( CNN Student News ) -- Discussion Questions . 1 . When is Women 's History Month ? What are the origins of Women 's History Month ? What is the goal of recognizing Women 's History Month ? 2 . Do you think that women are underrepresented in any aspects of modern American life ? Explain . Can you think of any professions in which women outnumber men ? If so , what are they and why do you think that this is the case in these professions ? 3 . Can you think of any female role models that have had an impact on your life ? If so , how have these women influenced you ? Learning Activities . Use these activities to encourage your students to learn about and appreciate the history and achievements of women in America . 1 . Women 's History Month Proclamation . Every year since 1980 , the U.S. president has issued a proclamation regarding Women 's History Month . Have students read last year 's presidential proclamation , which focused on the theme `` Women Taking the Lead to Save Our Planet . '' A link to the proclamation can be found in the resources section below . Instruct students to develop a proclamation of their own using this year 's theme , `` Writing Women Back into History , '' which recognizes the importance of women in all aspects of history . 2 . Women in Government . Have students use the Internet and other resources to generate a list of some of the women currently holding positions in government , including , but not limited to , U.S. Supreme Court justices , state governors , members of the president 's cabinet , and members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate . Have each student select one of these women to research . Direct students to create a classroom or online exhibit that highlights each woman 's experiences and achievements , and illustrates how her position of power may affect the lives of other Americans . 3 . Witness to History . What if CNN had been there to record the events surrounding the women 's suffrage movement ? Guide students as they use the Internet to research the struggle for women 's voting rights . Tell students to use the following questions as their guide : . • What were the major events that led to the ratification of the 19th Amendment ? • Who were the key players on both sides of the women 's suffrage issue ? • What arguments were presented both for and against women 's voting rights ? Have students develop scripts for a broadcast news story on one aspect of this movement , ensuring that students include viewpoints from both the movement 's supporters and its critics . 4 . Women in the Military . Inform students that the U.S. Navy is currently considering allowing women to serve on submarines . Ask students : What is your opinion on this issue ? What accommodations , if any , do you think should be made so that women may serve on submarines ? Lead a class discussion about the following question : Why do you think that women have historically been restricted from serving in certain military roles ? Instruct students to read the list of positions that women are restricted from serving in , located at the bottom of `` Highlights in the History of Military Women . '' Divide the class into teams , and ask each team to create two columns . In the first column , teams should list which military positions they think should be open to women , and in the second column , positions that they think should remain closed to women . Encourage students to identify the criteria that they use to determine whether or not a military position should be open to women . 5 . Women 's History Memorial . Divide your class into small teams and assign each team one of the following fields : science , community , government , literature , art , sports and medicine . Next , instruct teams to research the roles that women have played in their assigned fields throughout American history . After teams present their information , instruct the full class to design a new memorial in Washington , D.C. that focuses on the contributions of women to American history . Standards . Social Studies . II . Time , Continuity , and Change . Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of the ways human beings view themselves in and over time . V. Individuals , Groups and Institutions . Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of interactions among individuals , groups , and institutions . The Curriculum Standards for Social Studies ( http : //www.socialstudies.org/standards/strands/ ) are published by the National Council for Social Studies ( http : //www.socialstudies.org/ ) . Resources . National Women 's History Project . http : //www.nwhp.org/ . Women 's History Month Proclamation , March 2009. http : //www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Womens-History-Month-2009/ . Highlights in the History of Military Women . http : //www.womensmemorial.org/Education/timeline.html .
March is Women 's History Month . These questions and activities help students learn about the history and achievements of women in America . These questions and activities can be adapted to accommodate students of different grade levels and learning styles .