Early in the semester, during a seemingly benign math lesson over money, one of the students in my second and third grade blended classroom halted the instruction to ask “Wait! Why are there no women on money? Is there any money with women on it?” Never one to miss an opportunity to get my students thinking critically, we took some time to discuss why that might be. In considering how to approach this topic in the classroom, I drew on several areas of research: the marginalization of women in history, the use of inquiry in the elementary classroom, and incorporating discussion in lessons.

Investigating with students how women suffragists used images and symbols to influence public opinion can spark an engaging lesson on the Nineteenth Amendment.

Teaching about Title IX presents rich opportunities to involve students in inquiry-based learning that examines the legacy of this groundbreaking legislation.

Examining photographs of women participating in elections around the world can help students make important connections to the Nineteenth Amendment and prompt a fascinating comparative study of women’s voting rights worldwide.

The featured voting machines patents can inspire thoughtful classroom discussion on voting rights, voting privacy, and the accuracy of voting machines.

Studying the school for young Black women founded by Nannie Burroughs can launch an engaging discussion on institution building as a tool for social justice.

Corey R. Sell, Metropolitan State University of Denver Brian Furgione, University of Central Florida Ilene R. Berson, University of South Florida Michael J. Berson, University of South Florida

Providing students with thoughtful structure and norms for political discussions encourages them to productively disagree and to work towards understanding different viewpoints. 

Photographs and drawings of nineteenth-century dress reformers provide an excellent jumping off point for studying images of women in history.