Women in STEM Sensory Figure Body Biographies

Description

This set of sensory figures, also known as body biographies, features 29 diverse women whose work in various STEM fields has changed the world in many ways. Each figure can be printed in black and white or color. This activity is great for the Women’s History Month of March, but it can also be used year-round to enhance the diversity of scientists, researchers, and inventors that your students are learning about. Read more about how sensory figures are great for biography projects and can enhance a variety of your lessons below. If you’re looking for a digital version of this resource, find it here.

The set includes the following 29 figures:

1. Ada Lovelace
2. Alice Ball
3. Annie Easley
4. Betty Holberton
5. Chien-Shiung Wu
6. Diana Trujillo
7. Evelyn Boyd Granville
8. Grace Hopper
9. Hayat Sindi
10. Hedy Lamarr
11. Hypatia
12. Julia Robinson
13. Katherine Johnson
14. Lise Meitner
15. Mae Jemison
16. Maggie Gee
17. Margaret Hamilton
18. Margaret Mead
19. Marie Curie
20. Martine Rothblatt
21. Mary Sherman Morgan
22. Merit-Ptah
23. Rachel Carson
24. Rosalind Franklin
25. Sally Ride
26. Sau Lan Wu
27. Shirley Ann Jackson
28. Vera Rubin
29. Wang Zhenyi

*New* Download a free example sensory figure here!
⭐ Theodore Roosevelt Sensory Figure Example

A sensory figure is a drawing of a historical, living, or fictional figure with first-person descriptions of what they might have thought, seen, heard, touched, said, felt, or otherwise experienced during their lifetime. Students “show what they know” about the figure by writing 1-2 sentence descriptions for their figure’s thoughts, feelings, and actions. After writing the descriptions, students connect them to the part of the body to which it most closely relates. For example, a feeling might be connected to the heart. The descriptions should be specific to the historical figure’s life, not generic statements that could apply to anyone. Students should be encouraged to address several topics in their descriptions instead of repeating information.

Sensory figures are an engaging way for students to both organize information as they’re learning and demonstrate their knowledge. They can be used to research the figure in a biography project or even as an assessment after other learning opportunities have taken place. Sensory figures allow students to imagine themselves in their figure’s shoes, thereby gaining a deeper understanding of their figure’s experiences. In addition to focusing on specific people, sensory figures can also be used with groups of people (for example, Confederate soldiers or Loyalists) to define the characteristics that separate them from other groups. Because of their interactive nature, sensory figures are great for interactive notebooks! Finally, they are readily adapted in order to meet a variety of student needs. You can give all students the same figure to fill out, or you can have them complete different ones. I’ve found that students enjoy sharing their figures with partners or doing a gallery walk to see their classmates’ work. You can reinforce vocabulary associated with the figures by providing a word bank of terms students should use in their descriptions.

You may also be interested in other sensory figures:
⭐ Black Historical Sensory Figures
⭐ Historical Figures & Cultural Icons Sensory Figures
⭐ Historical Americans Sensory Figures
⭐ Athletes and Sports Sensory Figures
⭐ Early Peoples and Ancient Civilizations Sensory Figures Bundle
⭐ Scientists and Inventors Sensory Figures
⭐ Women in History Sensory Figures

If you’re interested in other social studies related products, please visit my store!