February is Black History Month - Wilma Rudolph

Born prematurely and plagued with illness, this young girl developed into a powerful athlete. On September 7th, 1960, in Rome, Wilma became the first American woman to win 3 gold medals in the Olympics. She won the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash, and ran the anchor on the 400-meter relay team. This achievement led her to become one of the most celebrated female athletes of all time. In addition, her celebrity caused gender barriers to be broken in previously all-male track and field events. Share the life and accomplishments of this famous American with your young learners.
Take a look at these discussion points and activities, timely with the Olympics going on now. This provides a great introduction to the genre of biography.