Suggestions needed~daughter's homework

My 11 year old daughter has to write, and give, a speech regarding an important female figure. It needs to be about someone who has made a contribution to society and has no negative or controversial history (i.e. not a criminal). In order to get as many points possible on her speech, she should use a costume or props or something to liven it up.

She asked me to suggest some names. Here's some I came up with:

Susan B. Anthony
Eleanor Roosevelt
Mother Theresa
Florence Nightingale

My mind has gone completely blank. I wonder if some of you creative people out there have some suggestions I can give her?


edit:

I also suggested some sports figures:

Wilma Rudolph
Nadia Comaneci
Mary T. Meagher

How about Marie Curie?

Whiterose, Have her check out this website 100 most important women in history (http://www.angelfire.com/anime2/100import/) It has many women I hadn't thought of....including Helen Keller and Cloepatra, two of which i would think would be wonderful and interesting women to do a paper about. Good luck:)

Nancy Reagan

If I had to choose just one . . ..

Maya Angelou.

If you haven't read her series of autobiographies, you should. She has lived an amazingly exceptional life. And with so many careers and life experiences to choose from, you could find "something" to use for props.

Seraa

Mother Theresa
Shirley Chisholm
Shirley Temple Black
Georgia O'Keeffe
Elizabeth I
Harriet Tubman
Maya Angelou

WONDERFUL suggestions everybody! I knew I could count on you all for help. And Foxy, thank you so much for that link! I'm sure it will be very helpful. My mind is just gone lately and just couldn't think. So, thanks everyone for all your help!

Kelley-- great suggestion to move this to the parenting forum. I'll do that.

They old adage is write about what you know about. I'd choose a woman who does/did something that mirrors some of your daughter's interests.

Rosa Parks
and...
Oprah Winfrey

This may sound odd, but I recall when her show was all about female empowerment (back when she was really fat ;).

I was once so poor, I was on welfare. I recall sitting in the welfare office, feeling as UNempowered as possible. They had tvs everywhere, that only played education stuff designed to create/encourage your independence. I turned to a woman sitting close to me that looked as bleak as I and said, "if they were really interested in empowering us, they'd play Oprah." Back then, she helped change many young women's lives.

Boadicea! Costume would be very easy too! The only leader to withstand invasion by the Roman Empire, she led to the building of Haidrians wall, to keep us fearsome Scot's out of Rome ruled England!
We have always had strong women over here!:)

Originally posted by Empress
They old adage is write about what you know about. I'd choose a woman who does/did something that mirrors some of your daughter's interests.

In this case, that won't work because she is required to do the opposite.... She has to select someone that has done something that she is not familiar with. So that she can learn something new. But, thanks for that thought. It would work otherwise.

how about Shirley Chisholm? - you should be able to find a lot of stuff since she just passed - sadly.

btw - I really like Guinavere's Elizabeth I suggestion - always one of my chick favorites from WAY back!

Queen Elizabeth I is one of my favourites as well. What she managed to accomplish was nothing short of astounding, especially during an age where women were considered second-class citizens. She took over a declining war-torn kingdom and rebuilt it from the bottom up, transforming it into a strong, expansive and stable empire. She even influenced luminaries such as Francis Bacon, Walter Raleigh, Edmund Spencer and William Shakespeare.

All hail Good Queen Bess. :)

Maybe she'd find Corrie Ten Boom interesting....

For her efforts to hide Jews from arrest and deportation during the German occupation of the Netherlands, Corrie ten Boom (1892-1983) received recognition from the Yad Vashem Remembrance Authority as one of the "Righteous Among the Nations" on December 12, 1967.

I found her fasinating....and there's movie and book of her life called The Hiding Place.

Love,
Sora

Originally posted by SoraNoYume
Maybe she'd find Corrie Ten Boom interesting....

For her efforts to hide Jews from arrest and deportation during the German occupation of the Netherlands, Corrie ten Boom (1892-1983) received recognition from the Yad Vashem Remembrance Authority as one of the "Righteous Among the Nations" on December 12, 1967.

I found her fasinating....and there's movie and book of her life called The Hiding Place.

Love,
Sora

Yeah, her book is great and so was the movie. I'll never forget when her beloved sister and her were in the concentration camp and her sister was weak and dying. (I cannot remember the sister's name -- isn't that horrible? I just called someone who should remember, and he couldn't recall her name either.)

The sister told Corrie to be thankful for the fleas that were attacking them night and day. Corrie could not believe her sister could be thanking God in the midst of such bleak hardship. Her sister reminded her that because of the God provided fleas, the concentration camp guards avoided coming into their building. Therefore, the girls could live in relative peace and have Bible studies without being hassled.

The sister died in the camp, which almost crushed Corrie. Later, Corrie came face to face with one of the guards who I believe was instrumental in her sister's death. This was the subject of forgiveness and one theme of one of Corrie's books.

Before the girls (who were middle-aged I believe) and the whole family I think, were arrested because they hid Jews, they orchestrated some very scary and tense moments keeping people hidden in their home. And fed, etc.

It's really an amazing story that probably everyone should read.

Great suggestions everyone. Thank you so much! She is meeting with her teacher today to decide. I'll let you all know who she picks. Last night she was leaning towards Cleopatra, but anything goes. ;)

I was just curious, what person did your girl child decide on?

My daughter finally decided to do Helen Keller. So, now she's got 2 weeks to get a speech written and find a costume and props. I guess we'll go to Goodwill and see what kinds of old dresses we can find. Or, does anyone else have any suggestions?

*this mom just isn't very creative anymore. :rolleyes:*

http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=1

There's a link on this page that takes you to the Helen Keller Children's Museum. Maybe you could print the picture of the pump where it all came together for Helen....and the first word she learned...as a back prop.


http://www.afb.org/braillebug/

This is a link to a children's braille site. There's a section in there if you type in your name, it shows how it would look in braille. As an added bonus....you could get a list of the names of the children in her class....and you could make out their names on index cards that she could give out to her class mates. Also include the teacher too. ^o^

There's a printable braille alaphabet she could use as a back prop too.

Maybe dress her up as Helen Keller with the dark glasses...and have her share the "fun facts" of Helen.....

Just a thought....

Love
Sora

Terrific ideas! Thank you Sora!

Sora, I think Corrie Ten Boom's sister's name was Nollie (?)

Yes her sisters names were Nollie and Betsie, and one brother named Wilem.....

Love,
Sora

Yes her sisters names were Nollie and Betsie, and one brother named Wilem.....

Love,
Sora