Breaking Barriers

Biography

Frances Ellen Watkins Harper

Frances Ellen Watkins Harper was the first African American woman to publish a short story and was also an influential abolitionist, suffragist, and reformer.

Biography

Mabel Ping-Hua Lee

In a 1912 New York Times article, Mabel Ping-Hua Lee was regarded as “the symbol of the new era, when all women will be free and unhampered.”

Lesson Plan

Breaking Barriers: Women’s Basketball Documents

Lesson Plan

Landmark Supreme Court Cases

Landmark Supreme Court Cases Lesson Plan

Biography

Florence Lawrence

Motion picture star Florence Lawrence invented the turn signal and brake signal for vehicles.

Biography

Recy Taylor

Although it was very dangerous for African Americans to speak out against white people during the Jim Crow era, Recy Taylor refused to remain silent about sexual violence.

Biography

Tarana Burke

As an activist, community organizer, and executive, Tarana Burke has made quite an impact.

Lesson Plan

Sally Hemings

By dividing Sally Hemings' life into four major stages, students will encounter the difficult choices forced upon enslaved women by an evil institution.

Biography

Ava DuVernay

Although she did not pick up a camera until she was thirty-two, Ava DuVernay has made history as a writer, director, and producer.

Biography

Annie Jump Cannon

Known as the “census taker of the sky,” Annie Jump Cannon was a brilliant astronomer that revolutionized the way scientists classify stars.

Lesson Plan

Breaking Through Gender Roles

Students will explore the women of NASA and identify and analyze their key contributions to the field of aeronautics.

Biography

Barbara Jordan

As a lawyer, a congresswoman, and a scholar, Barbara Jordan used her public speaking skills to fight for civil and human rights.

Biography

Olympia J. Snowe

Olympia Snowe was the first woman in American history to serve in both houses of State Legislature and both houses of Congress.

Biography

Kimberly Teehee

Kimberly Teehee became the first Cherokee Nation delegate in the House of Representatives

Lesson Plan

Utilizing Historic Sites for National History Day Research

Lesson plan that allows students to interview the staff at any historic site that focuses on women’s contributions to the past

Biography

Gabriela Mistral

Chilean author and educator Gabriela Mistral became the first Latin American author to receive the Nobel Prize in literature.

Biography

Jovita Idar

Mexican-American journalist, activist, and suffragist, Jovita Idar often faced dangerous situations, however she bravely fought the injustices in her time.

Biography

Rita Moreno

Rita Moreno became the first Latina woman to earn an “E.G.O.T.:” an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony.

Lesson Plan

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), proposed in 1923, has never been ratified. Activists seeking gender equality have sought its ratification since its first proposal but have encountered resistance along the way.

Lesson Plan

The Path to Women’s Suffrage

Students analyze maps and primary documents and share stories of the Westward Expansion relating to gaining women’s suffrage.