The nationwide commemoration in 2020 of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment is an opportunity to explore not only women's long struggle to achieve this landmark moment, but also to engage in an exploration of women's civic engagement during the woman suffrage movement. The terms "woman suffrage" and "suffragist" often…

In the early twentieth century in the American South, Black women teachers were especially dedicated to the creation of community and local institutions. They not only supported and taught Black history, but also created key texts that enabled a more accurate accounting of Black history. Educational leaders such as Nannie Helen Burroughs, Mary…

Quality historical fiction enables readers to imagine what life might have been like for a variety of people, particularly those not typically written about in history texts. Social history of an era is often of particular interest to young students. This article looks at using the American Girl Series to interest students in history and provides…

In 1878, Senator Aaron A. Sargent of California introduced to the Senate an amendment to the Constitution "Conferring upon Women the Right of Suffrage." Drafted by Susan B. Anthony, this same amendment would be introduced on a near-yearly basis until its final passage by Congress on May 19, 1919. Varying degrees of voting rights presented an…

Most of the material for this issue of the "Goldfinch," which explores the life of Carrie Chapman Catt, came from the archives of the State Historical Society of Iowa. Carrie Chapman Catt (1859-1947) was an Iowan who advocated woman suffrage and spent 26 years actively working for that cause. The issue contains a biography of Catt, and…

This booklet was designed to be used as a supplemental social studies unit and is divided into four sections. Section 1 profiles famous women of West Virginia including Aracoma, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, Mary Harris Jones, Susan Matilda Dew Hoff, Frances Benjamin Johnston, and Nancy Hart Douglas. Section 2, profiles contemporary women in West Virginia…

The author presents five classroom activities that involve students in the settlement at Jamestown. Activity 1 simulates the problems encountered on the "Godspeed," a fifty-two-foot foot boat with fifty-two passengers traveling across the Atlantic in 1607 for three slow months. In Activity 2, students plot their route, ocean currents,…

Because the Daughters of the American Revolution's (DAR) Black exclusion rule prevented Black singer Marion Anderson from performing in the DAR auditorium in 1939, Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from the organization. Primary source materials regarding this incident and learning activities for secondary level students are presented. (RM)

How the story paper, a popular 19th-century literary form, can be used to teach secondary students about the historical experience of women between 1840 and 1890 is described. The historical background of the story paper is discussed. A student handout explaining how to write a story paper is included. (RM)

This study unit is designed to assist elementary students in discovering Eleanor Roosevelt's contributions to U.S. history and to the world. The unit begins with a brief biography of Eleanor Roosevelt, followed by biography study questions. Learning activities are then suggested. Students are asked to make costumes and portray her at different…

This lesson plan utilizes poems and quotations of things said by women who served in the Vietnam War as a means of helping students to understand the War and its impact on those directly involved. Procedures for teaching the lesson, small group discussion questions, a 12-item list of references, and all materials containing the poems and…

Readers Theater is a presentation by two or more participants who read from scripts and interpret a literary work in such a way that the audience imaginatively sense characterization, setting, and action. Traditionally, the primary focus of readers theater is on an effective reading of the script, not on a dramatic presentation. The scripts in…

Selected resources for teaching about women in U.S. history from the ERIC database are described. Resources for use at the elementary, secondary, and college levels are included. (RM)

This issue of the "Goldfinch" focuses on the Iowa state fair. The magazine begins with a map of the fair as it looks today. The article explains that the first Iowa state fair was held in 1854. After traveling from town to town for several years, the fair settled in the capital city of Des Moines in 1878. Eight years later, in 1886, the…

In the absence of official power, women had to find other ways to shape the world in which they lived. The First Ladies of the United States were among the women who were able to play "a significant role in shaping the political and social history of the country, impacting virtually every topic that has been debated." Through this lesson…