Books for Exploring Women's History and the Writing Process

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From Unit Plan: Women in History: Research for Expository Writing

You will find two sections in this booklist. The first section includes resources for revealing the lives of influential women. The second section focuses on resources for teaching the writing process, a key element of this unit.

Books About Women in History

A Picture Book of Amelia Earhart by David A. Adler
While many resources mentioned in this booklist display actual photographs of Earhart, this book takes an elementary approach, using drawings to tell her story.

Classroom Tip: If you choose to use this book, offer it as an independent read for the students or begin the unit using this book as a read aloud.

A Picture Book of…Series by David A. Adler
Each book in this critically acclaimed series introduces young readers to another historical figure in a sensitive, accurate, and accessible portrayal. Included is an author's note, as well as a chronology of important dates in the life of the subject.

Classroom Tip: Use the following books in this series during this unit's culminating activity.

A Picture Book of Harriet Tubman

A Picture Book of Sacagawea

A Picture Book of Rosa Parks

Lost Star by Patricia Lauber
This hundred-page book covers Earhart’s entire life and includes a teacher’s resource guide to help teach the book as a mini-unit if instruction time allows.

Classroom Tip: This is a great research resource for the news story.

The Fun of It: Random Records of My Own Flying and of Women in Aviation by Amelia Earhart
This book includes Ms. Earhart’s personal narratives of her flying experiences with a brief history of women in aviation.

Classroom Tip: Use this book to help teach point of view while integrating the study of Earhart’s transatlantic flight.

Sky Pioneer: A Photo Biography of Amelia Earhart by Corinne Szabo
This book published by National Geographic presents a photojournalist’s approach to explaining the life of Amelia Earhart and her love of flying.

Classroom Tip: As this book covers Earhart’s entire life, it is a priceless resource for introducing this heroine to your adolescent students.

Books to Help Teach the Writing Process

Nonfiction Writing from the Inside Out: Writing Lessons Inspired by Conversations with Leading Authors by Laura Robb
This book includes conversations with published authors on writing nonfiction.

Classroom Tip: I provide the writing nonfiction tips in this book to my students. Many teens label nonfiction as “boring,” so hearing different points of view from published authors sometimes helps inspire them to try this mode of writing.

Expository Writing: Mini-Lessons "Strategies" Activities by Tara McCarthy
This complete resource includes great activities, models, and reproducibles for helping students develop expository writing skills.

Classroom Tip: Use this tool to motivate reluctant writers to enjoy writing.

Teaching Memoir Writing: 20 Easy Mini-Lessons & Thought-Provoking Activities by Perdita Finn
Deepen your students' thinking, broaden their vision, and help them become better writers. Includes mini-lessons on making connections, developing metaphors, and searching for themes in remembered events

Classroom Tip: The Fun of It is a memoir written by Earhart and an anecdote is a mini-memoir. Use mini-lesson 17 (Slow Motion) during Lesson Two to emphasize the importance of details in an anecdote or newspaper story.

Poet and author Alice Walker
Read a brief biography of author and poet Alice Walker, who wrote the extraordinary novel, The Color Purple, as well as short stories, essays, and children's books.

Dolores Huerta
Read about classroom teacher-turned-activist Dolores Huerta, who served as vice president of the United Farm Workers union, as the union's chief lobbyist in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., as a labor contract negotiator, and as a key political decision-maker.

LESSON PLAN	In the News Instructs how to present a lesson plan on Amelia Earhart. Students research her life with the biography Lost Star then write their own newspaper...
ONLINE ACTIVITY	Women's Suffrage: The History of Women's Right to Vote Explore the history of women's suffrage with interactive maps and quizzes. Plus, discover Effie Hobby, who remembers voting in the first...