Three cheers for female inventors! Although they haven’t always received the recognition they deserve, female inventors have had a significant impact on our lives. Many of their inventions are still part of our world today.
I mean, come on. Can we hear it for Ruth Wakefield and the deliciousness she brought to our lives with the chocolate chip cookie?
Thank you Ruth.
From Josephine Cochrane’s dishwasher to Stephanie Kwolek’s Kevlar invention, women have been thinking, and designing, and innovating for years.
Fact: The original life raft was simply a plank with no sides. They were challenging to store and, more importantly, unsafe. Maria Beasley thought, “Surely this could be better.” Thanks to her, ships are now equipped with life rafts that are fireproof, have guardrails, and include airtight compartments to protect provisions.
Thank you Maria.
And if you happen to live in a multi-story building, take a minute to remember Anna Connelly. She couldn’t stop thinking about the lack of safe options for people who lived in tall structures, especially in the event of a fire. Her creative thinking led to what we now know as fire escapes.
Thank you Anna.
These female inventors, along with many others, are examples to young girls everywhere who have that same “What if…?” spirit. In almost every story I read about female inventors, there are common threads of thought. “How can I make people’s lives easier?” “Is there a safer way?” “How could this be better?” “What if there was…?”
TEACHING RESOURCES
Many teachers plan units centered around inventions. But in some districts, teachers and their students are also and specifically studying female inventors. I love that.
That’s not intended to discount the many accomplishments made by men. But it’s an important goal to help young girls see themselves as mathematicians, scientists, and innovators, especially if that’s where their interests continue to show up.
If you want to do a little more reading or research before you plan your unit, try these sites. They give a brief overview of female inventors and their inventions. Some I knew, but I loved learning about other women and the stories behind their creations.
- 10 Female Inventors You Should Definitely Know About
- Five Female Inventors and How Their Inventions Changed the World
- Ten Female Inventors Who Changed Our Lives
To support the instruction in a study of female inventors, we created a NONFICTION BOOK about thinkers who tinker. The resource includes comprehension work and focuses on the following women:
- Mary Anderson
- Marie Brown
- Josephine Cochrane
- Anna Connelly
- Mary Kenner
- Ruth Wakefield
I love books the children can work in, but I like to have a variety, so we also created READING PASSAGES about several inventors, both men and women. The passages are only one page each with an accompanying quiz to stimulate deeper thinking and check for understanding.
Because the collection of inventors represent different races, the reading passages include black & white and color copies. Not only is it important for girls to see themselves as creators, but it’s critical that all children from a variety of backgrounds believe they can make significant contributions their communities, whether local or global.
The set of reading passages includes articles & quizzes for:
- Madam C.J. Walker
- Stephanie Kwolek
- Dr. Patricia Bath
- Joy Mangano
Speaking of girls loving science, you can grab this FREE POSTER for your classroom. The FULL COLLECTION helps children understand what it looks like to be a scientist, mathematician, reader, writer, artist, etc., and includes both genders a variety of skin tones.
Happy teaching!
