March is National Women’s History Month. In 1980, a consortium of women’s groups and historians, led by the National Women’s History Project, successfully lobbied for national recognition. In February 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation declaring the Week of March 8th, 1980 as National Women’s History Week.

Listenwise has a middle school and high school version of our collection Women Making History which features stories of women advocating for themselves and advancing their causes. Use this collection and the lists of stories and resources below to help students learn about the accomplishments of  inspiring women of all ages, cultures, races, and abilities. Expand your students’ knowledge of the contributions of women around the world during Women’s History Month and throughout the year.

Listenwise Podcasts

ELD Lessons

• Diversity in Children’s Literature
• Malala Fights for Girls Rights
• Maya Angelou’s Life and Legacy
• Jane Goodall Urges Hope
• Helen Keller’s Inspiring Life
• Young Inaugural Poet on Her Journey
• Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad

Inspiring Women

• Marian Anderson –Jim Crow in the 1930s: Marian Anderson and Our Nation’s Capital
• Maya Angelou – Maya Angelou’s Life and Legacy
• Susan B. Anthony – A Pioneer for Women Voting
• Joan of Arc – Joan of Arc’s Influence Still Shines Today; Joan of Arc’s Mom
• Nellie Bly – Nellie Bly and her Journalism Career
• Emily Dickinson – A Flowering Tribute to Emily Dickinson
• Amelia Earhart – Amelia Earhart’s Flight 
• Betty Friedan – Origins and Relevance of “The Feminine Mystique”
• Ruth Bader Ginsburg – The Legacy of Ruth Bader Ginsburg;  RBG:Champion of Working Mothers
• Virginia Hall – WWII Spy Gets Her Moment in the Sun
• Lorraine Hansberry – Motivation for Writing A Raisin in the Sun
• Zora Neale Hurston – A Guide To Florida From Zora Neale Hurston
• Shirley Jackson – Shirley Jackson’s Life as an Author
• Katherine Johnson – Black Women Math Heroes at NASA
• Helen Keller – Before Helen Keller
• Wangari Maathai – First African Woman To Win Peace Prize
• Rosemary Mariner – Woman Aviator Led the Way
• Sandra Day O’Connor – Sandra Day O’Connor on the Supreme Court
• Harriet Beacher Stowe – How Uncle Tom’s Cabin Promoted Change 
• Mother Teresa – Mother Teresa Made a Saint
• Harriet Tubman – Harriet Tubman’s Story;  Harriet Tubman and The Underground Railroad
• Phillis Wheatley – A Letter from Phillis Wheatley
• Veterans – Women on D-Day; Women Veterans of Vietnam War
• Early American Women – Founding Mothers  

Politics & Government

• Supreme Court Women
• Reframing Ambition for Girls
• Afghan Girls Stand Up for Their Right to Sing
• 19th Amendment Protects Women’s Right to Vote
• Finishing the Fight for Women’s Suffrage
• More Women Say #MeToo
• Women’s Marches Around the Country Protest President Trump
• Unprecedented Number of Women Running for Election
• Chess Champ Reflects on Protests in Iran
• Valedictorian Speech Causes Controversy
• Women on the Money
• Malala Turns 20 and Reflects
• Debate: Should Women Be Drafted?
• Michelle Obama: On Becoming 
• Secret Girls Schools in Afghanistan
• Big Election Gains For Women

Sports 

• Run Like a Girl
• Celebrating Women’s Soccer
• College Athlete Makes History for Women
• Female Hockey Players Fight for Fair Wages
• Megan Rapinoe Reflects on Her Life
• Girls in Baseball
• Women in the Baseball Hall of Fame
• First Female Boston Marathon Runner
• Pro Athlete to Nun
• Debate: Should Women’s Soccer Players Get Equal Pay
• Debate: Should High Testosterone Disqualify Female Athletes

Arts & Literature

• Not Your All American Girl
• The Education of Margot Sanchez
• Themes of Belonging: Sandra Cisneros
• YA’s First Modern Heroine: Anne of Green Gables
• Little Women Remains Relevant
• Connecting Through Poetry
• A Khmer Rouge Survival Story
• Captain Marvel: Marvel’s First Female Led Film
• Women’s Dystopian Future in The Handmaid’s Tale
• Ida O’Keefe Escapes her Sister’s Shadow
• Artistic Expression Through Domestic Dolls
• Anne Frank’s Diary

Culture & Society

• Debate: Should US Draft Registration Include Women
• Teenage Executive Producer
• News For Teens, by a Teen
• Claudia Rankine: Hair Color and Racial Identity
• Women Inventors
• The Power of Example
• The Perseverance of Strong Women
• Working Women in Japan
• Barbie’s Inspiring Women Series
• Data Bias Excludes Women
• Debate: Is Wonder Woman a Good Ambassador for Women’s Issues?
• Girls Play War Games
• Weird News: The Fantastic Grandmothers