I have been teaching since 2007 and one thing that I STILL struggle with is balancing all the work that needs to get done in my classroom (meeting standards, assessments, etc) with the other meaningful things I want to do. There are always more activities I wish I had time for each year, but simply can't fit into the schedule. Women's history month is a significant time in the year to celebrate some of the amazing women who have changed history, but I often find that the third quarter is a tough time to add new content.
So, I began to look for ways to incorporate women, especially women in the fields of science or math, into my lessons. Here are a few activities that I have used that don't take a lot of time and still keep your class on target.
ACTIVITY 1: Google slides with 5 minute activities
These 5 minute activities are great for a digital or Google Classroom. Simply add the Google slides to your learning platform (they work in Canvas, too!) for students to edit. I love them because the images are beautiful and geared for an older audience, such as middle and high school. Click here to see more.
There are 20 notable women, many of them in scientific fields, but students only need to spend about five minutes a day on the activities. Each slide includes a link to the woman's story, an inspirational quote, and a unique response question for students to consider. The different reflection questions help students not to get bored with the activity and it is just enough time that you could easily use this as bell-work, an exit slip, individual work or a partner activity.
Activity 2: Watch Hidden Figures & Discuss with Cornell Notes
Another way to tie women's history month into your science or math class is by watching a movie such as Hidden Figures. The film showcases three African-American women in the 1960's working at NASA. Without giving away too many details, the movie shows several examples of sexism and racism as well as the women's courage and determination to be treated as equals. I often use Cornell notes with my students whenever we watch a movie to help them pay attention and to focus our discussion afterward.
Activity 3: "Visit" Space with Sunita Williams
Astronaut Suni Williams has completed two space missions (as of writing this post, she is currently on her third mission in the International Space Station, and the only American female). She has posted several videos including a tour of the ISS. Have students watch a video and discuss what it would be like to live in space, especially as a woman!
Activity 4: Gallery Walk of Women in Science
Gallery walks are a great way to get students moving around the room to learn about people in history. The basic idea is to tape pictures around the room of notable people where students can read about them and respond in some way to the information they read. You can spread this out so that students learn about one woman a day or complete the gallery walk in one class period.
This activity includes posters of 8 women in science, QR links to short videos about each woman, and their achievements.
After students "visit" one of the women, they respond on their answer sheet about what they have learned. The students really enjoy doing this because it gets them out of their seats, working with their peers, and learning in a different way!
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