There are numerous teacher resources, curricula, and inspirational ideas for teachers to bring women’s history into their classroom.
Additionally, the Boston Women’s Heritage Trail has sponsored the development of six Student-Designed Tours. These are mini-trails in Boston neighborhoods blazed by teachers and students in the Boston Public Schools and a city charter school.
Biographies: Short biographies of remarkable women who lived and worked in Boston, including primary source materials and activities.
Slideshow: This slideshow features all of the women in the BWHT 21 Notable Women Biographies. Teachers might use it in many ways. One way would be to present ” a woman a day” for Women’s History Month or present it as an introduction or supplement to reading the 21 Notable Women Biographies.The slideshow was put together by three BPS retired teachers who are also BWHT Board members: Maria D’Itria, Mary Rudder and Mary Smoyer.
Target Ages: Upper elementary grades
This curriculum explores the lasting impact of Abigail Adams, Phillis Wheatley, and Lucy Stone, examining how their writings and actions influenced societal change and remain relevant today. Through analysis of their contributions, students will consider the power of language, the role of public art in shaping historical understanding, and how individuals can drive meaningful change.
Target Ages: Adaptable to middle and high school grades
Empower students to uncover the voices and stories of remarkable women in their community. By guiding students in researching influential local figures, they’ll practice critical thinking and develop inquiry skills as they seek out information beyond the surface. Encourage them to use archives, oral histories, and community resources to bring each story to life. This activity not only sharpens research skills but fosters a sense of connection to history and a recognition of the legacies surrounding them.
Key Skills: Critical thinking, inquiry, research, community connection
Create an engaging, hands-on experience by guiding your students in designing a historical trail focused on local women’s contributions. This project encourages collaboration as students research, choose figures or events, and map out a route together, building teamwork and organizational skills. As they uncover and present diverse histories within their community, students develop critical project management and communication skills, giving them a sense of pride and ownership in their work.
Key Skills: Collaboration, project management, organizational skills, communication
Engage students in a unique project that connects them directly to the history and culture of their surroundings. Guide them to choose a theme, identify historical women significant to their community, and conduct primary and secondary research to build detailed profiles. The result is a student-created trail that becomes a meaningful contribution to local history, helping students develop community awareness, data gathering, and interpretation skills that reinforce their role as budding historians.
Key Skills: Community engagement, primary research, data gathering, interpretation
Help students become historians by researching and mapping out their own heritage trail. This project guides them in selecting impactful women to highlight and teaches storytelling techniques for a compelling historical narrative. Through research methods like using archives, online resources, and interviews, each student or group designs a unique segment of the trail. As they organize and present their work, students enhance their public speaking, storytelling, and visual presentation skills, shaping history into an engaging journey to share with others.
Key Skills: Storytelling, public speaking, presentation, visual communication
Teachers, use these mini-trails as examples to help students do the same in the neighborhood around their school. Please contact us if you would like support in developing a trail.
