Planning a March project to celebrate Women's History Month? Join us as we explore some of the best Web sites
for and about women.
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN...
The first Women's Rights Convention, held in 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York, is generally regarded as the beginning
of the Women's Rights Movement in the United States. Every year, Women's History Month activities and celebrations continue
to educate and inspire men and women, young and old, to appreciate one another, to cooperate, and to achieve together.
Kids and adults across the country have the opportunity to participate in essay and poster contests, in parades
and performances, in discussions and debates, honoring women and their contributions to their families, to their countries,
and to their world.
To help you extend the educational experiences into your own classroom, Education World has visited a number of
Web sites dedicated to Women's History Month and the Women's Rights Movement. We've chosen some of the best to share
with you.
WHERE TO START?
"History looks different when the contributions of women are included." -- the National Women's History Project
One of the most comprehensive sources of information about the women's movement and Women's History Month can be
found at The National Women's History Project. This organized and
easy-to-use site includes such general resources as a history of the women's movement, information about historically
important women, lists of women's groups and organizations, and a state-by-state guide to activities and celebrations.
The site's Resource Center area, "designed to
provide information and educational materials about multicultural women’s history," includes a Teacher's
Lounge and Parents Corner, while the
Performers section will help you
locate groups in your area who provide free educational programs about women's history. The site's extensive collection
of links to other Women's History Month sites makes it a good place to begin your research.
EDUCATE THEM ...
Still looking for curriculum-related activities that connect to Women's History Month? Visit The
Women in World History Curriculum Web site. Under Lessons
you'll find activities related to women from ancient Rome to Mesopotamia, from the Dark Ages to World War II. This interactive
site includes biographies of female heroes, reviews of classroom resources about women, words of wisdom, and links to
other resources.
INSPIRE THEM ...
American
Women: The Pioneers, an online Time-Life Photo Essay, presents a gallery of women who fought personal battles for
gender equality at the turn of the 20th Century. Students can read about the commitment of Susan B. Anthony, the courage
of Clara Barton, the tenacity of Belva Lockwood, the conscience of Eleanor Roosevelt, and more.
For more academic inspiration, students can read biographies of more than 125 women scientists at 4000
Years of Women in Science. The list encompasses almost all scientific disciplines and includes inventors, scholars, writers, mathematicians,
and astronomers -- most of whom lived and worked prior to the 19th century. Encourage students to test their knowledge
by taking an interactive quiz about the history of women in science or, if your browser is equipped with JAVA, to
try the online crossword puzzle.
Finally, check out Distinguished Women of Past and Present.
This Web site provides biographies of women in all fields of endeavor from all periods of history. The women featured
contributed to society in many different ways and include writers, educators, scientists, politicians, crusaders,
artists, and entertainers. Some lived hundreds of years ago, some are living today.
ADDITIONAL WOMEN'S HISTORY SITES OF INTEREST
Women's History
About.com and the History Net feature articles on topics relating to women's history and illustrated biographies of
historically important women. The articles and biographies focus on the contributions of those women and demonstrate
how they helped change the lives of women today.
NOW Key Issues
The National Organization for Women's (NOW) site offers information on a variety of women's issues, including abortion,
violence, affirmative action, and the workplace. The site might be a good resource for teachers looking for issues
to discuss with older students.
Martha's Gender Equity in Education
"These pages contain hundreds of links to information for everyone who cares about the education of all children. The site was constructed to promote a heightened awareness of the need for gender equity in education for both girls and boys."
The State of Women in the World Atlas, new edition, Joni Seager, Penguin Books, New York, 1997. This atlas
provides maps of the world that illustrate statistics about women's lives in different parts of the world, allowing
students to chart similarities and differences among those women. Statistics are provided on such topics as marriage
and divorce rates, size of family households, percentages of families living in poverty, women athletes, types of
work, status of pay, migrant workers, property ownership, and political.
The International Dictionary of Women's Biography, Jennifer S. Uglow, Compiler and Editor, Continuum, New
York, 1982. This reference work features more than 1,500 biographies of women from many different historical periods.
The subjects include national heroines, soldiers and spies, pioneers, and pirates.
The World's Women 1995, The Trends and Statistics, U.N. Publications, 2 United Nations Plaza, NY, NY. This
publication includes statistics that provide a description of women's economic, political and social conditions worldwide
over the last 20 years and show where women have improved and where they have not.
March Into
