Women's History

To celebrate Women's History, Teaching with Historic Places posted on the web the following complete lesson plans that consider important aspects of women's history. Created by National Park Service interpreters, preservation professionals, and educators, these lessons are free and ready for immediate classroom use by students in history and social studies classes.

• Adeline Hornbek and the Homestead Act: A Colorado Success Story (67)
Discover how Adeline Hornbek, a single mother of four, defied traditional gender roles to become the owner of a successful ranch under the Homestead Act. (National Park)

• Back Stairs at Brucemore: Life as Servants in early 20th-Century America (105)
Understand the "servant" experience in early 20th-century America, as well as the pros and cons for women working in factories versus domestic service.

• The Battle of Prairie Grove: Civilian Recollections of the Civil War (70)
Understand the violence of the Civil War through the eyes of young women whose homes were in the midst of an important battle and continuing conflict.

• Birthplace of John F. Kennedy: Home of the Boy Who Would Be President (33)
Visit JFK's birthplace and consider the influence of family culture and environment, and the role of Rose Kennedy, on the development of the future president's personality, character, and values. (National Park/National Historic Landmark)

• Chatham Plantation: Witness to the Civil War (45)
Learn why this home in Fredericksburg, Virginia, was a center of military activity, and consider the impact the war had on the family whose property became part of the battlefield. Also learn about Clara Barton who cared for the wounded when this home served as a hospital. (National Park)

• Clara Barton's House: Home of the American Red Cross (27)
Follow Barton as a leader of charitable causes, from caring for the wounded on Civil War battlefields to founding the American Red Cross. (National Park/National Historic Landmark)

• First Lady of the World: Eleanor Roosevelt at Val-Kill (26)
Examine how Roosevelt's activities at home reflected her interest in humanitarianism, as epitomized by her leadership in the creation of the UN's Declaration of Human Rights. (National Park)

• Floyd Bennett Field: Naval Aviation’s Home in Brooklyn (120)
Learn about the vital role played by naval aviators delivering aircraft to combat-bound units in the Pacific during WWII, and the women workers on the home front who helped in one of U.S. history's greatest industrial feats. (National Park)

• From Canterbury to Little Rock: The Struggle for Educational Equality for African Americans
Understand the magnitude of the struggle involved in securing equal educational opportunities for African Americans and examine how Prudence Crandall challenged the prevailing attitude toward educating African Americans in New England prior to the Civil War. (Little Rock Central High School is a National Park and National Historic Landmark/Prudence Crandall Museum is a National Historic Landmark)

• Lafayette Park: First Amendment Rights on the President's Doorstep (139)
Learn how a group of determined women selected Lafayette Park, across from the White House, to demonstrate for their right to vote, providing a First Amendment model for many others. (National Park/National Historic Landmark)

• The Mary McLeod Bethune Council House: African American Women Unite for Change (135)
Learn about Mary McLeod Bethune and how she and the organization she founded promoted political and social change for African American women. (National Park)

• The M'Clintock House: A Home to the Women's Rights Movement (76)
Learn why a family home in upstate New York became the site for the creation of one of the most important documents in the history of American women. (National Park)

• Navesink Lighthouse and Robbins Reef Lighthouse: Lighting the Way through New York Bay (131)
Learn about two historic lighthouses that illustrate how technological advancements contributed to maritime safety and about the isolated, often routine, but sometimes heroic life led by Kate Walker, keeper at Robbins Reef from 1894 to 1919. (Navesink Light Station is a National Historic Landmark.)

• The Old Mormon Fort: Birthplace of Las Vegas, Nevada (122)
Learn how an obscure settlement created during Mormon expansion grew into a well-known and prosperous American city, and meet Helen Stewart--known as the first lady of Las Vegas--who was a rancher and influential member of the town that she helped start.

• The Penniman House: A Whaling Story (112)
Meet Captain Edward Penniman, and learn about 19th-century whaling in southeastern Massachusetts and how the whaling industry impacted Penniman's family and life. (National Park)

• Two American Entrepreneurs: Madam C.J. Walker and J.C. Penney
Examine the historic places associated with two of America's most famous 20th century business people. (National Historic Landmarks)

To learn more about TwHP's other lessons, visit the Lesson Plan Descriptions page.