WOMEN USING THEIR GUNS: Women During WWI

by Tina Gersdorf - Whobrey

Summer Fellowship 2007

LESSON TWO: Introduction to Women’s roles

Abstract

Life was very different for women in the early 20^th century. There were limited jobs, strict expectations, and much fewer rights. Students will examine some of those differences, analyze a primary source, and then imagine themselves as women during the early 20^th century.

Essential Questions

· How was life for American women of the early 20^th century different from that of American women today?

· How was life for American women affected by “The Great War”?

· Why would life be considered acceptable or unacceptable (based on today’s standards) for women during the time of The Great War?

Duration

1 class period

Assessments

· Written Document Analysis Worksheet

· “Can You Imagine!?” worksheet

Materials

· Projector

· “Women’s Roles” PowerPoint

· “Women! Girls! Flyer” hand-out

· Written Document Analysis worksheet

· “Can You Imagine!?” worksheet

Setting the Purpose

Ask students:

· “What types of struggles have American women faced throughout history?”

· “What issues do American women still struggle with today?”

· “In what areas are American women more equal today than they have been in our past?”

Procedure

1. Begin PowerPoint “Women’s Roles”.
1. The PowerPoint is aimed at providing students information about life for women before WWI and the push for women to change those roles once American men left for the war.
2. Use lecture notes (provided with the power point) to explain and lead discussion.
2. When you arrive to the last slide (#7), hand out the Women! Girls! Flyer (students can share a copy to save paper) and the Written Document Analysis Worksheet (each student should have their own copy).
3. Review the worksheet with the students. At this point, you may wish to write responses on a transparency copy of the worksheet and display it on an overhead projector. **There will be more opportunities for students to fill out this worksheet without such guidance; this should be used as a practice run on thinking critically about documents. Make sure students are looking at the document and coming up with their own observations. You may have to ask questions or make leading statements to activate their critical thinking.
4. Hand out “Can You Imagine!?” Worksheet. Students should complete the worksheet individually. Depending on time, this may become homework.

Annotated list of materials and resources

• “Women’s Roles” PowerPoint
• Friedrich-Alexander Universität of Erlangen-Nürnberg (Germany). Webpage of Art by Nicholas Pioch.

http://sunsite.icm.edu.pl/wm/paint/auth/morisot/morisot.edma-pontillon.jpg

• Photo found through Google Image, connecting site is not available

http://www.gqg59.dial.pipex.com/local_history/local_women/cooper_1898.jpg

• America’s Library: “America’s Story”

http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/jazz/jb_jazz_19tham_1_e.html

• Woman’s Committee, Council of National Defense, Illinois Division & The Woman’s State Council of Defense. WOMEN! GIRLS! Flyer. Chicago, IL. {Illinois State Archives}

• National Archives website: “Teaching with Documents”

http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/