Female Heroes

The design of this unit is based on Show Me Learning Goals

Title: Female Heroes
Grade Focus: 4th-6th Grade
Time Frame: Two weeks

 

Show Me Standards Covered:

Unit Introduction:

In connection with the Madam President Forum we created a project related to female heroes. Students will find information about various female heroes. The information would be compiled for a presentation and/or display in the classroom.

Goals or objectives leading toward results:

1. The student will learn how the role of women has changed in the last fifty years.
2. The student will research important women in history using the Internet.
3. The students will write and present information.

Preparation for the Learning Adventure: (Underlined words are links to other locations)

Students can use the biographical sketches as background preparation to learn about a variety of women's lives. Then they can choose one of these women to study or choose another.

Scope of Student Work:

Each student will choose a different female hero. They will research the individual they choose, create an outline of their paper, create a draft of the paper, then create the paper itself, and finally present the paper to the class.

Using the sample outline below students should create a set of index cards. One card for each of the four sections of the outline. On these cards students should write down the basic points for each section of the outline.

These cards plus a list of three different web sites about the individual the student is studying should be presented to the teacher. Once the teacher approves, students can proceed with the draft of their written paper.

After the paper has been written in draft form, again the teacher has the opportunity to review the student's work.

Finally the student creates the final version of the paper and makes an oral presentation of the paper (lasting at least 2 minutes) to the rest of the class as part of a "Female Heroes Forum" (this could be done at a public event or school assembly).

Sample Hero Outline

1. Early Life

• Birth (where, when)
• Parents
• Siblings (brothers, sisters)
• Childhood

2. Adult Life

• Education
• Marriage
• Children
• Career
  • Early
  • Later
• Accomplishments and Awards/Special Honors
• Leadership qualities of your hero/contribution to society

3. Later years (this may not apply to all)

• Retirement
• Death

4. Importance of this hero to you

• How this person has been a positive influence to you?
• How has knowledge of this person and their actions changed your life?

Resources and Technology Used:

e-mail, Truman Library web site, Internet, wordprocessing

Assessment and Reflection:

Students prepare a presentation for a forum in school focusing on female heroes. The opportunity to showcase at this event would be a special experience.

The teacher will be able to assess the student's progress throughout as they can assess the student's outline, the draft of the paper, the final paper, and the oral presentation.