Breaking Barriers

Biography

Virginia Apgar

Dr. Virginia Apgar persevered beyond early 20th-century barriers to women in medicine to become a leading anesthesiologist and the first female full professor at Columbia University.

Biography

Helen Taussig

Dr. Helen Brooke Taussig was a pioneering American cardiologist best known for developing the first successful open-heart surgery to treat "blue baby syndrome."

Biography

Alice Paul

A vocal leader of the 20th century women’s suffrage movement, Alice Paul advocated for and helped secure passage of the 19th Amendment.

Biography

Althea Gibson

Althea Gibson was a star tennis player and the first Black woman to win the U.S. Nationals, French Championship, and Wimbledon.

Lesson Plan

Exploring Maria Tallchief: A Dance Journey Through History

How can we honor the contributions of others?

Biography

Sister Rosetta Tharpe

Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a skilled performer and woman guitarist, credited with the creation of rock and roll.

Lesson Plan

United States Currency: Primitive Imagery of an Industrialized Society

Does the face of currency illustrate or reflect the growth of a nation?

Lesson Plan

Mary Church Terrell 

This 3-part lesson will give the students a basic understanding of Mary Church Terrell and prepare them for future studies on the early 20th century Women’s Suffrage Movement in the United States.

Lesson Plan

Belva Lockwood and the Precedents She Set for Women’s Rights

This lesson examines the life and career of Belva Lockwood, 19th century lawyer and women’s right advocate whose achievements opened the door for others to follow.

Exhibit

Educational Equality & Title IX:

Is Education Truly Equal? Explore NWHM’s new online exhibition that provides an overview of the history of women's access to higher education.

Lesson Plan

The Women of a Special Triad (Title IX, the AIAW, the WBL)

Students will learn about how a group of trailblazing women in the seventies who changed the landscape for women in education and helped pave the way for acceptance of women in sports.

Biography

Anne Crawford “Nancy” Allen Holst

The first woman to join the International Association of Fire Chiefs, “Chief Nancy” led Rode Island’s Cedar Hill Volunteer Fire Department beginning in 1931.

Biography

Gerda Lerner

Gerda Lerner, the “godmother of women’s history,” fled Nazi-occupied Austria and became an accomplished historian and advocate for female scholars.

Biography

Regina Benjamin

Dr. Regina Benjamin was the 18th US Surgeon General during the Obama Administration, and the youngest person and first African-American on the AMA Board of Trustees.

Biography

Elizebeth Smith Friedman

Known as “America’s first female cryptanalyst,” Elizebeth Smith Friedman’s pioneering work in the field of codebreaking helped the country through pivotal moments in the 20th Century.

Lesson Plan

Defiance and Dignity, Mary Church Terrell

Students will examine a timeline of the life of Mary Church Terrell and complete a close reading of her speech, “The Progress of Colored Women” (1898)

Lesson Plan

Elinor “Lin” Ostrom, Nobel Prize Economist

In this lesson, students will experience the tragedy of the commons through a team activity in which they compete for resources.

Biography

Esther Duflo

Economist Esther Duflo was on the team awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for their work on global poverty issues. Duflo became the second woman to ever win the prize.

Biography

Admiral Mary Joan Nielubowicz

Mary Joan Nielubowicz was the only woman in the Navy Nurse Corps to earn the rank of Commodore and the first non-physician to earn the role of Deputy Commander for Health Care Operations in 1984.

Lesson Plan

Lessons in Leadership: The Honorable Yvonne B. Miller

Students will analyze the life of Hon. Yvonne B. Miller, her accomplishments, and leadership attributes, so they can apply persuasive techniques to amplify her accomplishments, leadership attributes, as well as those in leadership roles in their community