Asian American and Pacific Islander(AAPI) Heritage Month: A Webquest

Oceans: A Webquest: World Ocean Day is 6/8.

Jacques Cousteau, A Reader's Theater Script: World Ocean Day is 6/8.

Flag Day and History of Our Flag(Flag Day is 6/8)

A Bundle of Reader's Theater Scripts on Famous Women

A Bundle of Readings on Famous Women

STEM BIOGRAPHIES, Reader's Theater Scripts

Everything has a History!)*also sold individually

Civics:Learn about Our Government: A Bundle of Resources!

U.S. Landmarks!

World Landmarks!

FAKE News!Can you Tell The REAL News?

My Book- Fashion Rules!

My Book-Mrs. Paddington and the Silver Mousetraps

Visit My Boom Card Store

Purple Turtle Premium Home Schooling Program. Click for subscription information!


Reader's Theater Scripts(Biographies in Ancient History):

Click here to learn more:Rader's Theater Scripts (Biographies in US History)


Is That FAKE News?

Anti-Bullying Resources

Need a quick activity?
Bell Ringers!

In the News!
Updated regularly

Mrs. Portulaca Purpilopilis

and the Purple Adventure Goggles


The Wooden Cookie Box Story The Wooden Cookie Box

DBQ Activities!

Facts to Wow your Friends!

World Landmarks: Lots of fun things to use with your students!

Teaching Ideas!


Geography Activities

Geography Ideas!

Purpleannie's Travels

Crossword Puzzles!

Short Reads of interest

Dive into Career Choices

Teaching Tips A-Z

Mrs. Waffenschmidt

Science Fun!




Landmarks from Around the World

Calender of Resources for the Year:

Mail Gail:
Gail Hennessey

The official U.S. time - snapshot

Women's History Month(March)

You may wish to download the Women's History Month Freebie, a possible Interactive Notebook Activity. Click here:Women's History Month Freebie

Note: I changed the font on the downloadable version.

"Remember no one can make you feel inferior without your consent."

Eleanor Roosevelt

In 1978, a school district in California, organized a "Women's History Week". By 1981, Congress passed a resolution establishing a National Women's History Week and in 1987, Congress created a month, March, to honor the contributions of women and to promote the teaching of women's history.

The following information may be helpfulfor Women's History Month. This year's theme(2020) is "Valiant Women of the Vote". 2020 is the 100th anniversary of women getting the right to vote in the United States!

At one time, women weren't able to do many things because of their gender. Here are some women trailblazers.Being the first, made it easier for other women to follow in their footsteps. Every year, new firsts continue to be made by women. Here is just a sampling of firsts made by women.

Lucy Brewer

First woman marine


Elizabeth Blackwell

First woman to receive a medical degree


Amelia Jenks Bloomer

Publisher/editor of first prominent women's rights newspaper


Harriet Tubman

First woman to run underground railroad to help slaves escape


Lucy Hobbs

First woman to graduate from dental school


Arabella Mansfield Babb

First woman admitted to the bar to practice law


Frances Elizabeth Willard

First woman to become a college president (Evanston College)


Victoria Chaflin Woodhull

First woman to be presidential candidate


Helen Magill

First woman to receive a Ph.D. degree (Boston University)


Belva Ann Lockwood

First woman to practice law before U.S. Supreme Court


Clara Barton

Founder of the American Red Cross


Suzanna Madora Salter

First woman mayor (Argonia, Kansas)


Marie Curie

First women to win  a Nobel Prize AND first person awarded TWO Nobel Prizes(as of 2016)

1903 AND 1911

Mary McLeod Bethune

First woman to establish secondary school that became 4-year accredited college


Blanche Scott

First woman to fly an airplane


Jeannette Rankin

First woman U.S. House Representative (Montana)


Bessie Coleman

First African American Female pilot in USA and first AMERICAN to receive an international pilot’s license.


Hallie Ferguson

First woman governor of U. S. state (Texas)


Amelia Earhart

First woman to be a passenger on an airplane across the Atlantic Ocean (1928)

and first woman to flyacross the Atlantic Ocean.


Jane Addams

First American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize


Hattie Wyatt Caraway

First woman elected to U.S. Senate


Amelia Earhart

First woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean


Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova

First woman to fly in space, aboard Vostok 6


Mary Clarke

First woman to be named major general in U.S. Army


Sandra Day O'Connor

First woman a justice of the U. S. Supreme Court


Sally Kristen Ride

First American woman to reach outer space


Ann Bancroft

First woman to walk to North Pole


Christa McAuliffe

First woman citizen passenger on a space mission


Lt. Col. Eileen Collins

First American woman to pilot a Space Shuttle


Madeleine K. Albright

First woman Secretary of State and highest ranking woman in the U.S. government


Condoleezza Rice

First African-American woman to be appointed Secretary of State


Nancy Pelosi

First woman to become Speaker of the House


Hillary Clinton

First FIRST LADY to become a senator(from NY).First woman to be in a presidential primary and caucus in every state. She would go on to be the first female candidate for President for a major political party(Democratic Party)


Michelle Obama

First African American First Lady


Kathryn Bigelow

First woman to win the Best Director Award



Mary Barra,/p> became the firstfemale CEO of General Motors


Women were allowed to compete in ski jumping events at the Winter Olympics for the first time!


Katie Higgins became the first female pilot of the Blue Angels(US Navy Flight demonstrationsquad)


Megan Brennan

First female United Sates Postmaster General


Carla Hayden

First woman to become the 14th librarian at the Library of Congress


Susan Polgar

First woman in history to achieve the Grandmaster title in chess


Kathy Sullivan

First woman astronaut to do a space walk AND to go into the deepest trench on Earth.(Challenger Deep, Mariana Trench). She is the only PERSON on the planet to have done BOTH


Sunniva Sorby and Hilde Falu Strom

First women to solo at the Arctic over a winter without any male team members. They conducted science experiments on climate change and made observations on wildlife. They had to stay several months longer than planned due to the cornavirus.


Kamala Harris

First African/South Asian Woman to be nominated on a major political party’s ticket(Democratic) for Vice President 2020

Did You Know?

During the Revolutionary War, patriotism had no gender. A number of women worked as spies to help the patriots. Agent 355, her name was never identified, referenced a woman in the Culper Spy Ring. During the American Revolutionary War, the Culper Spy Ring was organized to work to defeat the British. Agent 355 and other members of the spy organization were very important in the colonists being victorious in the War for Independence from England. Agent 355 has been called the "hidden daughter of the American Revolution". Other women who worked as spies included Anna Smith Strong, Lydia Darragh, Emily Geiger and Nancy Morgan Hart, Several women also helped fight and others spread the word of approaching British soldiers during the Revolutionary War. Molly Pitcher carried water to soldiers and helped with a cannon during the Battle of Monmouth. Another woman, Deborah Sampson dressed as a male soldier and joined the army. Margaret Corbin and Ann Bailey were two other women how fought in the war as soldiers. Catherine "Kate" Moore Barry is called the "Heroine of the Battle of Cowpens" for her efforts to help the patriots' victory which was a turning point in the Revolutionary War.

It is estimated that approximately 400-700 WOMEN fought as soldiers during all the major battles of the Civil War including the Battle of Gettysburg, the First Battle of Bull Run and the Battle of Shiloh. Since females were not allowed to fight in battles at that time, those women that did become soldiers disguised themselves as men. To disguise themselves, the women had to cut their hair very short, had to wrap fabric to bind their chests and dressed in men's clothing. The women also used charcoal to make a pretend shadow of a beard. Some women wore false mustaches! The learned to walked in a way to not give away their real identity and also adapted a lower voice or not talk very much at all. Some of the women even took up smoking or chewing and spitting tobacco to not cause suspicion. Several women known to have fought as soldiers during the Civil War included Sarah Rosetta Wakeman, Sarah Emma Edmonds, Amy Clarke and Mary Galloway.

During World War 2, women provided a very valuable service as pilots. It was the first time American women would fly military aircraft. The women Air Force Service Pilots(WASPS) flew new planes from factories to military bases such as the B-26s and B-29s. It wasn't known whether these "superfortress" bombers were even safe. The women also tested planes that had been repaired and determining if they were safe before a male pilot would fly in it! Probably, the most dangerous job was that of towing targets attached to a plane. Using REAL ammunition, soldiers shot at the targets for combat practice. Several WASP actually got shot in their feet when a stray bullet went through the plane. Names of women pilots during World War4 2 included Jackie Cochran, Cornelia Fort and Margaret Phelan Taylor.


  • Are there any areas in which women still have yet to make a contribution?

  • What are 3 character traits of women who have been trailblazers? What would you list as 3 of your best character traits?

  • There is a Hispanic Heritage Month, a Native American Month, a Black History Month and a Women’s History Month. Why do you think such months were established? Do you think there is a need for such months to highlight different groups? Why, why not?

  • If you could interview a woman trailblazer(past or present), who would it be and why? What might be 2 questions you would ask of that person?

  • Sites of interest for additional materials:

    Check out my BOOM CARD Deck on Famous WOMEN!Famous Women BOOK CARDS

    class="p13">2.http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0768462.html Statues built to honor woman

    3.http://www.infoplease.com/quizzes/whmadventurers/1.html Quiz your women's history knowledge(women adventurers)http://www.infoplease.com/quizzes/womenleaders/1.html Quiz your women's history knowledge (women leaders)

    4. Check out the National Women's Hall of Fame, opened in 1979, in Seneca Falls, NY.Check out the inductees to the National Women's Hall of Fame: https://www.womenofthehall.org/women-of-the-hall/

    5.http://www.historyswomen.com/1stwomen.htmlAnother great source of women past and present

    6.http://multiculturalkidblogs.com/2015/03/02/womens-history-month-strong-girls-books-for-kids/ Books to recommend


    Women's History Month: A Webquest on 12 women that made a difference:https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Womens-History-Month-Webquest-501023

    Check out my web quest on famous First Ladies:https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/First-Ladies-of-the-United-States-Wequest-604151

    Reader's Theater Scripts:

    Susan B. Anthony:https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Susan-B-Anthony-A-Readers-Theater-Script-2304130

    Elizabeth Blackwell:https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Elizabeth-Blackwell-A-Readers-Theater-Script-2369216

    Hillary Clinton:https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Hillary-Clinton-Biographical-PlayTo-Tell-the-Truth-Play-613549

    Bessie Coleman: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Bessie-Coleman-AviatorReaders-Theater-Script-1687487

    Michelle Obama: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/First-Lady-Michelle-Obama-Biographical-PlayA-To-Tell-the-Truth-Play-595945

    Eleanor Roosevelt: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Eleanor-Roosevelt-A-Biographical-PlayTo-Tell-the-Truth-Play-590590

    Amelia Earhart: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Amelia-EarhartBiographical-PlayTo-Tell-the-Truth-Play-348663

    Other Plays on Women in History: Dolly Madison, Abigail Adams, Florence Harding, Edith Wilson,Lady Bird Johnson,Sacagawea, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks,Rachel Carson, Katherine Johnson, Marian Anderson, and more: https://www.pinterest.com/gailhennessey/gails-tpt-store-social-studies-emporiumand-more/

    Note: Photographs from wpclipart.com(photograph of Elizabeth Blackwell:public domain)

    *Left to right: Harriet Tubman, Amelia Earhart, Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Blackwell

    Check out these resources to learn more about Female Spies during the Revolutionary War, soldiers during the Civil War and Female Pilots during World War 2.

    A. Reader's Theater Script, Women Pilots durign World War 2
    B. Reader's Theater Script, Revolutionary War Female Spies
    C. Revolutionary War Heroine, Kate Moore Barry, Heroine of the Battle of Cowpens, A Reading
    D. Civil War Female Soldiers, A Reader's Theater Script

    Famous Women:Boom Cards