GREAT SITES FOR TEACHING ABOUT ... Women in History

American Women in Uniform
http://userpages.aug.com/captbarb
Do your students know that more than 2 million U.S. women are veterans of the Armed Forces? Women have served in every armed conflict involving the United States -- including the Revolutionary War. Captain Barbara A. Wilson, an Air Force retiree, has put together this exhaustive resource of women in the military from the American Revolution to the present. In addition to the historical information, the site includes pages of trivia, posters, and stamps, as well as a 'Women Warriors Quiz.' Just watch out for editorializing by Captain Critical, "whose pontificating will try to amuse, bemuse, irritate and generally annoy" you at this comprehensive and engrossing site.

A Celebration of Women Writers
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/
Mary Mark Ockerbloom created A Celebration of Women Writers to make visitors aware of the "breadth and variety of women's writing." The site provides links to fascinating information about the lives and works of women writers from 3000 B.C. to the 20th century. It also includes links to many of their works. The database, although not yet searchable, lists authors by century, by country, and alphabetically by name.

Biographies of Women Mathematicians
http://www.agnesscott.edu/lriddle/women/women.htm
Do any of your students still think math is for boys? If they do, this treasure trove of women who excelled in the field of mathematics is sure to change their minds. The site, which can be viewed chronologically or alphabetically, includes images and biographies of nearly every female mathematician of the past three centuries. Students may be surprised to discover that, more than 150 years ago, Ada Lovelace, the daughter of Lord Byron, wrote a plan that today is regarded as the first computer program!

My Mother's War
http://www.murphsplace.com/mother/main.html
Helen Burrey was one of the first three nurses assigned to American Expeditionary Forces hospital trains during World War I. This poignant and heart-warming pictorial history, created by her daughter, tells the story of Burrey's service -- and the story of the war. The site presents excerpts from diary entries and a scrapbook of mementos that includes official documents, letters, patriotic stickers, medals, newspaper clippings, and photographs. Because a few of the photographs depict graphic images of the war, this site is most appropriate for older students.

Civil War Women
http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/collections/civil-war-women.html
The Special Collections Library at Duke University maintains this archive of the papers of Rose O'Neal Greenhow, Alice Williamson, and Sarah E. Thompson. The scanned images and transcripts present a picture of the lives of women during the American Civil War, revealing not only the vital role women played in the war but also the personal characteristics of those heroic women. Students will discover, for example, that Thompson was a successful spy who helped the Union capture a Confederate general! Additional resources from this and other sites help round out this well-done set of primary sources.

Women of the American Civil War
http://americancivilwar.com/women/women.html
This site provides information on such notable women as Harriet Beecher Stowe, Clara Barton, and Mary Todd Lincoln.

National Women's Hall of Fame
http://www.greatwomen.org
This site celebrates the courage and determination of U.S. women from many different walks of life. It presents fascinating biographies of a number of women, from Bella Abzug to "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias. The Learning Center provides teacher resources and educational activities designed to increase students' understanding of women's struggle for equal rights and their contributions to American culture.

Women Nobel Prize Laureates
http://nobelprizes.com/nobel/women.html
Do your students know that Marie Curie, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, won it twice -- in chemistry and physics -- in different years? Were you aware that women have won prizes in all Nobel Prize categories except economics? This informative and inspirational site provides brief profiles and links to print and online resources about all 30 of the women who have won Nobel Prizes. Each profile includes information about the work for which the recipient was recognized, and each listed category -- physics, chemistry, physiology and medicine, peace, and -- links to biographies of women and men. Additional resources on women in science and technology help extend learning beyond the site.

What Did You Do in the War, Grandma?
http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/WWII_Women/tocCS.html
Linda Wood, a librarian at South Kingstown High School in Rhode Island, presents this unique project. Ninth graders interviewed Rhode Island women who lived during World War II. The more than two dozen accounts that resulted are both moving and fascinating. They provide an intimate look at the mood and events of the time. Some remarkable young storytellers reveal some remarkable women. Don't miss a word!

Article by Walter McKenzie
Education World®
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