You’ve probably seen those Vanity Fair photo spreads. The ones where famous females, draped in gowns and flowing hair, strike serious poses in a group shot meant to convey their collective strength. Each actress or athlete pictured could easily carry a magazine cover on her own. As a group, though, the image is all the more striking. Now picture the likes of Malala Yousafzai, Frida Kahlo, and Amelia Earhart standing shoulder to shoulder. Each of these icons – the activist, the artist, the pilot – is worthy of her own cover shoot.

But put them together, and you’re talking real impact: a portrait for the ages. Of course, this particular grouping of women won’t be found in the pages of a glossy magazine. But it can grace the halls of your classroom or school, using my Women’s History Month Activity: Famous Faces® of Women’s History Month poster.

Using this Women’s History Month activity, your students can create a colorful homage to the strength, creativity, and ability of one amazing group of women–and mark Women’s History Month, which begins March 1, at the same time! Along with this poster, I have MANY Women’s History Month activities in my store.

Women’s History Month Begins March 1st!

Women’s History Month can be traced to pretty humble beginnings. In 1911, the world celebrated its first International Women’s Day. Not until the 1980s did that celebration stretch into a whole week when President Jimmy Carter issued a presidential proclamation declaring a National Women’s History Week in March. In 1987, after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, Congress designated all of March as Women’s History Month.

Today, schools and communities across the country celebrate the month with lessons and activities focusing on the contributions of women. My collaboration poster activity is designed to help you do the same in a fun and highly visible way.  Each student gets to participate and contribute to a meaningful piece of artwork.

This poster features eight inspirational women: Besides Yousafzai, Earhart, and Kahlo, there’s also Ruby Bridges, Anne Frank, Rosa Parks, Harriett Tubman, and Georgia O’Keeffe. It works for any grade level, from pre-K through high school, because the resource comes with options for differentiation. Click HERE to see this poster in my store.

Students work together to color their own piece of the poster, giving them a sense of ownership and pride in what becomes a large and striking masterpiece. Teachers who have used my Famous Faces® Collaboration Poster for Black History Month – which follows a similar process – called their completed posters “absolutely beautiful.”

Everyone who sees it is amazed” -Carolyn P.

Another teacher shared that she had her colleagues at every grade level color a page without telling them what the final product would be. “It turned out great!” The Famous Faces® of Women’s History Month collaboration poster is the perfect accompaniment to your social studies lessons. (Teachers who used the Black History Month poster noted that they used it in combination with mini lessons and research projects on the individuals pictured.) I’ve done everything I possibly could to make this easy for teachers and fun for kids. It’s so easy, and I provide you with everything you need, including step-by-step instructions.

Collaboration Poster Details 

There are two poster options to choose from – they both produce the same beautiful poster.  Both options have 36 pieces, and each piece fits on a regular 8.5″ x 11″ paper. The final poster size is approximately 21 inches by 84 inches. The difference between the 2 poster options is just in the color key in the top left corner.

Poster option #1 provides the color key in black and white, so you don’t have to print anything in color. Poster option #2 provides the color key in color and is great for very young students who might not yet be able to read the key when color printing is an option.

Collaboration Poster Steps

Kids color the pages. All you need to do is print the poster and provide your students with crayons, colored pencils, or markers in red, blue, green, and purple. Students cut out each piece, then put the poster together.

Some teachers like giving kids the challenge of putting the poster together themselves – children LOVE this challenge! I have included name labels in this resource if you’d like to use them with your final poster. I like to cut them out, mount them on construction paper, and laminate them. Then I use them with students to talk about and identify the women on this poster.

Of course, there are many uses for the labels. Look how this teacher (Monique C. from Alabama) had her students research each person in my Famous Faces® of Black History Poster and combine it with the name tags below.

The final poster is approximately 21 inches by 84 inches. Once it’s hanging in the office, the auditorium, a hallway, or your classroom, it’s sure to attract compliments and attention. The sight of these eight famous faces will remind all who look upon them that women – across the ages, in every field, of various ethnicities, and from multiple countries – are still making history.

Check out these beautiful shots taken by Fourth and Fritcher and shared on her Instagram page! I love how when she took the Black History Month Famous Faces ® collaboration poster picture, there was snow on the ground and then when she took the Women’s History Month Famous Faces ® collaboration poster picture, the snow had melted – shows such a nice passage of time.

Looking For More Famous Faces®?

I’m always working and making new projects, but so far, I have this Famous Faces® style poster for Growth Mindset, Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, STEM/STEAM, Poetry, Art History, Famous Failures, and Women of History.

If 8 amazing women aren’t enough, I also have my one-of-a-kind tessellation “quilt” poster that features 30 inspirational women. With this project, your students can research each of the individual ladies and create something they will not soon forget! You can read more about that on Teachers Pay Teachers HERE.

Thanks for infusing your classrooms with art!

Jenny K.