Part of the National Women's History Project funded to promote the study of women in history, this unit will help second grade students learn about women's contributions to U.S. society. Equity cannot be achieved until equality is expected and until the contributions of all women are understood and accepted as a simple matter of fact. The unit contains six lessons based on biographies of women, past and present. The women were all self-sufficient people. They combined their work with their commitment to help others, particularly those of their own ethnic group. The women are Shirley Cachola, Dolores Huerta, Rosa Parks, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Annie Wauneka, representing major ethnic groups, and Elizabeth Blackwell, representing disabled Americans. Lessons also help students explore the concept of working in groups. Each lesson begins with a biography that teachers are to read to students. Discussion questions, suggestions for learning activities, and a student worksheet follow each biography. Students participate in class discussions, write stories, role play, and draw pictures. A bibliography of additional resources concludes the unit. (RM)