ELLEN SAHLIN AND THE “NEW WOMAN:”
A GROUP RESEARCH EXERCISE
Time: 3 Days
Author: Eric Goodson
Unit: 1910s
Course: Making History
Materials:
• The Ellen Sahlin file:
o http://memoryproject.danahall.org/resources/resourcefiles/1910sresources
/EllenSahlin13/EllenSahlin%2713files.htm
• The Year Book of 1908-1909:
o http://memoryproject.danahall.org/resources/resourcefiles/1900sresources
/Yearbook08-09/Yearbook08-09.htm
• Norton. A People and a Nation. Especially pages 342-344, on Leisure and Mass
Culture in the late 1800s; 363-367, on Progressivism; 369-371, on Women and
Education in the Progressive movement; 373-375, On the Women’s Movement and
the right to vote; 423-425, on the New Woman of the 1920s.
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OVERVIEW:
The Ellen Sahlin file offers a unique look into the experience of a Dana student during a
transitional moment in history. Only a few items have been digitized here, but they offer a
complex picture of a multi-faceted young woman. The exercise asks students to pick an
object that interests them and read it closely, interpret it critically, and share their
observations with a group of peers. From this conversation each research group should
come up with some conclusions about what type of young woman Ms. Sahlin was, and
where she fit within the dominant gender roles of the day: the Victorian matron of the
nineteenth century, the progressive reformer of the early twentieth, or the “New Woman” of
the post-war years.
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OBJECTIVES
To teach students close-reading, critical-thinking,
persuasive writing, and effective collaboration skills.
To introduce students to the shifting gender roles of women
at the turn of the 20th century.
To introduce students to Dana Hall history and to excite
them about their past.
PRE-TEACHING:
Ask students to browse through the Ellen Sahlin collection on the Memory Project website.
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PROCEDURE:
Ellen Sahlin and the “New Woman”
Assignment:
Part 1—Looking:
• Each student will be assigned a single artifact from the Ellen Sahlin file.
• Your first task will be to “look/read closely.” Too often we scan over something
without really appreciating what it has to offer. Try studying your piece, leaving
it alone for a while, and then revisiting it again, and even again. With repeated
study your piece will reveal more than you originally thought.
• Then, describe your piece. Sometimes this takes a paragraph, sometimes longer.
Be as specific as you can, being sure to draw the reader’s attention to details that
you find interesting.
• Finally, analyze your piece. What significance does this piece hold for you?
What connections can you make between this piece and the age from which it
came? What does this piece say about Ellen Sahlin’s character? The school’s
values? What questions does the piece raise for you?
• You are to type up your paragraphs and email them to me. The strongest
summaries will be posted on the Memory Project website, with your permission.
Students will be credited on the website for their work.
Part 2—Collaborating:
• You will be assigned to a group of three student researchers.
• Your group will then divide up the various resources, assigning portions for
which each researcher will be responsible. The resources include:
o The Ellen Sahlin File.
o The Year Book of 1908-1909.
o Norton, pages:
 342-344 on Leisure and Mass Culture in the late 1800s.
 363-367, on Progressivism
 369-371, on Women and Education in the Progressive movement.
 373-375, On the Women’s Movement and the right to vote.
 423-425, on the New Woman of the 1920s.
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You may perform your own research if you wish. Maybe you are interested in the
fashion of the day and what it signified about women’s roles. Feel free to pursue
your own interests
Once each group member has studied her material, the group will come together
and share their findings. What connections do you see between the various
sources? How does your Norton reading complement your understanding of the
primary sources? How does the Year Book cast light on the Ellen Sahlin file?
Ultimately, in what ways did Ellen Sahlin reflect or challenge prevailing values of
the day?
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Part 3—Coauthoring
• The group will then co-author a 2-3 page paper on the following topic:
o In what ways did Ellen Sahlin reflect or challenge prevailing values of the
day? Was she a holdover of the Victorian woman, a Progressive reformer
of her day, or prelude to the 1920's flapper?
• Papers should have a cover page with a title, the authors’ names, the class, the
instructor, and the date. The authors’ names should not appear anywhere else in
the paper. Papers should use 12 point font and 1” margins.
• The best papers will be posted on the Memory Project website as a basis for
future student research.
Due Dates:
• Part 1 will be due on the last day of the week of Feb. 13th. We will spend that
class period going over your findings.
• Part 2 will be due on Wednesday the 22nd. We will spend that class period
meeting in your research groups and discussing your findings.
• Part 3, the paper, will be due on Monday the 27th.
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