Social Studies/History - Women in History Sites

About Famous People
http://www.aboutfamouspeople.com/
This site has a great collection of information on famous women throughout history. From First Ladies to Spies, you’ll find it all here, not to mention famous men as well. Get information on the Presidents, and their first ladies, homes and monuments that were erected to honor famous people, and what days of the year are dedicated to famous men and women around the globe.

Academy of Achievement
http://www.achievement.org/
The American Academy of Achievement salutes nearly 90 men and women whose accomplishments, in the academy's view, helped shape the 20th century. The honorees are divided into five different categories, each of which has its own hall within the academy. Included are halls of arts, business, public service, sports, and science and exploration.

American Women
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/awhhtml/  
American Women is a gateway for Library of Congress researchers working in the field of American women's history. The site contains a slightly expanded and fully searchable version of the print publication "American Women: A Library of Congress Guide for the Study of Women's History and Culture in the United States" (Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 2001). The guide has been redesigned for online use, with added illustrations and links to existing digitized material located throughout the Library of Congress Web site.

Biography Center
http://www.biography-center.com/

Changing the Face of Medicine (National Library of Medicine)
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/changingthefaceofmedicine/  
Discover the many ways that women have influenced and enhanced the practice of medicine starting with the history and work up to present-day women who are considered the top in their medical fields. Find out about careers in medicine, print classroom lesson plans, and view an extensive bibliography including books and videos. Online interactive activities use games and learning modules to bring issues of science and medicine to life. Read or post a story about woman physicians who have made a difference.

Conversations with History
http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/conversations/  
It's often difficult to find primary source material. Here you will find a collection of interviews with men and women from all over the world. "Guests include diplomats, statesmen, and soldiers; economists and political analysts; scientists and historians; writers and foreign correspondents; activists and artists. The interviews span the globe and include discussion of political, economic, military, legal, cultural, and social issues shaping our world. At the heart of each interview is a focus on individuals and ideas that make a difference." In some instances, you will find multimedia clips that can be played in the classroom. Produced by the Institute of International Studies, UC Berkeley.

Florence Nightingale Museum
http://www.florence-nightingale.co.uk/cms/
Read the full story of Florence Nightingale's life, and view collection highlights and their history. There is also a Kids Zone with games and information.

Guide to Women in Canadian History
http://www.heroines.ca/
This is a comprehensive site about women in Canadian history, presenting a variety of educational resources. Features include quotes, historical images, news, biographies, "This Month in Herstory," contests and information about events, films, books and historic sites. The website was developed by historian Merna Forster of Ottawa, Ontario.

Identity by Design, Native Women's Dress
http://www.nmai.si.edu/exhibitions/identity_by_design/IdentityByDesign.html
This is a comprehensive exhibit that examines the traditions, changes, and celebrations found in the dress of Native American women of the nineteenth-century Great Plains, Great Basin, and Plateau tribal regions. The exhibition accomplishes many things at once, including promoting an appreciation of Native women's artistry and an understanding of the influence of trade goods on Native American culture. Archival photos, maps, and animations enrich the site, which also touches on the powwow experience, dress as a function of cultural identity, and the innovations of nineteenth-century dressmakers.

I Survived the Titanic
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/media/world/9607/titanic.html
The Titanic set sail in April of 1912. This is the true story of survivor Ruth Becker who was 12 years old when the ship sailed and sank.

Martha Washington: A Life
http://marthawashington.us/
MarthaWashington.us serves as a research tool for both scholars and students and as a resource for teachers seeking national standards-based lesson plans that bring Lady Washington into the classroom. Mrs. Washington’s biography is presented in six sections that explore areas of her life in depth. Early Life; The Custis Years; Life at Mount Vernon Before the Presidency; The War for Independence; The 1790s; and The Twilight Years feature historical information and images of objects, engravings, and portraits associated with Martha Washington. An archive with 450 letters written by or to Martha Washington further illuminates her voice.

National Women's Hall of Fame
http://www.greatwomen.org/home.php
Learn about some remarkable American women and their contributions to society.

Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony
http://www.pbs.org/stantonanthony/movement/index.html
Learn about Stanton and Anthony and their roles in the Women's Movement. You'll hear the story of Stanton and Anthony narrated while you view pictures from their lives and historical documents from the Women's Movement. A visit to this site is like looking through their scrapbooks.

She's Not Just a Pretty Face
http://www.masters.ab.ca/bdyck/face/
"She's Not Just a Pretty Face" wants middle school girls from around the globe to join in a collaborative venture that will help them learn about women who have made a significant mark in history. From January 1st - December 31, 2005, participating classrooms will work on the project activities and then share their work by posting it on the project Web site. "She's Not Just a Pretty Face" will engage students in purposeful activities that will hone their research and writing skills, their ability to transfer information into a creative/artistic medium, and their ability to articulate how their learning about strong female role models can be applied to their own lives. Students will have the opportunity to work with classrooms from across the world and to enter into a thought-provoking dialogue about how women can use their abilities and vision to make a difference in their world.

Six Wives of Henry VIII (PBS)
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/sixwives/index.html  
The series takes a fresh approach and presents each wife's story from her perspective through the use of video clips and their writings. "About" section provides links to specific episodes and how the series was made. There are interactive activities: Find-A-Wife and Tudor Times. Classroom section includes links to standards-based lesson plans and activities.

Soviet Sports Wars
http://www.pbs.org/redfiles/sports/
The former Soviet Union, complex and frightening in its time, recedes into history, and it becomes ever more difficult for students to grasp its implications. One way is for students to explore the history of athletic competition in the USSR and the Soviet athletes' attempts to reconcile their achievements as unique individuals with the Soviet ideology of being equal to all. The site also allows students to research women's role in Soviet sports.

Vietnam Women's Memorial Project
http://www.vietnamwomensmemorial.org/  
Starts with a Flash intro that includes informative facts. Did you know that over 265,000 women served in the armed forces of the United States? Nearly 10,000 women in uniform actually served in-country during the conflict. Articles describe the types of jobs women performed during the war. Also includes first person narratives from women veterans, information about the memorial, and links to more information.

Woman's Work is Never Done
http://www.americanantiquarian.org/Exhibitions/Womanswork/
Using selected images from the Antiquarian Society's vast collections, here is a look at the type of work that women have performed, including Domestic Work, Women as Merchants, Women and War, Teaching and Education, Factory Workers, and Performers and Artists. The time frame ranges from before the American Revolution through the Industrial Revolution.

Women in American History
http://search.eb.com/women/
Follow brave-hearted women through a timeline of unbelievable "herstory." Impressive site tracks the unsinkable American woman from Early American adventurers like Sacagawea and Anne Hutchinson through the daring suffragette days of Alice Paul up to the modern-day heroines like Rosa Parks. Students will enjoy full biographies as well as audio and video clips of these famous personalities. A teacher's guide with activities surrounding National Women's History Month completes this excellent website.

Women in Science
http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/site/smithsonian/show_women_science.do
The Smithsonian Channel provides access to video clips from its "Women in Science" broadcast. The women profiled study animals, such as wolves, bats, and condors, in their natural habitats. Learn about their academic training, research interests, and more.

Women of Our Time
http://www.npg.si.edu/cexh/woot/
This site brings you Twentieth Century Photographs from the National Photograph Gallery. These photos are of the great women of the Twentieth Century collected here to be remembered for all time. Scroll over a photograph to see the name and occupation of the woman featured, click on the information and you will be given a short biography. With fascinating tidbits and information you can’t go wrong just randomly choosing. Some well-known women featured are: Eleanor Roosevelt, Amelia Earhart, Billie Holiday, Mae West, Sylvia Plath and many more.

Women of the Iditarod
http://library.thinkquest.org/11313/Iditarod/
"In 1985 nobody noticed as a woman, slight of frame, left Anchorage in the Iditarod. She was a nobody from somewhere. But when she was the first one to check into Safety - the last checkpoint before Nome - five hours ahead of the nearest competitor, everyone cheered in surprise. At 9 a.m. on Wednesday, March 20th, Libby Riddles became the very first woman to ever win the Iditarod." Women of the Iditarod is just one section of the larger Women in Alaska site, written by two high school students for a ThinkQuest Internet Competition.

Women, Power and Politics
http://www.imow.org/wpp/index
March is Women's History Month. The International Museum of Women offers an online museum exhibition organized around nine themes related to women, power and politics. Learn how women around the world have and are claiming a place at the political table, what forces have tried to keep them away, and where they are claiming victories. Themes include Power, Environment, Voting, Appearance and Religion, among others.

Women's History Month (Time for Kids)
http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/whm  
This site contains information about women in history that is geared toward younger students. Includes brief bio's, a quiz, a timeline, and some interactive biographies.

Women Who Changed History
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/women/
There are wonderful stories to explore about amazing women who changed the course of history, such as Dr. Mae Jemison, the first African-American female in space; Amelia Earhart, pioneering aviator; and Melba Pattillo, one of the nine students who volunteered to integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Besides offering those stories, this site by Scholastic includes profiles of suffragists and many activities that will enable students to both appreciate female contributions and to participate in Women's History Month.