Women In "Her"story!

[Karen Chace]

"I want to do it because I want to do it. Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail their failure must be but a challenge to others." - Amelia Earhart

March is Women’s History Month. If you are searching for some exceptional stories of extraordinary women to portray, research for your stories, or lesson plans for the classroom look no further! I hope these sites will serve you well not only in March but throughout the year. First, a few stories...

Molly Whuppie
Collected by Joseph Jacobs

Once upon a time there was a man and a wife had too many children, and they could not get meat for them, so they took the three youngest and left them in a wood. They travelled and travelled and could see never a house. It began to be dark, and they were hungry. At last they saw a light and made for it; it turned out to be a house. They knocked at the door, and a woman came to it, who said: “What do you want?” They said: “Please let us in and give us something to eat.” The woman said: “I can’t do that, as my man is a giant, and he would kill you if he comes home.” They begged hard. “Let us stop for a little while,” said they, “and we will go away before he comes...”
For the rest of the story click here

Mr. Fox
English Folktale Collected by Joseph Jacobs

LADY Mary was young, and Lady Mary was fair. She had two brothers, and more lovers than she could count. But of them all, the bravest and most gallant, was a Mr. Fox, whom she met when she was down at her father's country-house. No one knew who Mr. Fox was; but he was certainly brave, and surely rich, and of all her lovers, Lady Mary cared for him alone. At last it was agreed upon between them that they should be married. Lady Mary asked Mr. Fox where they should live, and he described to her his castle, and where it was; but, strange to say, did not ask her, or her brothers to come and see it.

So one day, near the wedding-day, when her brothers were out, and Mr. Fox was away for a day or two on business, as he said, Lady Mary set out for Mr. Fox's castle. And after many searchings, she came at last to it, and a fine strong house it was, with high walls and a deep moat. And when she came up to the gateway she saw written on it:

Be bold, be bold.

But as the gate was open, she went through it, and found no one there. So she went up to the door. way, and over it she found written:

Be bold, be bold, but pot too bold. Still, she went on...
For the rest of the story click here.

WEBSITES AND MORE STORIES

300 Women Who Changed the World - Where they lived, what they did, timelines, multimedia archives and more. http://search.eb.com/women

American Women Through Time - A historic chronology with links to relevant websites for each period, along with research sources appropriate for the specified time period.
http://www.mtsu.edu/~kmiddlet/history/women/wh-timeline.html

Black History and Women - “Women are half the human race and they're half of black history, as well. Here are some highlights bringing together black history and women's history.” http://tinyurl.com/ybus3x7

Distinguished Women of Past and Present - This is truly an amazing site! The stories and additional links offer new insights into the remarkable contributions women have made throughout history categorized by subject matter or name. You could spend a century here and not finish!
http://www.distinguishedwomen.com/index.html

Famous Hispanic Women - “Hispanic women have contributed to the culture of the world and to American history.” Learn more about them here. http://tinyurl.com/ydwhjeg

History.com - The history of Women’s Suffrage, achievements, Hall of Fame, timeline and additional resources. http://www.history.com/minisites/womenhist

Legends of America
Complete List of Historic Women http://www.legendsofamerica.com/WE-WomenList.html
Native American Women - http://www.legendsofamerica.com/na-indianwomen.html
Women in the Army - http://www.legendsofamerica.com/ah-armywomen.html
Women of the American West http://www.legendsofamerica.com/WE-Women.html

The Library of Congress: Women’s History Month - Features biographies, audio clips, images, classroom materials, and links to relevant collections and exhibits. http://www.loc.gov/topics/womenshistory/

National Women’s History Project - An educational nonprofit organization founded in 1980. Their mission is to “recognize and celebrate the diverse and historic accomplishments of women by providing information and educational materials and programs.” Search by category, state or discipline.
http://www.nwhp.org/

Notable Women Ancestors - From adventurers to witches the site offers a brief synopsis for each woman with a link to additional biographical information. http://www.rootsweb.com/~nwa/index.html

Sisters Choice ~ Active Heroines in Folktales - An index of books with annotations on strong women in folktales; a perfect place to start if you are developing a program around this theme.
http://www.sisterschoice.com/heroines.html

Story-Lovers.com: Strong Women, Wise Women and Crones - A treasure trove of story suggestions and links await. http://www.story-lovers.com/listsstrongwomenstories.html

What did you do in the war, Grandma? - Twenty-six interviews with women who served in WW II.
http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/WWII_Women/tocCS.html

Women and the Sea - Ahoy mates! A valuable collection of resources outlining women’s experiences and contributions as sailors, lighthouse keepers, yachting, mermaid myths, etc., dating back to 1493. There is also an extensive bibliography. http://www.mariner.org/women/index.htm

Women in Black History - You'll find women who are famous and women who should be better-known, from early America and slavery to the 21st century, including the Harlem Renaissance and the civil rights movement. http://tinyurl.com/ybmjgwb

Women of the Hall - The National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca, New York “is a shrine to some of the greatest women in the history of this country….” Search alphabetically or by last name.
http://www.greatwomen.org/women.php

Women Warriors from 3500BC to the 20th Century - Throughout history women have been involved in battles, sieges, and duels. This site offers a glimpse at women warriors through the centuries.
http://tinyurl.com/ycawlqa

Women’s History Links - Information on notable woman who took part in the Gold Rush, Aviation, Science, Medicine and more. http://www.suelebeau.com/women.htm

Women in American History - Heroines, ghosts, curious girls and more. http://www.americanfolklore.net/women-folktales.html

CLASSROOM CONNECTIONS

ABC Teach - http://tinyurl.com/y9em546

Footsteps to Success - http://tinyurl.com/yld8r9e

Library of Congress: Women's History Month Resources and Multimedia http://womenshistorymonth.gov/

Long Ago and Maybe Far Away - http://tinyurl.com/yjvjvyn

Mother and Daughter Griots http://tinyurl.com/ybyb2le

National Education Association:
Women of the Century http://www.nea.org/tools/lessons/Women-of-the-Century.html
Women's Words of Wisdom http://www.nea.org/tools/lessons/Women-s-Words-of-Wisdom.html

CRAFTS

Who's the Heroine? - http://www.crayola.com/crafts/detail/who's-the-heroine?-craft/
The Solidarity Quilt - http://www.womeninworldhistory.com/lesson21.html

BOOKS

Fearless Girls, Wise Women & Beloved Sisters by Kathleen Regan http://tinyurl.com/ylpzxhb

Fiesta Femenina: Celebrating Women in Mexican Folktale by Mary-Joan Gerson http://tinyurl.com/yelf8t5

The Serpent Slayer and Other Stories of Strong Women by Trina Schart Hyman http://tinyurl.com/yjjshzn

Wise Women: Folk and Fairy Tales from Around the World by Suzanne I. Barchers http://tinyurl.com/yg7ttml

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Feminist Collections of Folktales - Compiled by Tina L. Hanlon
http://www.ferrum.edu/applit/bibs/fem.htm


Image: Rosie the Riveter