Voices That Glowed in the Dark: Teaching Radium Girls in 8th Grade ELA

What happens when you give 13- and 14-year-olds a play about corporate corruption, workers’ rights, and the hidden costs of silence? You get real talk. Real writing. And students who suddenly understand that history isn’t just in textbooks—it’s in bones, in courtrooms, and in stories that still ache to be told.

That’s why I designed a 3-week unit on Radium Girls by D.W. Gregory for my 8th grade English Language Arts class.

Based on the true story of young women who fought for justice after being poisoned by the very companies that employed them, this powerful play transforms the classroom into a stage for inquiry, empathy, and activism.

Why Radium Girls?

Because 8th graders are ready.

They’re ready to question authority. To think critically about fairness. To connect with characters who dare to speak out—even when it costs them everything.

Radium Girls gives them that opportunity. It’s not just a historical drama—it’s a mirror. And it asks: What would you do if the world tried to silence you?

Unit Snapshot

• Unit Length: 3–4 weeks

• Genre: Drama (based on true events)

• Core Themes: Truth vs. denial, justice, gender roles, activism, power, health, and corporate responsibility

• Essential Questions:

• What does Radium Girls teach us about justice and responsibility?

• How do individuals challenge powerful systems?

• Why is it important to tell forgotten stories?

Activities That Sparked Engagement

• Historical Hooks: We began with a short documentary clip and a class timeline. Students were immediately outraged—and invested.

• Read Aloud with Roles: Taking turns as Grace, Roeder, and Kathryn made the drama real.

• Theme Trackers & Character Maps: Helped students visualize injustice and resistance as they unfolded.

• Socratic Seminar: “Was justice served?” sparked passionate, thoughtful debate.

• Creative Monologue Project: Students wrote in the voices of Grace, Irene, or even Roeder—reimagining scenes with empathy and perspective.

Assessment Highlights

• Literary Analysis Essay: Focused on theme, character, or symbolism

• Scene Performance: Students selected and performed key scenes in small groups

• Unit Reflection: Many students said this was the “most real” thing they’ve read in school

Why It Mattered

In a world where corporate power often overshadows human stories, Radium Girls gave my students the language and courage to ask hard questions: Who gets to speak? Who gets believed? What is justice—and who decides?

Middle schoolers are rarely given stories with this much emotional and moral complexity. But when they are? They rise to the challenge. Every time.

Download My Full Unit Resources

Want to bring Radium Girls to your classroom? I’ve got you covered:

• Unit Plan & Daily Lessons

• Rubrics, worksheets, slide decks, and assessments coming soon—ask and I’ll share!

Final Thoughts

This unit lit a fire in my classroom. And like the radium the girls used to paint with—what glows can’t be unseen. Let’s keep telling the stories that matter.