March is Women’s History Month. It’s the perfect time to teach students about famous women in history and support women’s rights. These video lessons and activities can be used in your classroom during March, but it’s important to teach about notable women figures year-round. You can use these resources at any time of the school year to inspire students and teach them about women’s rights and history.
Flocabulary accelerates student learning by building academic vocabulary and comprehension through rigorous and authentically engaging instructional experiences. These K-12 standard-aligned video-based lessons and activities leverage the power of hip-hop, storytelling, and emotional connections to cultivate literacy across the curriculum.
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Women’s History Month: Famous women in history video lessons
1. Frida Kahlo
The Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is well-known for self-portraits in which she examined themes of cultural identity and femininity with an innovative style rich with symbolism. In this lesson, students will hear about Kahlo in Spanish and English (with subtitles for both). They will learn about Kahlo’s childhood, her marriage to the muralist Diego Rivera, the adversity she overcame, and how she learned to embrace her unique spirit and vision.
2. Harriet Tubman
In this video, students learn about the biography of American heroine Harriet Tubman and Tubman’s contributions toward abolishing slavery. They’ll learn how Tubman escaped to freedom in Philadelphia, only to return to the South over and over to help others find their way North through the Underground Railroad. They’ll also identify traits that the courageous and compassionate abolitionists exhibited.
3. Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz
The Mexican phoenix, Sor Juana, was a genius. In this lesson, students learn about Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, a 17th-century scholar, nun, and champion for women’s education. They learn how her life was filled with controversy and consider how her legacy lives on today.
4. Marie Curie
Polish-French scientist Marie Curie is known for her discoveries in the fields of chemistry and physics. In this lesson, students will learn about Curie’s fearless determination to get an education and her path to becoming a pioneer in science, even when she had to go against societal norms to do so. They will also learn about her patriotic efforts for France during World War I.
5. Fannie Lou Hamer
“Nobody’s free until everybody’s free.” In this lesson, students learn about Fannie Lou Hamer, a leading voice of the civil rights movement. They consider her rise to activism through the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and her pivotal testimony at the 1964 Democratic National Convention.
6. Anne Frank
In this video, students will learn about Anne Frank’s short life and the significance of the diary she kept while hiding from the Nazi government during the Holocaust. The unit describes Frank’s incredible bravery, determination, and hopes shown through excerpts from her diary.
7. Katherine Johnson
You’ve likely heard of John Glenn, Alan Shepard, and Neil Armstrong—but do you know Katherine Johnson? This lesson tells the biography of Johnson, a female African-American research mathematician who made huge contributions at NASA during the Space Race but remains largely unsung in US history.
Students learn about major events and achievements in Johnson’s life and the work of human computers, women who completed crucial, precise math calculations for NASA’s engineers. Students will place Johnson’s story in the context of racial segregation and gender discrimination and learn how she paved the way for future generations of students in STEM. This video provides a rich angle for a lesson on the Civil Rights Movement, the Space Race, the Women’s Rights Movement, or the history of computing.
8. Susan B. Anthony
In Susan B. Anthony’s lifetime, women didn’t have the right to vote. So, she made it her life’s work to change that. This lesson shows how Anthony’s perseverance, loyal friends, and dedication to her cause helped her in the long fight for women’s suffrage.
9. Yuri Kochiyama
“We are all part of one another.” Yuri Kochiyama was a Japanese American activist who pushed for equal rights for all Americans. In this lesson, students will learn about Kochiyama’s experience in an internment camp during World War II, her friendship with Malcolm X, and her contributions to various political causes throughout her life.
10. Sacagawea
In 1804, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set off to explore the unknown land of the American Northwest. Their incredible journey took them over the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. Still, none of it would have been possible without the help of Sacagawea, a Native American teenager with a new baby. This video will show students how Sacagawea led the Corps of Discovery through uncharted territory and helped begin America’s age of westward expansion.
11. Marsha P. Johnson
This lesson introduces students to the life and activism of gay and trans rights activist Marsha P. Johnson. They learn about her childhood, her life in New York City, and her involvement in the gay rights movement of the 1960s and ’70s. They explore her legacy and the lack of recognition she received while still alive.
12. Helen Keller
Helen Keller was blind and deaf but learned to communicate with the help of her teacher Anne Sullivan. In this biographical video, you’ll learn how Keller overcame enormous obstacles and then went on to graduate from college. She became an author and an activist who worked for the rights of people with disabilities. You’ll see how she demonstrated great determination and curiosity.
13. Sandra Cisneros
Be a detective as you read—you might find some important symbols beneath the surface. In this lesson, students will be introduced to symbolism and how authors use it. Using a portion of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, this lesson teaches students how to identify and interpret symbols and connect them to the overarching themes of a piece of writing.
14. Maya Angelou
This lesson introduces students to Maya Angelou, describing her extraordinary life and the significance of her work. Students will analyze Angelou’s trademark use of figurative language and vivid imagery in her poems and memoirs.
15. Ruby Bridges
In 1960, six-year-old Ruby Bridges changed history by becoming the first black child to desegregate an all-white elementary school by herself. This biographical video tells the story of how Ruby overcame many obstacles to integrate into William Frantz Elementary School, showing great courage in the face of discrimination.
Start teaching about famous women in history with these video lessons
We’re excited to see you use these video lessons in your classroom! Whether you’re celebrating Women’s History Month or simply incorporating women’s history in your lesson plans, Flocabulary resources are here to support you. Happy Women’s History Month!
New to Flocabulary? Sign up below to access the activities and video lessons shared in this article!
Source: https://blog.flocabulary.com/famous-women-in-history/
