Women’s History Month is commemorated in March. Here is an idea for an early start: integrate research, reading and writing skills with investigations of women in science. Many people recognize the name of Marie Curie and (perhaps) Rachel Carson. How about some of these other women, among whom are a pioneer in computer science, the physician who prevented the approval of thalidomide usage in the United States, a pioneering code-breaker during World War II, the person who established the field of industrial engineering, and many Nobel Prize laureates.
Here are a few of many women to consider: Gertrude Elion, Rosalind Franklin, Lillian Gilbreth, Margaret Mead, Rachel Carson, Barbara McClintock, Ada Lovelace, Frances Kelsey, Maria Mitchell, Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, Mavis Lever Batey, and of course, Marie Curie.
And here are two places to start: Biographies of Women in Science: http://www.eiu.edu/wism/about_biographies.phpSmithsonian Collection of Photographs of Women in Science: https://www.flickr.com/photos/smithsonian/sets/72157614810586267/
Are there other names you would add to this list? Please write in to tell us if you have done such explorations in the past. How did it go?
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Here is another resource for learning about women with interests in STEM investigations.
WAMC Northeast Public Radio produces “Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics On the Air”. Each segment contains a two-minute audio story with a written transcript so that the user can read along.
(1) "The Sounds of Progress--Great Women of Science": http://www.womeninscience.org/part.php?partID=7
(2) "Her Story Then and Now": http://www.womeninscience.org/series.php?seriesID=5
Her Story Then: scientists in history (additional to the women featured in Great Women of Science) http://www.womeninscience.org/part.php?partID=1
Her Story Now: scientists working today http://www.womeninscience.org/part.php?partID=2
For suggestions on ways to use these resources: "How to Use the Radio Series": http://www.womeninscience.org/how.php