No One Told Sandra Day O'Connor What To Do! The First Woman On The United States Supreme Court.
Illustrated by Julia Breckenreid
I couldn’t be more excited to share that No One Told Sandra Day O'Connor What To Do! is coming out in the spring of 2025. Researching and writing about Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to be a Supreme Court Justice in United States history, is an experience I will never forget.
Did you know?
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While at Stanford, Sandra Day became good friends with a man named William Rehnquist. William Rehnquist also became a Supreme Court Justice and they served on the court together for many years.
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She wrote a children’s book about a little dog named Susie. She wanted there to be a children’s book about her, too.
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While a Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O’Connor held morning aerobics classes in the court gym, which she referred to as the “highest court in the land.”
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Justice O’Connor allowed her clerks to photocopy her hand and hang the copy on the wall. If someone needed a “pat on the back,” they could back into the paper. Thankfully, someone stopped her as she was photocopying her foot for her clerks to hang up in case anyone needed “a kick in the pants.”
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She carried a copy of the constitution in her pocketbook.
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After she retired from the court, Sandra Day O’Connor was awarded the Presidential Medal of freedom by President Obama.
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She loved to dance with her husband, John.
Writing Prompts:
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Research the three branches of the United States government. Write a paragraph describing each.
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Write a letter to you representative in congress. Ask them questions about their job or persuade them to take up a cause you care about.
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Sandra Day O’Connor loved to be outdoors. What do you like to do outside? Describe an outdoor activity you enjoy.
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Sandra Day O’Connor couldn’t get a job after law school because she was a woman. Have you ever felt discriminated against? When? What happened?
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Would you want to be a Supreme Court Justice? Why or why not?
There are many places to learn more about Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and the Supreme Court such as:
