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    Role of Women During WWII

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    Subject: History, Social Studies

    Lesson Length: 35 - 40 mins

    Topic: World War II and Women’s Identity

    Grade Level: 5

    Standards / Framework:

    Brief Description: Students will understand the impact women had on the developing identity of the United States as it emerged from WWII as a World Leader. 

    Know Before You Start: Students should have an understanding of the daily life of women pre-World War II.

    Hook:

    • Introduce Rosie the Riveter, her origins, and what she represents.
    • Explore the purpose of using Rosie the Riveter in propaganda.

    Activity:

    • Research the different jobs that women were able to do during WWII that were not open to them prior to the war. 

    • Create a one-panel comic that illustrates a specific role women had during WWII, e.g., aircraft industry.

    Closure:

    • Share and discuss student comics.
      • What did this mean for women in the United States?
      • How did their participation in the war effort change the identity of the United States moving forward?
    • Display student comics digitally or in print. 

    Differentiation:

    • Preteach vocabulary.

    • Provide background knowledge of women’s rights pre-WWII.

    • Allow students to work with a peer model.

    • Provide sentence starters as needed.

    • Provide a list of jobs that women held.

    Resources:

    • Comic to print or display: Comic. 

    Suggested Content Packs:

    Suggested Story Starters:

    Related Ideas

    Famous Women Scientists

    From Marie Curie to Jane Goodall, Alice Ball to Gertrude B. Elion, female scientists have always played a major role in the advancement of our understanding of the world around us. Research and celebrate the achievements of these dedicated experts in their fields.

    Transition Words

    Students will create a comic using transition words to convey sequence.