Grades
6 - 8
4 Inspiring Lessons to Teach Middle School Students About Women's History
Teach your students about women’s history and the struggle for equality with these books.
Wondering how to effectively teach your middle school students about women’s history and the struggle for equality? With these inspiring lessons from some of the most amazing women throughout time, you’ll help your students understand the significance of women’s history and make it relevant to their own lives today.
Check out the books and their lessons below!
1. History is Full of Female Trailblazers
The battle for women's equality began long ago, and it's important to look back to the early days of their fight, particularly the circumstances and names surrounding the Suffragette Movement. In Votes for Women!, students will get acquainted with American suffragists and the sacrifices they made in order to secure the 19th Ammendment for future generations.
2. Women Stand on The Shoulders of Giants
In Standing on Her Shoulders, your students will take the time to reflect on the strong women that have been pioneers for others in so many fields. From artists to musicians, athletes to scientists and beyond, Standing on Her Shoulders gives readers the opportunity to draw parralels between what they can accomplish in today's society versus what those before them have had to fight for. In addition, this poignant book asks readers to think of the women in their own lives and the influences they have had.
3. Women's Achievements Are Integral to Our History
There is a long, storied history of women in the military and other government entities like NASA. Get a closer look at women's journeys into space in Almost Astronauts, the tale about the Mercury 13. This brave group of women knew that they had the same skills to travel to space as men, and fought through red tape and government officials for their place at the table. Students will love learning about the perseverance and courage of this team of women — it may even encourage them to look into careers in STEM!
4. Injustice Still Exists Today
There’s a lot of ground to be made up when it comes to the wage gap and other prejudices, especially in professional sports. Long dominated by men, certain sports were prohibited for women athletes. From basketball to gymnastics, there have been many groundbreaking strides made by women since then. The Women in Sports collection is a great way to introduce your students to athletes of all disciplines and their major contributions to the world of sports and women's place in it. Challenge your students to think about what they would've done when faced with the same difficulties, and make real-world comparisons.
Making History Relevant
Junior Scholastic is another great resource to not only make women’s history relevant to today’s students, it also helps students understand why learning about the struggle for equality is so important. Get lesson plans about women's history — from sports to the military to voting rights — and bring women's history to the forefront.
Shop books about women's history below! You can find all books and activities at The Teacher Store.
$4.46$5.95
save to wishlistMeet Simone Biles. From the time she was a little girl, Simone wanted to be a world-class gymnast. Through hard work and determination she made her dreams come true. Read this book to learn all about Olympic champion Simone Biles and her path to glory.
$4.46$5.95
save to wishlistMeet Serena Williams. From the time she was five years old, Serena played tennis. Thanks to years of hard work and incredible talent she is considered by many to be the best female player ever. Serena's accomplishments aren't limited to the tennis court, though. She is also a successful entrepreneur and a dedicated philanthropist.
$5.96$7.95
save to wishlistAs a girl coming of age during the Civil Rights Movement, Patricia Bath made it her mission to become a doctor despite obstacles like racism, poverty, and sexism.
Paperback Book
Ready-to-Read™ - You Should Meet: You Should Meet Women Who Launched the Computer Age
Grades 3 - 5
$3.71$4.95
save to wishlistGet to know some of the many people who have changed history with books featuring the biographies of people "you should meet". Learning about historical figures has never been so much fun!
$5.96$7.95
save to wishlistBefore Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor took her seat in our nation's highest court, she was just a little girl in the South Bronx. Justice Sotomayor didn't have a lot growing up, but she had what she needed: her mother's love, a will to learn, and her own determination. With bravery she became the person she wanted to be. With hard work she succeeded. With little sunlight and only a modest plot from which to grow, Justice Sotomayor bloomed for the whole world to see.
$5.21$6.95
save to wishlistAt a time when being a woman and an African American limited what a mathematician might achieve, meet women who helped NASA win the space race.
$7.46$9.95
save to wishlistYoung readers will be introduced to some of the most important scientists in history in this new series about some seriously smart women.
$6.71$8.95
save to wishlistLike all A-Z books, this one illustrates the alphabet, but instead of "A is for apple," A is for Angela, as in Angela Davis, the iconic political activist. B is for Billie Jean King, who shattered the glass ceiling of sports; and C is for Carol Burnett, who defied assumptions about women in comedy. And the list of great women continues, spanning several centuries, multiple professions, and 26 diverse individuals. There are artists and scientists, suffragettes and rabble-rousers, and agents of change of all kinds.
