MiddleWeb Listserv co-moderator Deb Bambino forwarded this list of resources that can be used in conjunction with Women's History Month (March) -- and all year long!

Resources for
Women's History Month



When it comes to the content you present in the classroom, you want fair, balanced, accurate representations of the role of women in history. And now that there has been time for this discipline to develop hand-in-hand with the advent of the Internet, there's lots to choose from!

You can find additional recommended resources at
http://surfaquarium.com/women.htm

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American Women in Uniform
http://userpages.aug.com/captbarb/

Wonderful presentation of women in service from the Revolutionary War through the Gulf War, as well as Famous Women in Arlington National Cemetery and Women Prisoners of War; fascinating sections on Women Who Were Spies, Military Women Pilots, Medals Awarded to Women and Firsts for Military Women are also worthwhile, nevermind the exhaustive look at recruiting, monuments, collectibles and women portrayed in advertising - I have to draw the line at the "Why Xena?" link, though.

American Women's History: A Research Guide http://frank.mtsu.edu/~kmiddlet/history/women.html

General reference sources, a subject index to research sources, state and regional sources and especially helpful tutorials on finding primary sources and finding books, journal articles and theses. The links to primary sources online is a gold mine, and Talking about Women's History offers all kinds of interviews and documentaries about historiography - excellent for secondary and higher.

A Celebration of Women Writers
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/

So much of our recorded history is written by men. Here's a way to get the scoop from the fairer sex: very comprehensive survey from 3000 B.C. through the modern era; you can search alphabetically, by century or by country; the Specialty Collections link opens up another whole world of women's literature and even more high quality links.

Civil War Women
http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/collections/civil-war-women.html

Wonderful three featured sites on Rose O'Neal Greenhow, Alice Williamson and Sarah E. Thompson as well as links to highly respected authorities on the subject; recognized by the National Endowment for the Humanities for its impressive contribution to women's history online. Includes links to further resources at Duke University.

4000 Years of Women in Science
http://www.astr.ua.edu/4000WS/4000WS.html

Wonderful survey of women's contributions to the Sciences from ancient times through today; includes more than 125 women with biographies, photographs and references as well as an interactive quiz and a JAVA enhanced crossword puzzle. You can even search by scientific discipline to focus in on accomplishments.

Gale Celebrates Women's History
http://www.gale.com/freresrc/womenhst/index.htm

From the Gale Group, a publisher of subscription-based WWW academic, educational, and business research references, includes biographies, quizzes, a timeline, activities to aid in learning and links to additional sites; most everything here is free until you look at their recommended titles. It can be easily adapted to meet the needs of your secondary classroom.

Godey's Ladies' Book Online
http://www.history.rochester.edu/godeys/

Godey's was "one of the most popular lady's books of the 19th century. Each issue contained poetry, beautiful engraving and articles by some of the most well known authors in America"; this site offers online copies of issues from January, February, March, April and November 1850.

History of Women through Art
http://www.wic.org/artwork/idex_art.htm

From the Women's International Center, an intriguing look at how women have been depicted through the ages in various forms of art, from Ada Lovelace to the Trail of the Burned Peach, this site offers possibilities for integration across the curriculum during Women's History Month. Still a work in progress, you'll enjoy finding everything this site has to offer.

Mathematicians
http://www.scottlan.edu/lriddle/women/

From Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia, a nice presentation either alphabetically or chronologically of the great names from throughout the ages from Hypatia all the way to Argelia Velez-Rodriguez; heavy on the text but dynamite information in a field where women tend to shy away - great companion to the AIMS Historical Connections in Mathematics series.

Mayflower Women
http://members.aol.com/calebj/women.html

Concise summary of the women on the Mayflower - their lives, families and places on the vessel itself and in Puritan Massachusetts; some stunning statistics and interesting descriptions of clothing and advancements in women's rights too. For example, did you know that most women of the time could not even write their own names and had to sign an "X" on documents?

National Women's Hall of Fame
http://www.greatwomen.org/

Located in Seneca Falls, NY, the Hall celebrates the women of the United States who have made important contributions to our history; this online presence offers an overview of these important figures and the Learning Center presents educational activities for your use.

National Women's History Project
http://www.nwhp.org/

Organization to promote women's place in history, with original initiatives, links to Women's History Organizations and The Women's History Network, classroom activities and an online catalog if you are interested in purchasing additional materials for instructional use.

Quest for Equality
http://www.worldbook.com/fun/whm/home.html

From World Book's Multimedia Encyclopedia prepared especially for Women's History Month, covering the right to vote, the women's movement in general, and female pioneers; links to other related sites and the opportunity to try out the World Book subscription online service round out a nicely done site.

Women of Accomplishment
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson102.shtml

A March calendar full of women's names and questions about their accomplishments; each question is linked to a site which teaches more about the life of each woman on the calendar - from Education World specifically for Women's History month.

Women's Issues Resource Sites
http://research.umbc.edu/~korenman/wmst/links.html

Here's a hotlist of currently updated online resources for studying women in history, covering arts, sports and everything in between. There's even an excellent treatment of women in the Information Age and an excellent collection of 'comprehensive multi-disciplinary sites'. Perfect for secondary students ready to start researching history on their own.

In addition to the above resources, provided by the Surfaquarium, here are some other links collected at MiddleWeb's history resources page and reproduced here:


Conversations With History -- Created in 1982 by Harry Kreisler and produced by the Institute of International Studies at the University of California at Berkeley, "Conversations With History" has featured interviews with over 150 distinguished men and women from all over the world. Users can now read, and in many cases view, a large selection of these interviews online. (Scout Report)


100 Most Important People of the 20th Century -- TIME marked the end of the millenium by profiling 100 individuals the magazine's editors believe are the most important men and women of the century. Education World has supplemented TIME's work with a list of websites linked to the magazine's top 100 -- and 10 follow-up activities for students.


Women and Social Movements in the United States -- This site may be too advanced for most middle grades students but will be of interest to history teachers who want to deepen their own knowledge of U.S. women's history. The site covers the period from 1830-1930 and presents a collection of learning modules addressing specific topics, such as African-American Women and the Chicago World's Fair, 1893; Women's Peace Mission to European Capitals, 1915; and Pacifism vs. Patriotism in Women's Organizations in the 1920s, among others.


Adeline Hornbek & the Homestead Act -- Subtitled "A Colorado Success Story," this lesson offers students an opportunity to study the life of Adeline Hornbek, a single mother of four who became a successful homesteader in Colorado. Includes pictures and diagrams of her house and land near Colorado Springs and gives readings and suggested school assignments about women owning land.


Women's Suffrage Links -- Here's an annotated collection of good links about the fight to win women the right to vote in the United States. At the "Surfin' the Net with Kids" site.


African American Women Writers of the 19th Century -- An online collection of 52 full-text works. Users can browse the books by author, title, or literature type (fiction, poetry, biography and autobiography, and essays). Each work is (unfortunately) presented in a rather cramped frame, navigated with a table of contents on the left side. The site also includes a helpful introductory essay,technical notes, a discussion of editorial methods, a citation list, and an internal search engine. (Web Scout review)


Girlstart -- Girlstart is a nonprofit organization that promotes science, math, and technology-related skills for girls. The Web site is a gathering place for middle school-age girls.


Camping With the Sioux -- This 1881 fieldwork diary relates the experiences of anthropologist Alice Fletcher lived with Dakota Sioux women on reservations in Nebraska and South Dakota for six weeks and recorded her experiences in two journals. This digital version of her diaries made available by the National Museum of American History includes her daily entries, 26 drawings, and 36 photographs.


CyberSisters -- A telementoring program in science, math and technology for middle school girls.


Cyberspace Farm -- Sponsored by Kansas Women Involved in Farm Economics (WIFE), this site includes features activities, articles, and fun facts about farms and ranches. Students can compare journal entries from a farm wife in 1900 with a farm wife in 2000. (Blue Web'n review.)


The Role of American Women in World War II -- In this WebQuest, students examine the various roles of women in WWII, research the Internet, interview a WWII survivor, then create and publish an oral history. Includes national social studies curriculum standards. Developed by two high school students inspired by this quotation: "Every time a girl reads a womanless history she learns she is worth less."

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