Getting students involved in Women’s History Month

March 5

In March, we celebrate Women’s History Month, and our history is rich with influential women. There are many ways we can incorporate any and all of these exceptional women into our class curriculum in March. Here are five ways to get students involved in Women’s History Month.

1. Daily videos. During snack time or whenever there is a short amount of time to fill, show a daily video about a woman that made history. This will spark interest and educate students in a small amount of time. Being that we get such rigid and scheduled out days as educators, this is an easy way to add in learning. Arizona PBS has a great bank of videos from Makers: Women Who Make America. Our younger kids may enjoy videos from BrainPop. In addition, you can also watch Ted Talks about women.

2. Research projects. Women’s History Month is a great time to introduce research projects to our upper grade students. Teachers can assign a famous woman to each student or in pairs and have them conduct research online as they learn and take notes all about her. The final step can be a presentation in many forms (i.e. poster, slideshow, skit).

3. Read alouds. There are many children’s books about female history makers, and this is the time to dig them out. Reading out loud to kids is not limited to only our primary students, but students of all ages enjoy listening to short stories, too! There are several series out there teachers can look into, like the Who Was series and I Can Read biographies.

4. Virtual field trips. If getting your students aboard a bus to visit a famous landmark celebrating women’s history is not an option, virtual field trips are an amazing way to explore. There are several places that already have sites organized, and all educators have to do is display them on a projector in class. You can take a tour of Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Park or Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historic Park, all without leaving the classroom!

5. Thank You notes. What better way to celebrate a special woman in your life or an activist still fighting today than to write them a note. A student’s simple note of gratitude could go a long way and help these women feel seen and heard.

In what ways will your students honor Women’s History Month? Let us know at Arizona PBS KIDS on Facebook!

About the author

Marissa Will is the mother of two, Olivia (6) and Logan (4). Writing was her first passion: she’s a freelance writer and a Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication alumna. Will is currently educating the future leaders of tomorrow: She has spent the past nine years educating third grade with a master’s degree in elementary education from Northern Arizona University-Yuma.