In the United States, Women’s History Month is celebrated every March. It is a time to celebrate the achievements of women in our country and from around the world. This year, why not incorporate a Women’s History Month Project into your middle or high school classroom during your American History lessons?
When did Women’s History Month begin?
To begin with, Women’s History Month began in the United States as International Women’s Day. Over time it has transformed into a month-long celebration of the contributions of women throughout history.
Women have made significant contributions to society. Women’s History Month is an opportunity to discuss how women have shaped our world. One of the reasons I love to focus on this during March is that I find my students always manage to make interesting connections to the women they research.
Here’s how I incorporate a Women’s History Month Project into my Social Studies classroom. This project is perfect for your American History class.
Women’s History Month Project
This is how I organize my Women’s History Month project. I give my students the choice to pick between 6 different Suffragists or they may choose another prominent woman from history. I typically teach about the history of women fighting for the right to vote in America before this project.
The six women I include in my resource include Susan B. Anthony, Mary Church Terrell, Ida B. Wells, Sojourner Truth, Alice Paul and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
These templates work especially well for my English language learners and my students receiving special education services. I give my students a poster template with the name of the woman, a picture of the woman to color and sectioned areas with prompts to guide their research. These prompts include key learning points such as one way she shared her ideas and two important contributions she made to women’s rights and civil rights. The templates guide my students to work independently while also scaffolding their learning.
Each poster is spaced over 3 pages, which has instructions for where they can cut and paste the pages together. When the students have completed their posters it really does look impressive. If you have an area of your classroom for students to display their work, the Women’s History Month project can be a fabulous visual addition to your classroom that your students can feel proud of.
I’ve also included a Grading Rubric page to allow for teacher feedback. This may also be helpful for some students to see how they will be graded as they are completing their project.
Flexibility of choice for how you run your extension activity
Extension activities aren’t just for early finishers! The extension activity I include for this assignment allows room for teachers to pick a task for the class that works best for your students.
For example, you may like to have each student present their Suffragist poster to the class. Or perhaps presenting it in small groups could work for your middle or high schoolers.
A gallery walk is also a great option for students to read and carefully examine the work of their peers. I include a Suffragist Chart (and a blank version) for students to record what they discover when viewing the work of others or by listening to presentations.
This way, your students are not just learning about the life and contributions of one woman but many significant historical figures.
Why this Women’s History Month research project works so well
Personally, I love this Women’s History Month project for a few reasons. I find that my students enjoy being given a choice of which person they research. If they have a particular interest in a person or time period then the research aspect of the project can be enjoyable for them. They may feel a personal connection to a specific person’s story.
By incorporating choice into middle and high school projects we show our students that they are playing an active role in what they are learning.
But the most important factor is that you can modify any aspect you need to make it work for your students. For my English language learners and special education students I can scaffold or adapt this project based on their needs. Perhaps some students may need more time to complete the written aspect of their poster. For some students, helping direct their search for information may be what they need and scaffolds their learning.
I love connecting with you and hearing about your Social Studies and American History lessons! If you try this Women’s History Month project, let me know how it went for you and your students. You can also share photos of your finished project with me on Instagram!
Need Help Planning Your US History Class?
Check out my 3 tips for planning your US History curriculum to best support special education and ELL students.
