International Women’s Day is a great opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women across the world and to raise awareness about gender equality in the classroom. It’s easy to incorporate this important day into your lessons with fun and engaging activities. Here, we’ll provide you with some great lesson ideas that you can use to help your primary students understand and appreciate the importance of International Women’s Day.
The History of International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day is an annual celebration that recognizes the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women around the world. It has been celebrated since the early 1900s, when it was established by a German socialist to commemorate a demonstration of working- class women in New York City. Since then, International Women’s Day has become a global event, with more and more countries taking part in its celebration every year.
In primary education, International Women’s Day is a great opportunity to teach students about the importance of gender equality and recognise the accomplishments of women throughout history. Whether it be through reading stories about inspiring women or discussing the challenges they have faced, students can develop an understanding of how far we have come as a society.
Why We Should Celebrate International Women’s Day In The Classroom
Celebrating International Women’s Day in the primary classroom is an important part of providing students with a comprehensive education and introducing them to the diverse range of women who have made an impact on our world. Not only will it give them a better understanding of history, it will also teach them about equality, social justice, and the importance of recognising and celebrating diverse role models. Teaching these values to children at a young age can help foster inclusivity and respect throughout their lives.
By providing resources, discussions and activities dedicated to International Women’s Day, primary school teachers can provide an engaging and enriching experience for all students. Doing so can help them appreciate the value of each individual, no matter their gender, race or cultural background. Not only will this encourage a healthier dialogue among young students, but it will also instil positive qualities such as empathy and acceptance.
Whiteboard Activity Ideas for International Women’s Day
To make the celebration of international women’s day more engaging, many great mini-whiteboard activities can be used to get students involved.
One idea is to have students think about female role models in their own lives. Depending on their ages, they can either use their mini whiteboards to draw a picture of their own female role models or write down some of the reasons they find them inspiring. This can be a great way to begin a discussion around the strengths of women which can lead to talking about women in history.
Another idea is to challenge students to come up with as many famous women as possible, either from history or the present day.Have each student write a famous woman’s name on their mini- whiteboard and hold them up. You can add each of the student’s suggestions to your teacher’s whiteboards to fill it with inspiring women and discuss the importance of their achievements.
You could also use a mini whiteboard game to help students learn more about the history of gender equality. Write a statement about how women were treated in history, and have the class vote with their mini whiteboards about whether it is true or false. This would be a great way to start a discussion about the unique challenges women around the world have faced throughout time.
By using mini whiteboards for these activities, you can make the discussion around International Women’s Day more interactive and engaging for your students. Celebrating this day in an engaging way helps students recognise the immense contributions of women throughout history and could just inspire a new generation of leaders!
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