Women’s History Month, an annual celebration of the history, achievements and contributions of women, takes place every year in March. Women’s History Month began in 1978 as a local celebration in Santa Ana, California as “Women’s History Week; its organizers selected the week of March 8 to align with International Women’s Day. The idea spread across the country and then, in 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation declaring the week of March 8 “Women’s History Week.” Seven years later in 1987, Congress passed a law designating March as “Women’s History Month” and some other countries also began to hold celebrations for Women’s History Month. In this lesson, students will learn about Women’s History Month and its historical context, read and discuss books about women’s history and consider ideas for honoring Women’s History in March and beyond.