Integrating Women’s History in Social Studies: Lessons Learned from a College/School Partnership

Abstract

This article describes a collaborative effort between a teacher educator, an inservice teacher, and a preservice teacher to develop a program for integrating women’s history in an eighth-grade early American History course. Using the results of a survey given to social studies teachers within the local district, they designed a program intended to address primary barriers to the integration of women’s history in the curriculum. Teacher-identified barriers included a lack of quality resources and a lack of time as well as a need to conform to district curriculum and state standards and a lack of content knowledge in women’s history among teachers. In addition to a description of the project, the article provides a discussion of lessons learned through the process.