Polka, którą świat podziwia. Maria Skłodowska-Curie w podręcznikach do historii wydanych po roku 1989

Abstract

The history of Marie Skłodowska-Curie proves that women are able to conduct the research work and achieve excellent results in it. She made many priceless discoveries in the times when so many rights were refused to women, particularly the right to study on a par with men. Moreover, she proved that it is not the sex or the nationality but the intellect, passion and perseverance that matter. Marie Skłodowska-Curie was the first person who was honoured with two Nobel Prizes and the first woman to become a professor at the Sorbonne. She combined her career with private life without any problems. In the history textbooks for every educational level, there is much information about Marie Skłodowska-Curie. However, there are also the textbooks where she isn’t even mentioned. The strong point of the analysed textbooks is the fact that the knowledge of her life was divided and adapted to the intellectual abilities of the students. She is presented as a splendid scientist. On the other hand, she is an example to the Polish women that it is possible to combine professional activity with family life. She overcame more serious difficulties than the frost and inconvenience. She tore down the mental wall which was built on the conviction that science or politics are the fields only for men. In the education at school at every educational level, the history of this extraordinary woman can and should be used to excite children’s and teenagers’ imagination which combined with the curiosity about the world and the search for the answer for the question “Why?” can make a great success.