Overlooked No More

1. Set Focus
Pose this essential question: Why is it important to learn about historical figures?

2. List Vocabulary
Share some of the challenging vocabulary words in the article (see below). Encourage students to use context to infer meanings as they read.

• extolled (p. 19)
• draconian (p. 19)
• constituents (p. 19)
• transnational (p. 20)
• influx (p. 20)
• relegated (p. 21)

3. Engage
Ask: Why might a historical figure or event be lost to history? What factors might influence whether someone or something is remembered or forgotten?

4. Read and Discuss
Ask students to read the Upfront article about overlooked women in history. Review why the article is a secondary source. (It was written by someone who didn’t personally experience or witness the events.) Then pose these critical-thinking questions and ask students to cite text evidence when answering them:

• What do the women featured in the article have in common? (All of the women accomplished something important, despite the fact that women were historically often seen as less capable than men. Four of the women (Alice Ball, Ora Washington, Mabel Ping-Hua Lee, and Kitty Cone) also faced discrimination—Ball, Washington, and Lee because of their race and Cone because she had a disability. Despite their accomplishments, none of the women were recognized with obituaries by The New York Times when they died.)

• How were each woman’s accomplishments different from those of the others? (Ada Lovelace is credited with being the first computer programmer, Alice Ball invented an effective treatment for leprosy, Kitty Cone organized a protest that resulted in advancements for the rights of people with disabilities, Mabel Ping-Hua Lee fought for women to have the right to vote, and Ora Washington was one of the greatest female athletes ever.)

• How are these obituaries similar to others you have read? How, and for what reason, might they be different? (Like other obituaries, these focus on the person’s life and achievements. However, unlike other obits, these don’t note the day of death or the person’s surviving relatives. This difference may be because the person died long ago or because the writer wanted to focus specifically on why the person was notable.)

• What are some of the details in each section that help explain why these women were overlooked in their time? (Answers will vary but may include details like Lovelace’s section explaining that she lived “in an era when women were not considered to be prominent scientific thinkers,” or Washington’s section explaining that she was “relegated to a segregated corner of the sports world.”)

5. Use the Primary Sources
Project, distribute, or assign in Google Classroom the PDF ‘We Have Written a New Page in History,’ which features the victory speech Kitty Cone gave after the signing of section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Discuss what makes the speech a primary source. (It provides firsthand evidence concerning the topic.) Have students read the excerpts and answer the questions below (which appear on the PDF without answers).

• How would you describe the tone and purpose of Kitty Cone’s speech? (The tone can be described as joyful and triumphant. The purpose is to celebrate the success of the sit-in and to highlight what it accomplished.)

• What ideas about activism and protest does Cone convey through her speech? (Through the speech, Cone conveys the idea that protest by individual citizens is necessary to make change when those in power are ignoring you or treating your concerns as unimportant. She also conveys that civic activism, especially by individuals who others might deem less capable, teaches people that everyone has the power to make change.)

• Why do you think Cone included the anecdote about the protester Mary Jane? (Students’ answers may vary, but students could say that Mary Jane’s anecdote showed how important the cause was to the protesters, or that she was reminding the audience of the struggle they went through to accomplish their goal.) 

• Based on the last paragraph, what can you infer about Cone’s vision of the future of the disabilities rights movement? (Cone says that the fight isn’t over and that there are more fights ahead. One can infer Cone thinks that the movement will stay organized and active, and may engage in similar types of protests in the future.)

• Based on the Upfront article and this speech, what cultural attitudes did people with disabilities face? Do you think these attitudes have changed? Explain. (Students may note that Cone says people with disabilities were seen as “supposedly the frail and the weak,” and that they were “shut-ins” and “shut-outs,” which means that they were kept at home and excluded from society as a whole. The article supports Cone’s ideas by explaining that she was segregated at school and then expelled for having a disability. Students’ answers about whether attitudes have changed will vary but should be supported with reasoning and evidence.)

6. Writing Prompt
Research another lesser-known woman who altered the course of American history. Write an obituary about that person, citing details from your research.

7. Quiz
Use the quiz to assess comprehension.

8. Classroom Debate
Should classrooms spend more time on lesser-known historical figures?

9. Multimedia Presentations
Have students research a woman who is currently making an important contribution to American society and create a digital slideshow about this person to present to the class. Encourage students to incorporate still images, video, and audio clips into their presentations.