 March is women's history month and this weekend, March 10th, is Harriet Tubman's birthday. Harriet Tubman is perhaps best known as a conductor of the underground railroad, where she led over 300 enslaved people to freedom without losing a single person. She was also involved in the Civil War. She was a nurse, a cook, and a spy for the Union. Through her work as a spy, she became the first woman to lead a military expedition in American History. If you'd like to celebrate women's history month or this courageous woman's birthday, you can find more information in the resources below. Book Resources This nonfiction chapter book is full of fascinating information about Harriet Tubman's life, focusing on her time as a Union Spy. Well-researched and containing information and pictures from primary sources, this book will satisfy fans of history, biography, and spy adventures. Read the book to find out how slave songs were used to pass secret messages, how spy rings provided the Union with intelligence, and how various spying techniques worked from ciphers to drops. Harriet Tubman, Secret Agent by Thomas B. Allen  This biography covers Harriet's life from birth to death. The large text and black-and-white illustrations throughout make the format friendly for younger readers. Separate, topical pages throughout provide additional context to help better understand Harriet's life and the time she lived in. Who Was Harriet Tubman? by Yona Zeldis McDonough, illustrated by Nancy Harrison  This nonfiction picture book follows the lives of Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth and the parallels and eventual intersection of their lives. A quilt motif is contained in the narrative which is echoed in the illustrations that show words and pictures as being stitched together. When Harriet Met Sojourner by Catherine Clinton, illustrated by Shane W. Evans  This atmospheric picture book describes Harriet's escape from slavery and her spiritual journey as she was called to work on the Underground Railroad. Kadir Nelson's gorgeous artwork sets the tone for each part of the story and immerses the reader in the setting. Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Kadir Nelson  An Apple for Harriet Tubman tells a story from Harriet Tubman's great-niece about Harriet's love of apples and how they came to represent freedom for her. An Apple for Harriet Tubman by Glennette Tilley Turner, illustrated by Susan Keeter  This biography collection from the award-winning author Andrea Davis Pinkney describes the lives and courageous actions of women like Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, and Rosa Parks and how they stood up in the face of oppression and prejudice to fight for equality and freedom. Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Stephen Alcorn Database ResourcesMCDS subscribes to several online databases. Ask or e-mail Tessa or Erica if you need the login information.  Chelsea House Biographies online has a detailed biography about Harriet Tubman (and many others) including a timeline, photographs, and articles on related topics such as quilt codes and slave spirituals.  You can access Discovery Streaming through ed1stop. It contains many videos and clips about Harriet Tubman, life in her era, and the underground railroad. You can search by grade level to find a whole video or a clip to show to a class or for students to view at home. Online Resources Portrait by H.B. Lindsley
Graphic by Colin Adams, for the Ada Initiative based off a watercolor portrait of Ada by Alfred Edward Chalon
 Happy Ada Lovelace Day! Today we celebrate women in science and share their stories. The official website has more information and a roundup of stories shared by people all over the world.  I was wondering is an excellent resource from the National Academy of Sciences. It includes biographies of women scientists, activities, and a forum where you can ask scientists questions. Check out their page on Shirley Ann Jackson for a scrapbook, comic, and activity relating to the life of this amazing physicist. Shirley showed an early inclination towards science and as a child she studied bees and designed fast hot rods to race. Geek Gurl Diaries is a series of video made by an ICT teacher in London. They include interviews with modern women in STEM, inspirational stories, and how-to's videos like how to build a computer. The first video even includes a bit of background information about Ada Lovelace!  You can find more biographies of notable women in science throughout history over at Fact Monster.  Look at our Pinterest Board for Ada Lovelace Day to find books about female scientists to read.
Check out one of these biographies published in 2011 to celebrate women's history month.  Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart by Candace Fleming This biography alternates between chapters describing Amelia's life and vignettes describing the desperate search for the famous aviator after she went missing while trying to circumnavigate the globe. Ample pictures, maps, and images of other primary source documents help immerse the reader in the action, bringing a decades old mystery to life.  Alicia Alonso: Prima Ballerina by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand, illustrated by Raúl Colón This book follows the life of Alicia Alonso with beautiful watercolor illustrations and free verse poems. Alicia was born in Cuba, then went to New York to study ballet. She continued to dance there despite partial blindness and eventually returned to Cuba to open her own dance company. She still directs a dance school in Cuba today.  Basketball Belles: How Two Teams and One Scrappy Player Put Women's Hoops on the Map by Sue Macy, illustrated by Matt Collins This picture book tells the story of the first women's college basketball match. It's a bit of local history with the match being between Berkeley and Stanford. They had to play with special modified rules to make the game more lady-like and in front of an audience of all women. Despite these restrictions the game was anything but demure. For more information of the history of women's basketball visit http://wbhof.com/  Irena Sendler and the Children of the Warsaw Ghetto by Susan Goldman Rubin, Illustrated by Bill Farnsworth This picture book for older children tells the story of Irena Sendler, a woman who worked with the Polish resistance movement and smuggled hundreds of Jewish children into safety during World War II, keeping records of their true identities safely buried under an apple tree so she could reunite children with their families after the war. Beautiful oil paintings accompany this inspiring story of courage.  Miss Etta and Dr. Claribel: Bringing Matisse to America by Susan Fillion The Cone sisters became ardent fans and collectors of avant-garde artists before they became well-known. Working without professional advice and trusting their own instincts, they collected Cézanne, Gauguin, and Picasso and amassed one of the best collections of Matisse in the world. These two sisters traveled the world collecting works of art and making friends with the artists as well as helping to support them. This book traces their remarkable lives and the world of early twentieth century art.  Queen of the Falls by Chris Van Allsburg Queen of the Falls tells the story of Annie Edson Taylor, the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel. A 62 year old retired charm school teacher, she thought of going over the falls as a stunt to earn her fortune for her retirement. She drew up special plans for a barrel, oversaw its construction, hired a manager, and took the plunge. Allsburg's characteristic illustrations (Jumanji, The Polar Express) accompany this story that is no less fantastic than his usual stories because it is true.  Red Bird Sings: The Story of Zitkala - Sa, Native American Author, Musician, and Activist Adapted by Gina Capaldi & Q.L. Pearce, illustrations by Gina Capaldi Gertrude Simmons, known as Zitkala-Sa (Red Bird) wrote several autobiographical stories throughout her life. Capaldi & Pearce used this as the base of their story, adapting the language to make it easier for children to understand and adding in extra biographical details. Primary source documents are also worked into the illustrations by combining collage with acrylic paintings. Red Bird sings out as an accomplished musician, author, and activist for her people in the pages of this picture book biography.  Tillie the Terrible Swede: How One Woman, A Sewing Needle, and a Bicycle Changed History by Sue Stauffacher, Illustrated by Sarah McMenemy Tillie came to America with a needle and found a dream. Soon she was riding in bicycle races with a new outfit she made herself to accommodate riding. She beat records and made a sensation with poets writing odes to her and journalists begging for interviews. Many thought it was improper for women to race, and Tillie lost a lot of friends but she raced on, energizing those fighting for women's rights. This charming picture book tells her tale.  The Watcher: Jane Goodall's Life With the Chimps by Jeanette Winter
This picture book tells the story of Jane Goodall's life with simple prose and fun, colorful pictures in acrylic paint and pen. The story starts with an incident when Jane was a child and patiently watched a chicken for hours to see how they lay eggs, while everyone searched for her thinking she was lost. Passion and patience are described as she goes to work for Lois Leaky , makes new discoveries about chimpanzees, and ends with her current work advocating for chimpanzees and wildlife. |
Categories
All
Archives
May 2024
|
RSS Feed
