Womens History Unit

nd
University of Illinois at Chicago

ED 344 Social Studies Methods
Created by: Miguel A. Melchor, Aide Acuna, and Mariela Patino
Spring 2013

Unit Plan

Unit Title: Womens History

Overview of the Unit: This unit is composed of ten lessons and activities that consist of several read alouds
depicting historical women from the 1600s to present day. Furthermore, there are several activities in
addition to the read-alouds intended to teach concepts and skills important to social studies curriculum as
well as womens history.

Women:
Sor Juana Ines De La Cruz 1600s
Phillis Wheatley 1700s

Rosa Parks: 1950s
Ruby Bridges: 1954- Present

Celia Cruz: 1920s-2003
Oprah Winfrey 1950s-Present

Standards:
1. 16.D.1 (W) Identify how customs and traditions from around the world influence the local
community.

2. 16.B.1 (W) Explain the contributions of individuals and groups who are featured in biographies,
legends, folklore and traditions.

3. 16.A.1b Ask historical questions and seek out answers from historical sources (e.g., myths,
biographies, stories, old photographs, artwork, other visual or electronic sources)

4. 16.A.1c Describe how people in different times and places viewed the world in different ways.

5. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.2.6 Identify the main purpose of a text, including what the author wants to
answer, explain, or describe.

6. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.3 Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to clarify
comprehension, gather additional information, or deepen understanding of a topic or issue.
Objectives:
1. Students will be able to name at least six historical women.
2. Students will recognize and describe how women have impacted history and society.
3. Students will be able to outline important contributions women have made to the United States and
the world.
4. Students will be able to summarize significant events that impacted society based on the
achievements of women.
5. Students will be able to compare and contrast inequalities women faced in the past to those in the
present.
6. Students will ask questions about the contributions of women in history.

Key Concepts:
Segregation
Equality
Rights
Culture
Responsibilities
Communities

Key Skills:
Cause and Effect
Sequence
Compare and Contrast
Interpreting
Timeline

Key vocabulary:
Traditions
Inspire
Scholarship
Discriminate
Boycott
Government
First Lady
Nueva Espana
Viceroy

Learning Activities:

Learning Activity 1: Launching Womens History Unit
We will talk about the importance of womens history, the contributions, the struggles, and the achievements.
We will discuss the reason of having a Womens History Month and the significance. We are going to take a
journey around history and talk about six very influential, important women (Sor Juana, Phillis Wheatley,
Celia Cruz Oprah Winfrey, Ruby Bridges, and Rosa Parks). These women made an impact in history because
they fought for equality and justice. Through our discourse, we will talk about some possible reasons why we
dont have a female president or a woman pope. In our classroom, we will have posters and books so
students develop interest in the topic. We will show pictures of the women and give a very brief description
of the women. We will have a KWL chart to activate background knowledge about the women. We will have
an activity where students talk about their most influential woman in their lives and the impact that they have
made.

Learning Activity 2: We will begin the unit with Celia Cruz who was a famous salsa singer from Cuba. For
this particular activity, students will review the skill of sequencing. In order to accomplish so, students will
write one routine with five events, for example getting ready for school, and place events in order of how
they accomplish them: wake up, eat breakfast, brush their teeth, change, put shoes on. Afterwards, we will
have a read aloud with the book My name is, Me llamo Celia, by Monica Brown, during an interactive read-
aloud. Students will learn about the contributions of Celia Cruz on current traditions. While reading the book,
students will help summarize the important events of the story in sequence to outline Celia Cruzs life. This
lesson intends to depict important details about the influences to music and its evolution, genres, and culture
that Celia Cruz influenced. Aside from learning about historical women on current traditions, students will
engage on the skill of constructing chronologically correct sequences.

Learning Activity 3: For this activity, students will engage in a read-aloud on the book The Oprah Winfrey
Story by Lisa Maria. During the read aloud, certain aspects of Oprahs story will be highlighted such as her
struggles, motives, and dedication. The read aloud will be followed by an activity in which students will
create a chart on construction paper and will name and illustrate the works of Oprah. Students will also
explain how these have an effect on social and historical contexts. In this activity students are expected to use
the knowledge they have accumulated throughout the unit on Womens History to engage in the skill of
cause and effect.

Learning Activity 4: After learning about the influences of current women on society and the world,
students will engage in the skill of interpreting information. Students will use the books My Name is, Me
llamo Celia or The Oprah Winfrey Story for this activity. Students will use both books to create a four-sided
chart. Two of the columns will be used for one book and the remaining two columns will be used for the
other book. In one column students will post questions and will use the other column to provide answers to
these questions. The questions will be related to the contributions of these women to history. Some of the
questions students can post are, what impacts did this woman create in history? Why are her contributions
important?

Learning Activity 5: For this lesson, we will learn about Sor Juana Ines De La Cruz who was a Mexican
poet and the first woman to attend a university in Mexico. We will have a read aloud about the life of Sor
Juana called, A Library for Juana: The World of Sor Juana Ines. This biography talks about the achievements
of Sor Juana and her struggles to get an education. Students will discuss the concept of equality and how Sor
Juana viewed the world differently than from her male counterparts. We will have a discussion on the
concept of equality and what it means. I will provide a working definition and students will give their point
of view of what it means to be equal. We will use Sor Juanas inequalities in the book and turn those
inequalities into equality in the form of skits. As a class, we will create an equality booklet where students
will be able to write their own understanding of what equality means. The purpose of this lesson is for the
students to begin thinking about the contributions of women and how they had to overcome obstacles in
history.

Learning Activity 6: We will learn about Phillis Wheatley and continue to develop the concept of equality.
We were read a book on Phillis Wheatley. Students will answer multiple questions during the read-aloud,
and they will understand the contributions and struggles of this great poet. As I am reading the book, I will
write the information on chart paper, so they can have it as a reference for their project. At the end of the
story, we will continue to discuss the concept of equality where students will be able to give their rationale
for their understandings. The purpose of using this text is for students to explain and describe the
contributions of women in history. Students will ask questions and seek answers through reading this
biography. Students will be able to describe the experience of women in history and how their struggle has
impacted our present society. Students will create a poster where they include important information about
Phyllis Wheatley. They will need to include her contributions and struggles in society.

Learning Activity 7: Students will practice the skill of compare and contrast. I will give an explanation of
the skill, and I will model the skill for the students. Students will have the opportunity to use the skills on
their own. Students will be able to compare and contrast with their partner the difference and similarities
between them. Also, students will have the option of being able to compare and contrast two women in their
families. Once students practice using the skill, they will need to find the similarities and differences between
Sor Juana and Phillis Wheatley. Students will complete a Venn diagram, and they will present their findings
to the class. Students will write a one or two paragraph essay of these two women. These women were very
similar because they were both poets, and they needed to go through a test. However, these women were very
different.

Learning Activity 8: We will learn about Rosa Parks and develop the concept of Segregation. Therefore, we
will do a read-aloud on a Rosa Parks biography titled A Picture Book of Rosa Parks by David. A Adler.
Through the context of this book we will begin developing ideas of what segregation means. At the end of
the story, we will come up with a definition of segregation as a whole class. Before reading her biography I
will teach the skill of timelining. As we read, we will pick out important events to put on a timeline.

Learning Activity 9: We will learn about Ruby Bridges and develop the concept of Racism. Therefore, we
will do a read-aloud on a Ruby Bridges biography titled Ruby Bridges by Ruby Bridges and Grace
Maccarone. Through the context of this book we will begin developing ideas of the meaning of racism. At
the end of the story, we will come up with our own definition of racism as a class. Also, I will be teaching
point of view in order for students to step into Ruby Bridges shoes and begin to understand her struggle.
Throughout the biography I will ask students questions pertaining to point of view.

Learning Activity 10: Students will perform a skit on Rubys life as an Elementary student. Students will
take the role of the narrator, Ruby Bridges, her parents, the United States Government, White People,
students in Rubys kindergarten class, students at William Frantz Elementary, Marshals, and Mrs. Henry. In
learning activity 6, students would have already learned point of view which will help them in this activity.
In order to help them use this skill again before the skit, I will ask students to write a journal entry using their
characters point of view.

Learning Activity 11: Culminating Activity (Conclusion)
The culminating activity for the womens history unit is for students to complete an interview with a woman
of their choice. It could be a teacher, mom, aunt or anyone special to the student. They will conduct an
interview and ask questions that are essential for a biography. As we read the biographies of the famous
women, we learned valuable information about their lives. Students will need to capture the life of their
loved ones in a biography. Students will receive guiding question to ask when they are doing their
interviews. Students will write their answers and put it together in a form of a booklet. Students will be able
to share some of their stories with the class.

Formative Assessment
Asking questions
Activity Worksheets
Observations
Discussions
Exit Slips

Summative Assessment
Students will complete a poster project where they include important information about their inspirational
woman. Students will have the opportunity to share with their classmates their biographies and discuss the
things that they would like to read about. We will present students with a variety of posters, so they get an
idea of how a poster looks like and what it includes. They will need to include information about and the
contributions and significance of the person. Students will first need to complete an interview where it will
include all the information. Once they finish with their interview, they will work with their classmates to
revise and edit their work. We will provide feedback, so they know that they are ready to add the information
to their posters. Students will create their posters independently; however, we will continue to assist the
students through the process. After students complete their poster, they will present them to the class in a five
minute presentation.

Resources

Websites:
http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/byrnes-
celebrations/womnweek.htmlhttp://www.scholastic.com/teachers/unit/womens-history-month-
everything-you-need
http://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/
http://www.schooltube.com/video/66143f99a1aa4c4fa96a/Women's%20History%20Month

Books:
Adler,D. & Camilla, R.(1993).A Picture Book of Rosa Parks.Holiday House.
Bridges, R. & Maccarone, G.(2003).Ruby Bridges.Scholastic Inc.
Clinton, C. (2008). Philliss big test. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Mora, P. (2002). A library for Juana: The world of Sor Juana Ines. Massachusetts: Harvard
University Press
Maria, L. (2009). The Oprah Winfrey Story. California: Treasure Bay.
Brown, M. (2004). My name is Celia. Flagstaff, Arizona: Luna Rising
Social Studies in Elementary Education by. Walter C. Parker

Lesson Plans

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION - THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO
The following pages have tools for assisting students with lesson planning. As students are planning, it is
important that they not only plan lessons with the concepts assessed in the TPA in mind, but they also need
to make sure there is an alignment of content, strategies and skills taught with the assessments they use.
Lesson Plan Template

Teacher Candidate: Miguel A. Melchor Date Taught: April 19
th

Cooperating Teacher: Mrs. Calvillo School / District: James Shields
Elementary School
Grade: 2
nd
Field Supervisor: Dr. Montano
Unit / Subject: Womens History
Unit/Social Studies

Lesson Title / Focus: Equality

I. Contextual Information
The purpose of this lesson is to introduce students to an important woman in history, Sor Juana Ines de La
Cruz. In this lesson students will learn about the contributions of Sor Juana in history, and I will introduce
the concept of equality. Students will explore the concept of equality through images, and they will
separate them from examples and non-examples. Students will perform skits of an inequality from the
story and change it to equality. Students in this classroom have knowledge about important women in
history and many of the skills. At this point, students have learned about Harriet Tubman, Ruby Bridges,
Michelle Obama, and Helen Keller. When I am reading the story, students will be able to make
connections with the other women and Sor Juana. Students have read about the women for about two
weeks, and they started the unit on womens history two weeks prior to the planning of this lesson.

II. Lesson Rationale (Why?)
Learning Goals and Focus (What students will be able to do):
Students will recognize how Sor Juana impacted history
Students will be able to outline important contributions of Sor Juana has made in Mexico and
around the world
Students will also describe the manners in which society was impacted through the achievements
of Sor Juana
Students will be able to summarize significant events that impacted society based on the
achievements of Sor Juana
Students will ask and answer questions about the contributions of women in history
Students will define the term equality
Students will explain the term equality
Students will perform skits to show equality
Illinois Common Core State Standards:
1. 16.D.1 (W) Identify how customs and traditions from around the world influence the local
community.
2. 16.B.1 (W) Explain the contributions of individuals and groups who are featured in biographies,
legends, folklore and traditions.
3. 16.A.1b Ask historical questions and seek out answers from historical sources (e.g., myths,
biographies, stories, old photographs, artwork, other visual or electronic sources)
4. 16.A.1c Describe how people in different times and places viewed the world in different ways
5. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.2.3 Describe the connection between a series of historical events,
scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text.
6. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.2.6 Identify the main purpose of a text, including what the author wants to
answer, explain, or describe.

Targeted Academic Language Demands:
Equality, Nueva Espana (New Spain), Nun, Convent

III. Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks (How?)

Time Learning Activities - What learning activities do
you have planned for the students (Note: these
describe what the students do during the lesson)
Purpose

[6 minutes]

Orientation/Engagement/Motivation

To introduce the lesson, I will have the students
come to the rug. Once theyre in the rug, I will tell
them that I would like the girls to sit in the front,
and the boys to sit on the back. The girls who are
sitting in the front will get candy, and the boys will
not get any candy. Then, I will ask students who
received candy how they feel because they got
candy. Then I will ask someone who didnt get
candy how they feel to start the conversation about
equality. I will ask students if they know the term
used to describe the situation that happened in our
classroom. If students are not able to give me the
term, then I will introduce the term inequality. I will
provide a definition of the term and say, Inequality
means not being equal, discriminated, and not

The purpose of having students be
separated by shoe color is to have the
class thinking about equality. I want
students to start a discussion about
what happen in the classroom. Some
students might get upset because they
were not treated fairly like their other
classmates. Also, this activity will
give students an example of
inequality and what it means.
Students will get engaged because
they are going to start wondering
what is happening in the classroom
and why they were separated.
Students are immediately going to ask

[10
minutes]

[20
minutes]

having the opportunity. However, our main focus
of our lesson is to introduce the concept of equality.
I will ask students if they know what equality means
and if they could give an example. We will have a
conversation of what equality means and how it
relates to our unit of Womens History.

Presentation/Explicit Instruction

I will teach them about another term that is the
opposite of the term inequality, and it is equality. I
will provide a working definition of the word.
Equality is about making sure people are treated
fairly and have equal opportunity. I will have chart
paper and have the word equality. The chart paper
will be divided in two sections. One section will
have examples of equality, and the other side with
have examples of inequalities. I will show them a
variety of pictures and have them decide whether
they go on the equality section or the inequality
section. Students will need to explain why the
picture is an example of equality or why the picture
is an example of inequality. I will have examples of
each and paste them on our chart paper. We will
have a conversation about equality and what it
actually means. Many students might think that
equality means being the same or having the same
things. However, that is not exactly what equality
means. I will have pictures that show a variety of
current issues such as testing, wealth, school
closings, immigration, gay marriage, and pay
between men and women.

Structured Practice/Exploration

I will ask students if they know Sor Juana to get an
idea of their background information. To activate
background knowledge I will show students the 200
peso bill to see if students have seen it and to get an
image of Sor Juana. After I show the image of Sor
Juana, I will provide background information. I will
say, Juana grew up in the 1600s. Her passion was
me questions on why I gave some
students candy and some not. I will
be able to know what my students
know about equality and begin our
discussion about equality.


I will introduce a working definition
of the term equality. I am introducing
a working definition because it is
open to interpretation. I want students
to think about what equality really
means. Everyone has a different
definition of equality, and I want
students to be able to give their own
ideas of what it means to be equal.
The pictures that I will provide will
help us begin our discussion about
what equality means. Also, the
pictures will provide a visual for the
students who are visual learners. With
our discussions about equality, we are
going to begin to change the
definition that I provided at the
beginning. This activity is student-
centered because they are going to be
the main contributors in our
discussions. I will be more of the
facilitator, and I will be posing
questions to get students thinking
deeply about equality.


During the structured practice,
students will be introduced to Sor
Juana, and we will discuss the
contributions and the inequalities that
she faced. Based from our
conversation about equality and
inequality, students will have a better
understanding of Sor Juana. Sor

[45
minutes]

to have a lot of books and show how smart girls
could be. Juana Ins had a passion for reading,
writing, and learning. Students should pay close
attention to the struggles of Sor Juana and how she
was able to overcome them. The purpose of reading
this book is to celebrate the achievements of one of
the greatest poets of Mexico and continue to discuss
the concept of equality. We will read the book
called A Library for Juana: The World of Sor Juana
Ines. This book shows many inequalities. As I read
the story, students should pay attention to the
inequalities. I will list them on chart paper as I am
reading the book. Students will be responsible to
come up with how that inequality can be changed to
equality.

Inequalities in the book:
1. Sor Juana is not able to attend school
because she is too young.
2. Only boys are allowed to do to the
university.
3. Girls are look as only good to spin and sew.
4. Men thought that women were not smart.
5. Sor Juana needed to prove that she was
smart to a group of men. She needed to
prove that she could read and write.
6. Women were not allowed to get an
education
7. Women were not allowed to express their
opinions or thoughts.

Guided Practice/Feedback

Once we have our seven inequalities listed on chart
paper, students will be divided into six groups of
four. Each group will pick one inequality, and they
will decide how change it to equality based from
their own understanding. Students will discuss with
their groups and present a skit of their inequality
and how they changed it to equality. Students will
plan their skits and present them to the class. I will
be working with each group to help them plan their
skits. I will ask questions such as, What would
equality look like for your inequality? What does
Juana is a great example of a woman
who faced inequality, and she fought
to change the inequalities by
becoming the first woman in Mexico
to attend a university. Students will
list the inequalities from the book and
turn them into equality. This activity
will allow students to continue
thinking of what equality means to
them. They will think critically about
the inequalities and try to find a way
to make it fair. Also, through the
skits, students will be able to take the
role of the person and understand the
perspective of the individual. Role-
playing is a great way of doing
history after absorbing the
knowledge. Through reading this
picture-biography book, students will
develop an appreciation for Womens
History and the great impact women
have made in society.


During this time, I will ensure that
students are working together in their
groups to plan their skits. I will guide
the students who need guidance, and I
will give suggestions. However, the
groups should work collaboratively
and discuss amongst each other their
thoughts. As students are working
together, I will use this time to assess
their understanding and if together

[20
minutes]

equality mean to you? These questions will help
students to think about equality and what it means
to them.

Independent Practice/Application

After the skits, students will be handed a piece of
color paper to write a reflection of what equality
means to them, and they will rewrite the working
definition. Each student will have a different
definition of what they think equality means. Their
reflection does not have to be very long, but it needs
to show their interpretation of what equality means
to them. Once they write their short reflection, we
will come together as class and form a circle. I will
have yarn, and we will pass the yarn to different
individuals until we have everyone connected. This
will show how we all want equality and how
together we can make a difference in our
community. There written reflection, will be
collected to form a class book.

they are able to provide evidence that
proves they understand the concept of
equality. Students will be able to raise
questions to further clarify their
understandings.


The purpose of this final activity is to
come together as class and share our
thoughts about equality. This will be
the culminating activity where each
student will have the opportunity to
rewrite our working definition of
equality.

IV. Assessment
Formative Assessment (Process):
To assess students understanding of the concept of equality, I will be listening to the discussions and their
reasoning. During the second activity of the pictures, I will be observing and listening to the individuals
who are contributing to the discussions. I will ask students questions to get a deeper understanding of their
thinking. I will observe how students are collaborating together and working together to get their skits
completed. During the read aloud, I will ask students questions to get a sense of their understandings. Also,
students will be expected to be pay close attention to the inequalities presented in the book. Students will
be expected to think about the inequalities and how they would change it to equality. Also, students should
be thinking about Sor Juana and how she was able to overcome the inequalities and name the
achievements that she was able to accomplish.
Summative Assessment (Product):
At this point, I will not be using student samples for summative assessment. The concept of equality is
fairly new for the students, and I think that a formative assessment would be most appropriate.

V. Instructional Materials, Resources, and Technology
A Library for Juana: The World of Sor Juana Ines.
Chart paper markers
Pictures (variety)
Paper
Yarn

VI. Reflection
Once you have completed the lesson plan, take a moment to analyze and reflect on what you
have designed and consider the criteria of internal consistency.
Internal Consistency:
The lesson aligns with the objectives and standards and it leads for students to understand the concept
of equality and Sor Juana. The formative and summative assessment also aligns with objectives and
standards. As students will go through the activities, they will understand the purpose of each of the
activities. The lesson is developmentally and logically sequenced leading to the goal of understanding
equality and the contributions of Sor Juana. The lesson is sequential and each step is explicitly stated
and the activities lead to another activity.

TPA-aligned Lesson Plan Template

Teacher Candidate: Mariela Patino Date Taught:
Elementary School
Grade: Second Grade Bilingual Field Supervisor: Dr. Montano
Unit / Subject: Social Studies
Lesson Title / Focus: Womens History Unit/
Sequence

I. Contextual Information (What?)
The purpose of this lesson is to introduce students to an important woman in history, Celia Cruz. In this
lesson students will learn about the contributions of Celia Cruz on current traditions and will also explore
the skill of sequencing. Students in this classroom have knowledge about important women in history. At
this point, students have learned about Harriet Tubman, Ruby Bridges, Michelle Obama, and Helen Keller.
I know this because I have been present in the classroom for about two months now and they started the
unit on womens history two weeks prior to the planning of this lesson.

This is a second grade bilingual classroom; therefore students might need additional guidance with the
material presented since students are at different levels of English comprehension. There are no students
with educational plans or 504 plans in this classroom. This classroom is composed of twenty-four
students, twenty-three of them receive free lunch and the remaining student receives reduced lunch. All
twenty-four students are of Hispanic descendent. These demographics influence planning since for most if
the lesson planned it should be taken into consideration that these students come from low-income
households, therefore for most lessons it is important that the teacher brings all the resources that students
will need to complete a lesson, including those lessons that will be held at home. It is important to send
complete kits home if students are expected to complete an assignment at home. Furthermore, it is
important that the students home experiences are brought into their education in order to make students
education more meaningful and personal.

James Shields Elementary School is located in the Brighton Park neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois. This
school is composed of 1135 students, from which 97.3% of them are low-income students and 52.5% are
Limited English Learners. The school serves students pre-kindergarten through fourth grade. The teacher
in this classroom holds high expectation for all her students. Throughout the year, students are required to
take several exams to determine reading groups, academic growth and mathematic abilities.
There are no management issues in this classroom, the majority of the students are well behaved and
follow instructions all the time. However, as mentioned earlier, this classroom is a bilingual classroom,
therefore in order to meet the needs of all students, key details must be stressed in Spanish in order for all
students to comprehend. Additionally, there must be modeling and visual representations to ensure all
students comprehension.
Comments/Notes:

INSTRUCTIONS: Using guiding questions relevant to this lesson, describe your plan and its rationale in
each of the following planning areas. Refer to Appendix A for a list of guiding questions.

II. Lesson Rationale (Why?)
Learning Goals and Focus (What?):
Students will be able to explain who Celia Cruz was.
Students will be able to describe the contributions of Celia Cruz to history.
Students will be able to describe the influences of Celia Cruz on current traditions.
Students will be able to provide a definition for the term sequence.
Students will be able to place major events in the life of Celia Cruz in a sequence of events.
Students will be able to create a sequence of events outlining major events in their daily
routines.

Illinois Common Core State Standards:
16.B.1 (W) Explain the contributions of individuals and groups who are featured in biographies, legends,
folklore and traditions.
16.D.1 (W) Identify how customs and traditions from around the world influence the local community.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2
topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
Academic Language target for you and your students:
Sequence
Events


Purpose
Orientation/Engagement/Motivation: (Introduction Orientation/Engagement/Motivation

5 minutes

15 minutes

of the topic: making connections)
To introduce the lesson, students will be called to
the rug; the beginning part of the lesson will be
held in the rug. Students will be asked if they have
ever heard the word sequence. Students will be
given the opportunity to share their answers as well
as elaborate on their peers responses. I will ask a
volunteer to summarize our discussion on sequence
and then I will provide a definition for students,
sequencing is the order of events, including a
beginning, middle, and end.

Presentation/Explicit Instruction:
Then I will provide students with a story that is out
of order, I leave my house, walk to the bus stop,
and take the bus towards Shields. I wake up and
get ready. I teach the lovely students in room 106.
I arrive at Shields Elementary. I will also provide
students with the story broken up into different
sections and pictures that illustrates what the story
is narrating.

I leave
my house
and walk
to the bus
stop.

I wake
up and
get
ready.

I teach
the
lovely
student
s in
room
106.

I arrive at
Shields
elementary.
Students will then be asked what is wrong with the
story. Ideas will be shared and then four volunteers
will be asked to come up to the front and arrange
the story in order in a chart labeled sequence of
events. This chart will have clue words including
first, second, next, and last.
Sequence of Events
First

Second
The purpose in asking students if they
have ever heard the term sequence is
to activate their prior knowledge.
Students might be familiar with this
term because events happen in order,
especially because stories are told in
the order in which events happen.
Students will be engaged in the lesson
because they will connect what they
have learned about stories and order
of events to the term sequence.

Presentation/Explicit Instruction:
Students will be given a story where
the events do not occur in a sequence.
I will raise questions to guide students
thinking throughout the lesson,
especially when they present trouble
understanding the sequence of events.
Students will notice that the story
does not make sense based on the
unorganized order in which the events
are arranged. Students will then say
that the events are not in order. The
purpose for this is for students to
understand that when events do not
follow a sequence the story is hard to
understand. Then classmates will help
the four volunteers to organize the
story and place the events in the
sequencing chart by placing what
event happened first, second, next,
and last. The purpose for doing so is
so that students can physically
interact with the lesson and arrange
the events based on the order in which
they belong. The pictures provided in
the story serve as a visual aid for
students, which greatly benefit the
visual learners in the classroom as
well as students who are not
proficient in the English language yet.

25 minutes

Next

Last

Students will then place the events in the order in
which events happened, I wake up and get ready. I
leave my house, walk to the bus stop, and take the
bus towards Shields. I arrive at Shields elementary.
I teach the lovely students in room 106.
Sequence of Events
First I leave my
house and walk to the
bus stop.
Second
I wake up and get
ready.
Next I teach
the lovely students in
room 106.
Last I arrive at
Shields elementary.
Students will be asked questions like, what is
wrong with this story? Is it in order? They will also
be asked to explain their reasoning for the answers
they provide.

Structured Practice/Exploration:
After students have engaged in the activity, I will
begin the lesson by asking students to name
famous women they have learned about so far.
Then I will play the song La Vida Es un
Carnabal by Celia Cruz for one minute to activate
students background knowledge. Students might

Structured Practice/Exploration:
The purpose in asking students about
the past women they have students I
to connect the lesson to students

7 minutes
know who Celia Cruz is, or might have heard her
songs. Afterwards, students will be engaged in an
interactive read-aloud. I will read the book My
name is, Me llamo Celia by Monica Brown. In this
book students will explore the contributions of
Celia Cruz on current traditions while students will
also explore the important events that occurred in
the life of Celia in a sequence. Throughout the
book there will be several important stop points
where major events will be explored. These events
will be written in sentence strips. Some of the
events that we will explore are:
Celia Cruz was born in Cuba in the City
of Havana.
Celia Cruz attended school and one of her
teachers told her to go out into the world
and sing.
There was a revolution in Cuba, therefore
Celia Cruz left to the United States.
Celia Cruz brought salsa music to the
Americas.
Celia Cruz was named the Queen on
Salsa.
These events follow an order of events, for
example, Celia had to be born before she could go
to school and so on. Students will also be asked
questions to remind them that Celia Cruz made
important contributions to current traditions. I will
ask students questions such as:
What is something significant about the
life of Celia Cruz?
Why is it important?
What does it mean in the world?
Is that important in todays world?

Guided Practice/Feedback:
After concluding the read-aloud, the sentence strips
will be re arranged and placed in an illogical
manner, therefore the sequence of events will
appear out of order. Students task is to re arrange
the events in a chronologically correct order, in the
correct sequence in which the events occurred. In
doing so, students will put into practice what they
learned about sequence of events while they will
prior knowledge since they have
already been learning about famous
women. Furthermore, the purpose in
playing the song is also to activate
students prior knowledge since they
might have heard the song before.
During the read-aloud, I will stop in
certain places in order for students to
summarize major events in the life of
Celia Cruz. These events follow a
sequence and students will be asked
questions in order to guide their
thinking to understand that these
events follow a sequence in order for
the story to make sense.

Guided Practice/Feedback:
Students will be asked to place the
sentence strips in a sequential order,
this intends to put students learning
of the lesson into practice. Students
will also be allowed to talk to one
another, which promotes

15 minutes

also be assessed on their understandings of the
story. Once students have arranged the events in
the correct sequence, I will ask students questions
in order for them to verbalize their thinking
process while arranging the sentence strips.

Independent Practice/Application: A half-sheet of
paper, students will independently write four
events from their lives in a chronological order.
This will serve as an exit slip that I will collect at
the end of the end of the exercise.
collaboration with peers. By placing
the order of events in the life of Celia
Cruz in order, students will both use
what they know about order of events
to logically arrange which event had
to happen first before another event
could happen. Students will also put
into practice what they learned about
Celia Cruz during the read aloud.
They can use what they learned to
place the events in a sequence. In
doing so, I will understand students
thinking about sequencing and I can
identify what students are having
trouble comprehending.

Independent Practice/Application:
The purpose is to have students
reflect on what they learned as well as
assess students comprehension of the
lesson.

IV. Assessment
Students will be assessed formatively based on the discussions they hold with peers and me. Students will
be assessed on the conversations they hold on sequence as well as their understandings of who Celia Cruz
was. During the read aloud, students will be asked to summarize the important events in certain pages of
the book and these ideas will be written in sentence strips. Afterwards, the sentence strips will be placed
out of order and students will be asked to place them in the correct in which the events took place. This
intends toess students understanding of the story as well as the order in which events should go.
For purposes of assessing students in a summative manner, I will collect students written responses on the
three questions that students are to answer individually. Students will answer three questions in a half sheet
of paper where I will assess their understandings of the term sequence, its important, and their
understandings of Celia Cruzs contributions to the world.

What materials will you need in order to teach this lesson?
What materials will students need?
Makers
Chart Paper
A Celia Cruz CD
A portable radio
Coloring pencils
A sequence of events chart
Story with pictures
Sentence Strips

VI. Reflection
Once you have completed the lesson plan, take a moment to analyze and reflect on what you have
designed and
consider the criteria of internal consistency.

The lesson procedures and are consistent with objectives and assessment. The activities are related to
the learning outcomes. Furthermore, the lesson is developmentally and logically sequenced, as I will
initiate the lesson by allowing students to explore the term sequence, then they will be provided with a
definition and an example. Later students will have an opportunity to arrange events in a sequence. The
concern about this lesson is that perhaps there was not enough individual practice for students.
Furthermore, I believe that it is extremely important to constantly adapt lesson plans to students needs
because the ultimate purpose of a lesson is for students to learn. Therefore, when presenting a lesson
one might end up going on a different direction that what was planned initially to meet students needs.
Ultimately, it is equally important to have second plans and be prepared for the unexpected.

Lesson Plan Template

Teacher Candidate: Aide Acuna Date Taught:
Elementary School
Grade: 2
nd
Field Supervisor: Dr. Montano
Unit / Subject: Womens History
Unit/Social Studies

Lesson Title / Focus: Ruby Bridges

I. Contextual Information
The purpose of this lesson is to learn about Ruby Bridges' struggles and accomplishments during Women's
History Month. It is important for students to learn about Ruby Bridges as she fought for desegregation in
schools. Therefore, the students could relate to her in age as well as relate to her contributions on a daily
basis when attending school. Students should understand that their school culture is extremely different
than the culture of Ruby's school. They should come to appreciate their school environment due to Ruby's
contributions.

Students have learned about several important historical women, one of them being Rosa Parks. Therefore,
I know students will have several information on this time period and examples of civil right movements.
Additionally, students have heard and learned about segregation and racism when studying Rosa Parks.
Consequently, I feel students will be able to develop their knowledge and be able to contextualize Ruby's
struggles and accomplishments more deeply.

This bilingual class consists of 24 students who come from low-income families. All of the students in this
class are Latino students and speak Spanish. There are no students with special needs in our class, and
there are also no students who have IEP's. Shields Elementary, located in Brighton Park, serves students
from pre-kindergarten to fourth grade. Latinos make up about 99% of the student population. This school
holds a population of students who come mostly from low-income families.


Purpose

[15 mins]

[6 mins]

[20 mins]

I will ask students to come to the rug area where
they will sit in a circle. I will say, Today we are
going to learn how to have discussions, but first,
what is a discussion? Have you ever had a
discussion? Therefore, I will lead students to
share their comments and ideas which I will write
on poster paper. Next, I will ask, Why do people
have discussions? What is the point of a
discussion?Think back to a time you might have
had a discussion. Once again, on a different
section of the chart paper I will write the purposes
of discussions which students share. Lastly, I will
ask students what they believe the rules and
manners of a discussion should be. Conclusively, I
will add these comments to my last section of our
discussion poster.

I will choose two volunteers, who I know are
outspoken, and I will attempt to have a discussion
with them. I will model both positive & negative
behaviors and contributions during this discussion
which students did not mention during the opening
of this lesson. The discussion question will be:
What is the best color in the whole entire world
and why?
At the end of this discussion, I will ask students
what they thought were positive & negative things
that we did or said during our discussion. I will
ask, What do you think we can add to our
discussion poster? Conclusively, I will add these
contributions to our poster.

I will tell students that we will be learning about
another famous woman named Ruby Bridges. I
will say, We will be learning about Ruby Bridges
by reading her biography titled Ruby Bridges. I
will explain that this book is all about her & that
I will be asking students questions
about discussions because I would like
to activate their prior knowledge.
Therefore, I know students have had
discussion in their classroom before &
I hope they will take their prior
experiences in order to contribute great
ideas and comments in order to make a
discussion poster. Additionally, I
believe making a poster is a great way
to remind students of what they know
and have came up with as an entire
class. Also, this poster can be used as
an anchor chart which students can
reference in the future before or during
their discussions.

I would have a discussion with only
two students in order to model positive
and negative behaviors and comments
in a discussion. Also, I want students to
realize important behaviors or
contributions which they forgot to
mention in the opening of our lesson.
Therefore, students can have a well
thought out poster all about discussions
which they can reference for the rest of
the year.

In this women's unit, I would like for
students to learn about Ruby Bridges
because she was the same age as the
students when she began fighting for
her rights to go to her neighborhood

[10 mins]

[15 mins]
she actually wrote her own story. Furthermore, I
will tell students that throughout our read-aloud, I
will be asking questions which we will have a
discussion about using what we learned previously.
Next, I will begin reading out loud.
Possible discussion questions:
1) Why do you think the White people not like the
black people?
2) If you were Ruby would you want to leave your
school if you loved all of your friends and your
teachers?
3) What would you do if you had to go to a new
school but nobody wanted you there?
4) How would you feel if you had to be in a
classroom all by yourself , and you didnt have any
friends to talk to or play with?
5) What is Rubys struggle?
6) What did Ruby accomplish?

When I finish the read-aloud, we will have a grand
discussion. I will highlight positive contributions
and behaviors throughout the discussion.
Additionally, I will make suggestions and give
different insights in order to improve the students
skill of discussion. Our main discussion question
will be: If you were Ruby, would you have done
what she did in order to attend a school which
would be near your home? If yes, why would you
do this? If not, why wouldnt you do what she did?

Students will put in groups of four. I will pose two
questions on the board.
1) What would you do if you werent allowed to go
outside for recess because you are bilingual? What
would you do to change this rule? What do you
think Ruby would do?
2) Why are Rubys accomplishments important in
school. Therefore, I feel students would
be able to connect with a young girl
like Ruby. Additionally, I would like
us, as a whole class, to discuss
questions and (or) topics about Ruby in
order to begin using what we learned in
the beginning of our lesson. Therefore,
students will begin building their skill
of discussion as we discuss meaningful
topics.

At the end of the read-aloud, students
will have a grand discussion on a
meaningful topic.I want students to put
themselves in Rubys shoes in order to
feel what she felt as a student who was
their age.Additionally ,I plan to give
students feedback once they have
attempted to have discussions on their
own during the read-aloud. This is
because I would like students to
become comfortable with contributing
their comments & ideas before I give
constructive criticism. This way,
students will not be nervous or shy
away from sharing.

Students will hold discussions on their
own in order to better apply what they
have learned throughout the lesson.
Students will discuss more meaningful
topics in order to better understand
Rubys struggles and accomplishments
which is a theme throughout our unit. I
our lives today?
As students discuss in their groups, I will spend
time in each group as I take notes and simply listen
to students discuss the questions.
When time is up, I will address the class while they
are still in their groups. I will give announce the
positive things each group did and some things
they need to work on. I will not say any names, but
instead just point out groups.

will not be participating in the groups
because I want students to sharpen
their skills and not rely on me as the
leader of the discussion. I will observe
and take notes on each group in order
to give constructive criticism without
singling any student out. Instead,
students can learn from other groups
positives and negatives.

IV. Assessment
I will observe students throughout discussions to see if they can apply the manners of a discussion.
Through their comments, I will listen and observe in order to see if students are understanding Ruby's
struggle and accomplishments.

Students summative assessment will be a performance assessment. Students will participate in a grand
discussion. The main questions will be: How would our school be different today if Ruby hadnt struggled
when she was your age? How did her accomplishments change the way white people and black people
think about each other today? Why do you think Ruby was so brave?

poster paper
markers
overhead
overhead markers
Ruby Bridges by Ruby Bridges

VI. Reflection
Once you have completed the lesson plan, take a moment to analyze and reflect on what you
have designed and consider the criteria of internal consistency.
I believe this lesson plan is well thought out as it aligns with the rest of the unit and the common core
standards. I believe students will enjoy this lesson because they will have multiple opportunities to
speak their minds about meaningful topics which they can connect to. Furthermore, students will have a
rich amount of prior knowledge from the previous lessons which will motivate students to participate
during the discussions about Ruby. Conclusively, students remember Ruby because, I feel, they will
deeply connect with her struggles and accomplishments. Lastly, they will benefit from learning the skill
of discussion as they will use this skill throughout their student careers.

Assessments

Womens History Unit
TIC TAC TOE Assignments
Category Level 1
2 points
Level 2
3 points
Level 3
5 points
Research Research a famous
place:
Research one of the
famous places where one
of the famous woman we
read about, was born.
Draw a map and label the
place you researched.
Write 1 paragraph about
why you think this place
is important.
Research a famous
woman and event:
Pick 1 famous woman in
history that we havent
talked about in class.
Research a major event
that happened while this
woman lived. In 2 small
paragraphs, explain how
this event influenced
her. Make sure to
include: Who was a part
of this event, why this
event happened, what
happened, where this
event took place, and
when this event
happened.
Research one
historical women:
Draw a picture and
write a one page
newspaper article
about a famous
woman. Explain why
you believe this
woman was different
from others and why
her contributions are
so important today.
Writing Summary of a famous
women:
Write a 1 paragraph
summary about a famous
woman that we have
learned in class describing
their contributions and
struggles. Also, include
why this woman was very
important in history and
why people still remember
her today.
Letter to a famous
woman:
Write a letter to a famous
female figure, thanking
her for the contributions
she has made to womens
rights.
Journal entry:
Write in your journal
answering the
question: Why is
Womens History
Month important?

Visualization
Famous woman in a
scene:
Visualize one of the
famous women you have
read about. Draw a
Cause and effect chart:
Create a cause and effect
chart showing the events
that happened in the life
of a famous women you
Wanted poster:
Create a wanted
poster of a famous
women you have read
about. Make sure to
picture of this woman at a
place you visualize her in.
Your picture should tell:
Who she is, where she is,
who she is with, and what
she is doing. Try to make
your drawing look real.
read about. You must
have illustrations and
quotes, or key words,
that show the cause and
effect of events in her
life.
include why this
woman is wanted and
what the reward is.
Make sure to include
key words from the
text that allow the
reader to understand
the danger this
woman presents.

Choose as many assignments as you would like as long as they add up to 10 points or more! Choose
from the same category only once!

Grading Criteria:
Demonstrate reading comprehension
Demonstrate deep level thinking and connections with novel
Demonstrate understanding of assignment
Demonstrate creativity and effort

Womens History Quiz

True/False questions (1 point each)
Directions: Answer each question by circling either T for True or F for False.
1. T F Influenced by teachers, Celia Cruz was a teacher for a few years.

2. T F Celia Cruz brought salsa music to the Americas.

3. T F Like Celia Cruz, Oprah was denied opportunities because of the color of her skin.

4. T F Oprahs charities and organizations help thousands of peoples around the world.

Multiple Choice (1 point each)
Directions: Select the best answer to each question
5. Who became the first woman to attend a university in Mexico?
A. Ruby Bridges
B. Celia Cruz
C. Sor Juana
D. Phyllis Wheatley

6. Phyllis Wheatley became the first African-American woman to__________________.
A. attend a university
B. publish a book of poetry
C. win the Nobel Peace Prize
D. All of the above

7. Phyllis Wheatley and Sor Juana had the following things in common, except:
A. they publish a book of poetry
B. they needed to take a test to prove that they were smart
C. they became nuns
D. All of the above

8. How did Sor Juana prove that she was smart to the scholars?
A. she knew how to sew and spin
B. she wrote a book of poetry
C. she started reading at the age of five
D. she answer a variety of questions about math, science, and history.

9. While Anne Frank hid for two years, what did she enjoy doing almost everyday?
A. Anne Frank liked to build puzzles.
B. Anne Frank liked to read and write.
C. Anne Frank liked to dance.
D. Anne Frank liked to watch movies.
10. What is Ruby Bridges known for?
A. Ruby Bridges is known as a talented singer all over the world.
B. Ruby Bridges is known as a great writer in the United States.
C. Ruby Bridges is known as a famous talk show host in the United States.
D. Ruby Bridges is known as the first African- American student to attend an all White school.

11. Who is Rosa Parks? Identify and circle her picture. (1 point)

12. Who is this famous woman? Write her name on the line below. Try your best to spell her name. Spelling
will not count. (1 point)

____________________________________________________

Answer Key
1. False
2. True
3. True
4. True
5. C
6. B
7. C
8. D
9. B
10. D
11.

12. Oprah Winfrey

Resource Review

Picture-book biography:
Chambers, V. (2005). Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa. New York: Penguin Young Readers Group.

The books Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsa is based on the Cuban singer Celia Cruzs life story. Celia Cruz was
born and raised in Havana to a poor family; however, Celia lived a happy and
rewarding life by her parents and siblings side. Everyone who heard Celia sing
agreed she sang like a bird and her voice was nothing but sweet. As a young woman,
Celia traveled to the United States where she worked at the Hollywood Palladium.
Celia traveled all over the world and became known as the Queen of Salsa. This book
is written for grades kindergarten through third, and at second grade guided-reading,
can be used as part of a read-aloud for a unit on Womens History. The book is
colorful and includes large illustrations. The book covers important details about the
contributions to music, and its evolution, genres, and culture that Celia Cruz
influenced. One of the objectives related to using this unit is that after reading
biographies, students will be able to describe the influences of women on current
traditions. This objective is related to the Illinois State Standard for Social Studies
folklore and traditions and standard 16.D.1 (W) Identify how customs and traditions from around the world
influence the local community. In the unit, this book will be used as an informational text to inform students
about the life of an important woman having an effect on history. This book will be read aloud to the students
on day one of the unit lesson. Students will learn important facts about the life of Celia Cruz and her
influences to music, and the evolution of salsa music. Aside from learning about historical women on current
traditions, students will create a This book will be used to create a sequence of event on her life. Students
will engage in the skill of sequencing. They will create a sequence of events in their lives using sentence
strips.

Biography:
Poole, J. (2005) Ana Frank. United Kingdom: Random House Childrens Books.

The book Ana Frank is a book written in Spanish depicting the story of Ana Frank, a
Jewish girl who died in a German Concentration camp in 1945. At the time, Adolf
Hitler, who despised Jews, ruled Germany. Under these conditions, in the year of
1942, Ana and her family were forced to hide in a crammed room in a hidden office
building. In this little space, Ana felt alone and desperate; therefore she relied on her
diary where she confessed her deepest feelings. After two years, the family was
transported to concentration camps where Ana died at the age of fifteen. This book
written for ages eight and up is a great book, easy read, excellent for a second grade
read-aloud. This book, depicting the struggles of a Jewish American during World
War II, makes a great addition to a unit on Womens History. The book incorporates the struggles of this
young woman, who greatly contributes to the understanding of this historical era and the atrocities of the
Holocaust. The objectives aligned with this book are, students will be able to describe the perspective of
people who lived in important historical eras and compare and contrast how their experiences will be
different in todays world. This objective relates to the Illinois State Standard for Social Studies 16.A.1a
Explain the difference between past, present and future time; place themselves in time. For the unit on
Womens History, this book will be used as a read aloud to expose students to the experiences of a girl who
experienced the injustices of the holocaust and the impact her diary had in history. Students will create a
compare-and-contrast chart explaining how Anas life would be similar and/or different during the time
period she lived and the society in which we live on. After completing the charts, students will be asked to
write a paragraph explaining one point in which Anas life experiences would differ in different time periods
and explain their reasoning related to discrimination.

Picture-book biography:
Lasky, K. (2000). Vision of Beauty, The Story of Sarah Breedlove Walker. Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.

This book narrates the story of Sarah Walker, a free slave who worked on her masters cotton
plantation twelve hours a day. Sarah was born a free slave because slavery had been
abolished two years before she was born in 1867. African Americas still faced large
inequalities, they were restricted from eating in restaurants where whites ate, and they were
prohibited from voting and owning property. Furthermore, African Americans lived in
constant fear of being attacked by white hate groups, including the Ku Klux Klan. Sarah
Walker suffered from hair loss due to the depriving conditions she lived most of her life. At a
young age, she began creating hair care products promoting health and beauty. On the year
1912, her Madam Walker ran one of the biggest companies in America. Madam walker
brought freedom and dignity for thousand of women who were provided with employment
opportunities. This book is written for grades second through fifth, is a great book for a unit
on Womens History. This book illustrates the struggles African Americans faced after the
elimination of slavery, particularly women who were held low statuses. This book will be used to teach the
concept of inequality by emphasizing the struggles this women faced as a little girl and a grown women in
America. The objective is for students to compare and contrast inequalities women faced in the past to those
in the present. This objective is related to the Illinois State Standard 16.A.1a Explain the difference between
past, present and future time; place themselves in time. This book will be used as a read-aloud to expand
students understanding of inequality. This book will also be used for an activity, students will create a
double-sided chart in which they will draw and list three inequalities women faced in the early 1900s, while
on the other side, students will draw and label three inequalities women face today. This book will also be
used later on in the unit to compare the struggles of Madame Walker and Sor Juana to bring social change
and equality to their people in their time period.

Biography:
More, P. ( 2002). A Library for Juana, The World of Sor Juana. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

This is a great book about the dreams and struggles of Juana Ines, a young woman born in
the 1600s in colonial Mexico. A time period when women were not allowed to attend
school, Sor Juana dreamed of learning to read and write, but mostly she wished to attend
large libraries where she could read for endless hours. Sor Juana was expected to say in
the house and help around, however after asking her mother repeatedly, Sor Juana was
allowed to attend school and read for endless hours. She got to live in a convent and
became a nun and the first great Latin poet. Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz proved men that
women are just as capable as anyone of becoming literate and reaching goals. This book
will be used during a read-aloud for a unit on Womens History. The book is intended for
grades kindergarten and up, makes a great book for second graders at their listening level.
Using this book, students will be able to explain how womens accomplishments
influenced views on women during the 1600s. Students will also describe the manners in
which society was impacted through the achievements of women. These standards are related to the Illinois
State Standards 16.B.1a (US) Identify key individuals and events in the development of the local commu-nity
and 16.D.1 (US) Describe key figures and organizations in the social history of the local community.I will
have a read aloud with this book, and students will be able to compare and contrast the experiences of Phillis
Wheatley with Sor Juana. They will know the similarities and difference between the women. Both women
were poets, but they lived in different countries. Also, we will discuss the concept of equality, and as a class,
we will create an equality booklet.

Picture-biography story:
Clinton, C. (2008). Philliss big test. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Philliss Big Test is picture-book biography deals with a transformative moment in the
life of Phillis Wheatley, the first African American to publish a book of poetry. In 1773,
Phillis Wheatly of Boston, Massachusetts, published a book of poetry. It was a great
accomplishment that made her famous. Only a year before, in 1772, Phillis had to take a
test to prove that she was the actual author of these poems, because Phillis Wheatley was
a slave. She made her own way to the public hall where the most important men of the
Massachusetts Bay Colony would examine her and settle the question for all: was she or
was she not the author of the poems? The book ends with the words, Good day,
gentlemen. I am the poet Phillis Wheatley. The picture-book biography is written for
first to fourth grade students, and it is a great addition for understanding Womens
History Month. The purpose of using this text is for students to explain and describe the
contributions of women in history. Students will ask questions and seek answers through reading this
biography. Students will be able to describe the experience of women in history and how their struggle has
impacted our present society. The objectives that it addresses are based off of Illinois State Standards16.B.1
(W) Explain the contributions of individuals and groups who are featured in biographies, legends, folklore
and traditions, 16.A.1b Ask historical questions and seek out answers from historical sources (e.g., myths,
biographies, stories, old photographs, artwork, other visual or electronic sources), and 16.A.1c Describe
how people in different times and places viewed the world in different ways. After reading the book, I will
have students create a poster that will include the contributions and struggles of this woman, and we will
discuss the concept of equality. In addition, students will learn the skill of compare and contrast where
students will compare Sor Juana and Phillis Wheatley.

Biography:
Raatma, L. (2001). Susan B. Anthony. Minneapolis: Compass Point Books

This biography is about the struggle of Susan B. Anthony to achieve equal rights
for women and African-Americans. She worked to make schools better. Her story
is one of courage and strong will. Susan Brownell Anthony was born on February
15, 1820; she and her family lived in Adams, Massachusetts. Anthony worked
hard to stop slavery, and she held meetings to protest against slavery. Susan began
to work in schools at an early age, and found things that need to be corrected
because they were unfair. She saw that women teacher were paid less than men
teachers, and she saw the boys often got better education than girls. She fought for
women to get the right to vote, and she argued that they were just as smart as men
were. In 1906, Susan Anthony died in her home at the age of eighty-six. Fourteen
years later, the Nineteenth Amendment was added to the Constitution. The
amendment gave women the right to vote, and the amendment is known as the Susan B. Anthony
Amendment. This book is written for second and fourth graders. It provides a clear biography of Susan B.
Anthony. Students will be able to explain the contributions of Susan B. Anthony and the impact she has had
in American history. Students will ask questions about history and how her legacy continues to be celebrated.
The objectives that it addresses are based off of Illinois State Standards16.B.1 (W) Explain the contributions
of individuals and groups who are featured in biographies, legends, folklore and traditions, 16.A.1b Ask
historical questions and seek out answers from historical sources (e.g., myths, biographies, stories, old
photographs, artwork, other visual or electronic sources),16.A.1c Describe how people in different times and
places viewed the world in different way, and16.D.2c (US)Describe the influence of key individuals and
groups, including Susan B. Anthony/suffrage and Martin Luther King, Jr./civil rights, in the historical eras of
Illinois and the United States. I will have a read aloud and students will answer questions and develop their
own questions. Students will write an informational paragraph describing the contributions of Susan B.
Anthony. Students will have a deeper understanding of the Womens Suffrage Movement. Students will also
watch a video related to Susan B. Anthony and the suffrage movement.
Biography:
Guzman, L. & Guzman, R. (2008). Frida Kahlo. New Jersey: Enslow Publishers.

Frida Kahlo: Pinto su Vida is a Spanish biography of the life of one of Mexicos
finest artist, Frida Kahlo. Frida Kahlo was eighteen years old when her body was
crushed in a horrible bus accident. During her long, painful recovery, Kahlo taught
herself to paint. Despite vast physical and emotional challenges, Kahlo lived her life
with gusto. Her marriage to muralist Diego Rivera brought Kahlo into the public eye.
But it is her own extraordinary talent that made her one of Mexico's most famous
artists. Kahlo painted to escape from and to portray her troubles and her triumphs.
She died on July 13, 1954 en La Casa Azul. After her death, Diego Rivera gave the
house to the Mexican community. La Casa Azul has Frida Kahlos artwork and is
currently a museum in Mexico. The biography is great for second and fourth graders.
The text is presented in easy to read sentences and the paragraphs are easy to read.
Students will write an informational text about Frida Kahlo and explore her artwork. Students will create
their own self-portrait of themselves to resemble how Kahlo recreated herself in art. Students will describe
the contributions of Frida Kahlo in the fine arts. The objectives that it addresses are based off of Illinois State
Standards16.B.1 (W) Explain the contributions of individuals and groups who are featured in biographies,
legends, folklore and traditions, and 16.A.1b Ask historical questions and seek out answers from historical
sources (e.g., myths, biographies, stories, old photographs, artwork, other visual or electronic sources). I will
do a read aloud with the story, and students will answer multiple questions and ask questions. Students will
explore more information about Frida and write an informational story about her life.

Picture-biography book:
Ringgold, F. (1999). If a bus could talk. New York: Childrens Publishing Division.

If a bus could talk is a picture-biography of the story of Rosa Parks. The story is told in
the perspective of a bus, who tells the story of a young African-American girl named
Rosa Parks. The bus said that Rosa Parks had to walk miles to her one-room schoolhouse
in Alabama while white children rode to their school in a bus. The bus mentions how the
adult Rosa had to ride from work on a segregated city bus and couldn't sit in the same
row as a white person. The book tells of the fateful day when Rosa refused to give up her
seat to a white man and how that act of courage inspired others around the world to stand
up for freedom. In this book a bus talks, and on her way to school a girl named Marcie
learns why Rosa Parks is the mother of the Civil Rights movement. At the end of
Marcie's magical ride, she meets Rosa Parks herself at a birthday party with several distinguished guests. The
story ends with, Wait until she tells her class about this! This book is great for second to fourth graders
because it helps students to understand segregation. Students will discuss the concept of segregation and
equality. Students will describe the experience of African Americans and how Rosa Parks was able to make a
difference in the Civil Rights Movement. The objectives that it addresses are based off of Illinois State
Standards16.B.1 (W) Explain the contributions of individuals and groups who are featured in biographies,
legends, folklore and traditions, 16.A.1b Ask historical questions and seek out answers from historical
sources (e.g., myths, biographies, stories, old photographs, artwork, other visual or electronic
sources),16.A.1c Describe how people in different times and places viewed the world in different way, and
16.D.2c (US)Describe the influence of key individuals and groups, including Susan B. Anthony/suffrage and
Martin Luther King, Jr./civil rights, in the historical eras of Illinois and the United States. I will have a read
aloud with this story and students will answer multiple questions. Students will also reenact how Rosa Parks
refuse to give up her seat. With role playing, it allows students to better understand the experience. It helps
do history and to develop a deeper appreciation for the people who came before us.

Power Point:
Women Firsts
afscme.trilogyinteractive.com/for.../womens...tools/.../Women_Firsts.ppt..

Women Firsts is a Power Presentation that shows a timeline of famous women who
have contributed to American history. The presentation starts in 1717 with Ann
Teresa Mathews was the first woman whose invention received a patent (for
cleaning and curing corn). The Power Point goes through different events and
women who have made an impact such as the first public school for women, which
opened in 1826. The timeline helps the students develop an understanding of how
women have impacted American history. The timeline provides pictures and quotes
of famous women, and it is easy for students to follow. This is great presentation for
second graders because the description is short and easy to comprehend. Students will create another timeline
of different events and women in world history. Students will be able to explain and describe the
contributions of women in American history. The objectives that it addresses are based off of Illinois State
Standards 16.B.1 (W) Explain the contributions of individuals and groups who are featured in biographies,
Martin Luther King, Jr./civil rights, in the historical eras of Illinois and the United States. I will present the
Power Point and give students an outline, so it is easier for the students to write down notes. Students will
create a pamphlet of different events that impacted womens history. Students will present their pamphlet as
a gallery walk.

Website:
Womens History Retrieved 28 March 2013 from http://womenshistorymonth.gov/

Womens History is a website that includes activities, biographies,
videos, and teacher resources to implement in a classroom. The website
provides teachers and students a variety of resources to know more
about Womens history. The videos provide students with an interactive
way in learning about the material. There is a section for teachers where it has short mini-lessons and
activities to teach students. Students will be able to compare and contrast between the women and find the
similarities and differences. Students will be able to explain and describe the contributions of women in
history and how they have impacted society. The objectives that it addresses are based off of Illinois State
Standards 16.B.1 (W) Explain the contributions of individuals and groups who are featured in biographies,
Martin Luther King, Jr./civil rights, in the historical eras of Illinois and the United States. Students will have
a web-quest where they will be able to explore the website for information. Students will be given a
worksheet, and they will be responsible to record their findings. Students will be able to watch the videos and
play some of the activities. The website allows students to use technology in their research.

Biography:
Chipman, D. (1997). Cool Women. Los Angeles: Girl Press.

Cool women is a biographical book that includes fifty profiles of the coolest female
icons, heroines and pop culture queens in history.The roster of female role models
in Cool Women includes Cleopatra, Amelia Earhart, Josephine Baker, Evita (Peron),
Martha Graham, Janet Flanner, and Nellie Bly. Mexican freedom fighters stand side by
side with Soviet WWII fighter pilots, Mother Jones, and Rosie the Riveter. These are
some of the women that are included in this book. The book provides a short biography
of each of the women and the impact that they have had in Womens History. The book
offers a variety of women who have impacted different fields of study. The book is for
upper grade students, but students who are in early elementary can also benefit from this
book. The book offers a variety of information for writing a research report. Students
will be able to describe the impact of women in history and how they were able to overcome their struggle.
Students will compare and contrast these fifty women with one another. This requires higher thinking, but
second graders will able to accomplish the task with modeling. Students will ask questions to develop more
knowledge about Womens History. The objectives that it addresses are based off of Illinois State Standards
folklore and traditions, 16.A.1b Ask historical questions and seek out answers from historical sources (e.g.,
myths, biographies, stories, old photographs, artwork, other visual or electronic sources),16.A.1c Describe
how people in different times and places viewed the world in different way, and 16.D.2c (US)Describe the
influence of key individuals and groups, including Susan B. Anthony/suffrage and Martin Luther King,
Jr./civil rights, in the historical eras of Illinois and the United States. I will pick a few biographies from the
book to share with the students. Students will be able to find the similarities and differences of these women.
Through this text, students will be able to explain the contributions of women in history and how it has
impacted todays society. Students will pick one woman from the fifty and create a poster to present to the
class. Students will have a gallery walk where they will be able to see their classmates poster.

Biography:
Brill, M. (2009). Michelle Obama: From Chicagos south side to the White House. New York: Learner
Publication Companies.

This biography talks about Michelle Obama, and her leap from the South Side of Chicago
to presiding over the White House as First Lady. She was employed by a top Chicago law
firm, which is where she met Barack Obama. Michelle quickly realized that she wanted a
profession where she could give back to her community. She set up the first public service
program for the University of Chicago and was extremely successful recruiting volunteers.
She later used her skills in relating to people as an avid campaigner during her husband's
run for president. As First Lady, Michelle Obama brings intelligence, wit, and warmth to
the job. This book is for second to fourth graders, and it is easy to read and comprehend.
Students will be able to describe the contributions of Michelle Obama, and how she was
able to help her community. Students will get a current woman who made history as the
first African-American First Lady. The objective that it addresses is based off of Illinois
State Standards16.B.1 (W) Explain the contributions of individuals and groups who are featured in
biographies, legends, folklore and traditions. Students will answer questions about the biography and
compare and contrast with another woman in history.

Picture-book bibliography:
Turner. G. (2006) An Apple for Harriet Tubman. Illinois: Albert Witman & Company.

Harriet was born into slavery in the year 1820. She was forced to work in the fields for
endless hours. One day after taking a bite of an apple, her master whipped her. Harriet made a
promise to herself that one day she would be free and would eat all the apples she wanted to
eat. After marrying her husband, Harriet heard that she would be sold to another family so
she decided to flee and members of the Underground Railroad helped her reach free land.
Harriet too great risks and went back to Maryland numerous times to help family members
and others escape from slavery. This book is written for grades first through fourth, it is
perfect for second grade listening level. This book will be read aloud to the students and by
using this book, students will be able to recognize the sacrifices that Harriet Tubman
underwent, as well as others around her, in hopes of bringing freedom and equality. Students
will be able to define and understand the word segregation and explain its importance. Students will also be
able to explain the risks that Harriet took and explain why they are significant in society and history. These
objectives relate to 16.B.1b (US) Explain why individuals, groups, issues and events are celebrated with
local, state or national holidays or days of recognition. For this unit, this book will be used for an activity.
Students will be broken down into three groups, and each group will create a skit. Each group will act out a
scene from the book. Students will have to place themselves in the situations in which Harriet Tubman found
herself. Students will discuss how Harriet felt and how this influenced the way she acted during her time
period. Students will also incorporate the term segregation on her skit, either by acting out the definition or
accurately incorporating the term in their skit.

Picture biography:
Maria, L. (2009). The Oprah Winfrey Story. California: Treasure Bay.

Oprah was born in 1954 on the southern part of Mississippi. During this time period, the
South was still segregated and Oprah suffered many inequalities. During her early years,
Oprah lived with her grandmother in a farm in Mississippi; she then moved to live with
her mother in Wisconsin. A few years later, Oprah moved to Nashville with her father
where she attended school. Oprah was a hard working students and she was very talented.
Oprah worked in the radio and television. Later, Oprah had her own television show, The
Oprah Winfrey Show. Oprah has also dedicated time and money to different charities
around the world. Her vision is of helping people around the world see their beauty and
live the best life they can, while also inspiring them to help other around them. This book
is written for ages seven and up. This makes a great book for a read aloud on the unit of
Womens History because it is easy read and the pictures are sure to capture students
attention. The objectives for this book are for students to be able to name the works of
Oprah and explain how these have an effect on social and historical contexts. Students will also be able to
name something untraditional Oprah did and its importance. The objective aligns with the Illinois State
Standards 16.D.1 (W) Identify how customs and traditions from around the world influence the local
community and standard 16.D.1 (US) Describe key figures and organizations in the social history of the local
community. For my unit on Womens History, this book will be used with the book Celia Cruz, Queen of
Salsa. Students will be asked to create a compare and contrast chart where they will compare and contrast the
contributions these two women had in their communities and the in society.

Images:
Woman suffrage procession, Washington, D.C. March 3, 1913 retrieved February 28, 2013 from
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/vfwcap.html

This image is a great visual resource for students to use during a unit on
Womens History. This image was retrieved from an online website that
includes several pictures related womens history. This picture is great
for second grade students because the image is clear and doesnt have
too many details, yet it has an important message, making it more
comprehensible for second grade students. This picture allows for
students to create meaning of the image, the words present, and the
knowledge they have acquired throughout the unit. The woman in this
picture is holding a flag with the words Votes for Women. Throughout
the unit, students will learn some of the inequalities women faced, such
as not being allowed to vote. Based on this illustration, and the information they have acquired
throughout the unit, students will be able to describe and/or illustrate the role of women in social
change. Students will also explain in what ways it is beneficial for women to vote. These objectives
relate to standards 16.A.1b Ask historical questions and seek out answers from historical sources
and 16.A.1c Describe how people in different times and places viewed the world in different ways.
For the unit on Womens History, this picture will be printed in a large cardboard, and will be displayed in
the classroom. Students will be handed post-it notes where they will write initial reactions to the drawing,
students will be asked to include in their reactions how this drawing relates to womens struggle in fighting
for equality. For this particular activity, students will have an opportunity to work with a partner. Students
will discuss how this image relates to what we have been talking about women and their struggles. In the
post-it notes, students will write any connections they can create between what they have been learning and
what the image means to womens history. We will then come together as a group and discuss the struggles
that women have undergone and how this has affected society. Students will then pick one woman they want
to talk about who they have respect for and admire. This can be a woman they know, or a women they read
about. Students will draw a picture of this woman and will write three words that describe that woman and
why it makes them important to them.

Picture Biography
Adler,D. & Camilla, R.(1993).A Picture Book of Rosa Parks.Holiday House.

This biography tells the story of one of Rosa Parks' biggest accomplishments on
December 1st, 1955. Rosa Parks sat on a bus and refused to give up her seat as
the bus was full of passengers. At this time, it was by law that any person of
color had to give up their seat if a white person needed to sit. Fortunately, Parks
was brave enough to sit tight in her seat because she thought these rules were
unfair. Unfortunately, Rosa Parks was arrested. On the other hand, Parks
statement was only the start of the civil rights movement. I plan to use this book
in my second grade class during a Women's History Month Unit as a read-
aloud, since the book is a 3rd grade level book, in order for students to become
knowledgeable of this African-American woman who helped unite people
today. Due to her speeches and other movements, Rosa Parks was able to
contribute to our rights of equality today. Through this biography I hope
students appreciate the bravery and effort this woman put forth to make their
lives in school and communities much more comfortable, fair, and united. After
the read-aloud I would like them to write how things in their schools, stores,
churches, and communities would be different if Rosa Parks had not taken that first step into the civil rights
movement. The Illinois State Standard 16.B.1(W) (explain the contributions of individuals and groups who
are featured in biographies, legends, folklore and traditions) supports the teaching and learning of Rosa
Parks through this book as students will gain knowledge about Parks' contributions by participating in a read-
aloud.

Image: This photograph contains the real diary and writing of Anne Frank. Although second grade students
might not be able to read her writing,I would bring in the translations of her writing which I would hand to
students while this image is reflected on the overhead
screen. We would read parts of her diary as a class after
having read her biography. I feel this way students will
better connect to her diary since they would already have
had background knowledge in this Women's History Unit.
Students will be able to see Anne Frank's writing which
will possibly make her contributions and bravery seem
even more inspiring and touching to them. The Illinois
State Standard 16.A.1b (ask historical questions and seek
out answers from historical sources (e.g.,myths,
biographies, stories, old photographs, artwork, other
visual, or electronic sources) supports the use of
photographs and artifacts in the learning process.
Therefore, I feel it is suitable and appropriate to use these photographs in a second grade classroom as
students may become curious to find out more about history during this time period and may find out
answers which they wished to ask Anne Frank.

Autobiography:
Bridges, Ruby.(2009).Ruby Bridges Goes To School:My True Story.New York:Scholastic

This auto-biography by Ruby Bridges, which is a second grade leveled informational
book, is about Ruby as a young girl who lived in the 1960's while segregation existed in
schools. Ruby first attended an African-American school where she loved her peers and
teachers, but soon Ruby's parents found a school much closer to their home. This new
school, in New Orleans, was an all white school. Ruby's parents along with a group of
lawyers fought for Ruby to attend first grade in this new school. On Ruby's first day, all
the White people shouted rude and racist remarks. Although their actions hurt and scared
Ruby, she was brave enough to keep attending this school even though all the students in
her class switched schools. In second grade, students became coming back to the school
and joined Ruby's second grade class. The Illinois State Standard 16.A.1a (explain the
difference between past, present and future time; place themselves in time) aligns with the
learning and discussing of this true story. Through this story, students could learn how
their classrooms might be different if Ruby, her parents, and other activists hadn't fought
for desegregation of schools. Students could also compare and contrast Ruby's first day of
school with their first day of school. By using this resource in a Women's History Month
Unit, in my second grade class, I hope students will understand that a young girl their age as well as other
adults struggled to make segregation possible. Since Ruby is their age, I hope they can better understand her
struggle, bravery, feelings of determination, passion, and fear by acting out a skit which represents Ruby's
true story. Students will take the role of Ruby, her parents, the White people, Ruby's teachers, as well as
activists.

Websites:
http://www.brainpopjr.com/search/?keyword=women%27s+history+month

This is a website designed for students k-3rd grade. This fun and interactive website is perfect for second
grade students. In this website there are videos of Helen Keller, Harriet Tubman, Susan B. Anthony, and
Rosa Parks. These videos talk about the lives of these women. This video will help students learn more about
the lives of these women as well as their contributions to the world. This is a great website for students
because it is easy to access and it is color, making it interesting for students. The information is easy to
understand as it is written for students in the younger grades. From this source, students will be able to name
at least three historical women and they will describe something significant they each did. Students will also
be able to explain why their achievement are significant. These objectives relate to the Illinois State
Standards for Social Studies 16. A.1c Describe how people in different times and places viewed the world in
different ways. This video will be used in the unit of Womens History to illustrate five women who made an
impact in the world. This video will also be a basis for a small project that students will create. Students will
be given construction paper and will be asked to fold the paper to create three columns. Then, students will
pick of three of the four women who were shown in the video and will include each one of the three in the
three columns. Students will also be asked to include something significant this historical figured
accomplished. They will also have an opportunity to draw a picture of the three women they choose and will
have the opportunity to be as creative as they like to be. These women have previously been introduced to
these women on previous activities. Doing further research will enhance students knowledge on these
women.

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