WOMEN USING THEIR GUNS: Women During WWI
by Tina Gersdorf-Whobrey
Summer Fellowship 2007
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versions of these lessons
Abstract
Women were expected to be beautiful, quiet,
stay at home, and not express their opinions.
That changed during The Great War (WWI).
With millions of men leaving the country to fight in Europe, women had
to “hold down the fort” at home. Women
were strongly encouraged to do anything they were capable of, to help the war
efforts. Food conservation and
agricultural work are just two of dozens of aspects of life that were in need
of help. Women were called to register
themselves to work or volunteer services and were offered many opportunities to
acquire training in areas they would be helping in. This unit is designed to first provide some
background information about WWI and women’s history. Students will have an opportunity to analyze
a number of written documents, synthesis primary sources and demonstrate
historical thinking through writing diary entries and letters from the
perspective of women during the war.
**PLEASE NOTE: Many parts of this unit may be
completed independent of the entire unit, as it is lengthy and may more
suitable for an enrichment-type class.
Much of the background information lessons may be unnecessary if
students have already studied those topics; and many of the activities can be
effective as a stand-alone lesson. Finally,
please find further suggestions for additional lessons, extensions, or
alternative ideas within each lesson.
Essential Questions
·
How did WWI affect the United
States, at home?
·
What were some of the problems
that arose due to millions of men leaving the country?
·
How were the problems of WWI
solved on the home front?
·
What role did women play during
WWI?
·
What effects did WWI have on life
for women during and after the war?
Lesson 1: Mini-lesson on World War One
Students will gain a very brief background on
who was involved in WWI and how the United States became involved (which may
not be needed if the unit is being used within a larger WWI unit.)
Lesson 2: Introduction to Women’s Roles
Students will examine some differences
between women now and those alive during WWI. They will analyze a primary
source, and imagine themselves as women during the early 20th
century.
Lesson 3: Problems on the Home Front
Students will brainstorm what problems might
have resulted from US involvement in WWI. Then, students will analyze documents
showing the organization of the Women’s Committee and compare their original
brainstorm list with what they discover while looking at these primary
documents.
Lesson 4: Registration
Students will analyze part of a pamphlet with
emotional statements and specific reasons why women should register. They will re-write
one reason pointed out in the pamphlet, and register themselves (as females)
for the war efforts, by inventing a profile using an actual registration card
from 1918.
Lesson 5: Life on the Training Farm
Students will read a newspaper article that
provides examples of how women felt about the training farm and what they
did. They will look at photographs, a
map of the farm, and a daily schedule.
Students will use their exposure to the Training Farm to write a diary
entry and letter home about life on the farm from the perspective of the
character they invented in the previous letter.
Lesson 6: Conserve!
Students will reference one of the many pamphlets
that were created to encourage women to help on the home front by conserving
resources such as material, food, or metal.
They will use the information they gather and create a poster to
encourage other people in society to take part in this conservation effort.
Lesson 7: Reflection
Students will reflect on the project from the
perspective of their imaginary female character.
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Ties to national primary source and other resources
National
Archives:
The National
Archives is home to collections of documents from women’s work during the Great
War. The following site offers
interactive documents: http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=subject%3A"World War,
1914-1918 -- Women's work"
·
CHANGING THE PATTERN the Story of
Emily Stowe by Sydell Waxman
·
Never jam today by Carole Bolton
·
Shining by Julius Lester
·
The ballot box battle by Emily Arnold McCully
·
You
Forgot Your Skirt, Amelia Bloomer by Shana Corey and Chesley McLaren