“When women succeed, America succeeds,” asserts one Congresswoman. Women have worked to build America. But as President Jimmy Carter has said, “their contributions went unnoticed.”
Congress selected March, 1987 as the first official Women’s History Month. National Women’s History Month celebrates women so vital to the building of America. Their achievements, leadership, courage, strength and love are on proud display in March. This is true during 2020 since this year marks 100 years since the 19th Amendment (1920) granted some women the vote. To celebrate, some teachers have chosen to dress up as famous historical women. Others have staged women’s marches at school. Raising awareness of the contributions women have made is front and center.
Source: Maya Angelou as portrayed with Notable Women app
In this blog entry, we’ll explore a new technology tool, Google’s Creative Labs’ Notable Women app, that can make celebrating this and other historic events more fun.
Have access to Alexa? Learn about a different trailblazing woman every day in March for Women’s History Month. Ask “Alexa, who inspires you?”
See Kimothy Joy’s watercolor portraits of mighty women and get copies.
Resources for Teachers
Ready to teach National Women’s History month? You’re not too late, even if International Women’s History day is March 8, 2020. You have the entire month of March to celebrate the achievements of historic women. President Jimmy Carter said:
I urge libraries, schools, and community organizations to focus their observances on the leaders who struggled for equality– Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Lucy Stone, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Harriet Tubman, and Alice Paul. Understanding the true history of our country will help us to comprehend the need for full equality under the law for all our people. (Source: National Womens History Alliance)
The American Library Association shares their resources for this month online. They include:
- About Women’s History Month
- Library of Congress Resources
- National Committee on Pay Equity
- National Women’s History Museum
- National Women’s History Project
- Smithsonian Institution
Looking for lesson plans, posters, primary sources, and more? Look no further than the National Women’s History Museum website. They offer a searchable database of lesson plans, biographies, posters, and other resources. You can search via topic, theme, or resource type. Also, be sure to check out Scholastic magazine’s online articles on women’s history.
The National Education Agency also has resources organized for you. You can find them linked below:
AR/VR App: Google’s Notable Women
Want to engage students with AR/VR? You can use this Android and iOS app, Notable Women. What it does is allow you to point your smartphone or tablet at a dollar bill. The app will then replace the face of George Washington with a notable woman. Here are some of the women that may appear. You can check the website for more.
The result is startling and works even on “digital dollars,” so it’s perfect for students to use. Here’s one example (showing Sacagawea) I took with my Android phone:
Using the app is easy and students shouldn’t have any problems with it. Give it a try as part of your station rotation. Let us not forget the words of President Ronald Reagan:
“As leaders in public affairs, American women not only worked to secure their own rights of suffrage and equal opportunity but also were principal advocates in the abolitionist, temperance, mental health reform, industrial labor and social reform movements, as well as the modern civil rights movement. Their dedication and commitment heightened awareness of our society’s needs and accelerated our common efforts to meet those needs.”
Stay connected with others who are sharing about Women’s History Month. Follow the hashtag #womenshistorymonth on Twitter.
These 6 women are just a small selection who have inspired generations of scientists. #WomensHistoryMonth #WomenInScience #SheInspiresUs pic.twitter.com/cOQcVrsy5I
— Rangam (@RangamC) March 3, 2020