netTrekker Blog

Brave Hearted Women

We’ve been hearing about the new movie out on Amelia Earhart, and I was reminded of a project the editors did a couple of years ago.  We tagged sites on various women who in the course of history have shown incredible bravery despite huge obstacles. 

If you put this phrase “brave hearted women” in nT’s keyword box, you’ll get about 39 resources on women like Alice Paul,  Rosa Parks, Anne Frank, Karen Silkwood, Melba Pattillo Beals, Harriet Tubman, and Amelia Earhart. 

We all face obstacles in our lives; perhaps not on the scale of these women, but obstacles nonetheless.  I don’t know about you, but just reading the list of names makes me lift my head, take a deep breath, and carry on. 

Students, too, face obstacles.  Some of them may be dealing with difficult issues at home, dealing with bullies, facing academic problems, or health issues.  Reading about the courage of these women may help students realize that they are not the only ones who have problems and obstacles to face. 

Try this exercise.  Have the students pick out the brave hearted women who most appeal to them.  Then instruct them to think about a personal fear, problem, or obstacle they themselves face.  Have them imagine going to these women with their problem.  Then have them imagine what the brave hearted women would offer for advice.  Would they be sympathetic?  Would they be supportive?  It would be helpful to look for direct quotes from these women.  The students could build the answers from these quotes, and the dialogue could turn into a great essay.  The students, using creative thinking and problem solving, can imagine and build support and solutions for themselves.   

You can also enter “courage” into the nT keyword box, Middle.  Take a look at the first site:  Good Character:  Courage.  Even if you don’t have the video, there are great questions on courage to get the dialogues going like, “I am not afraid to express myself just because some people might disapprove.”

I don’t know if I’d go to Harriet Tubman with a problem, she would probably give you a hard look and say “get you stuff and get going; the journey is long.”

One woman I didn’t tag, but wish I had, is Gertrude Ederle, the first woman to swim the English Channel in 1926.  I’ll leave you with her words, “I knew I could do it.  I knew I would, and I did.”

If anyone uses this exercise, I would love to read the essays.  Please share!

Thanks so much,

Becky Moeggenberg

nT editor

Tags: brave women