respectively had. Use whatever resources are available. Who? What? Where? When? Why? and how? need to be addressed. Compare the contributions of other women in history. Other men? Is there any more significance to the men’s contributions than the women’s?

Conclusion: Discuss the students’ reactions to the fact that there were not as many noted women as men in history. What causes this discrepancy? What requirements are there for people to be noted in history?