WOMEN IN THE MILITARY: WILLING, ABLE,
ESSENTIAL
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I.
Introduction
II.
Film Outline
III.
Quiz
IV.
Lesson #1: Introduction to Women in the Military
V.
Lesson #2: Historical Look at Women in the Military
VI.
Lesson #3: Rosie the Riveter: What’s My Line?
VII. Lesson #4: Women in the Military and Technology
VIII. Lesson #5: Women in the Military: Interview Project
Visit: http://V-NEP.org/films-lessons/
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PREFACE TO FILM SERIES
The Challenge
American History educators are not provided the time and opportunity to match the
plethora of discretionary, educational materials available online and through
textbook companies with assigned their school curriculums and required state
standards.
The Solution
The Veterans National Education Project (VNEP) has working with teams of
curriculum development specialists, Intermediate Unit representatives, History
educators, and veterans to develop an American history curriculum for use in
school districts nation-wide. The curriculum is linear, chronological, ready-to-use
educational product that will satisfy state and national standards and testing
requirements. The four-phase plan includes: Phase I: Documentary Lesson Plans,
Phase II: Modern American Units, Phase III: 20th Century American History
Units, and Phase IV: Early American History Units. History educators will be able
to use the entire curriculum or select parts of the curriculum they feel match what
they do in their classrooms.
The lesson plans and materials provided in Phase I provide supporting materials
for educators utilizing our six films in their American history classroom. Each film
has an accompanying outline, quiz and power point presentation, as well as five
lesson plans, worksheets and assessment rubrics. These lesson plans are typically
used in the American history classroom, but also have applications to sociology,
gender studies, geography, economics, and political science classrooms as well.
History is relevant. The past affects our present.
The VNEP consists of former military officers and educators who firmly believe
that our greatest hopes for the future rest with an intelligent and informed citizenry,
particularly as it relates to the education and preparation of our youngest citizens.
Why do we believe that these stories – these historical voices – need to be heard?
History is relevant. The past impacts our present. We need to understand the
genesis of conflict: why it occurs; what went wrong; what went right so that we
continue to move positively forward into the 21st century.
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Introduction to Women in the Military Willing, Able, Essential
Movie: Lesson Plans and Materials
The Movie
Since America's founding days, women have been stepping forward to serve this
country. From uncommon soldiers who disguised themselves to fight and nurses
that faced horrific would to those who proudly wear the uniform today, women
have always contributed to our military might. This is their story. It's a tale of war
and peace... a quest for status and recognition... a patriotic journey to protect the
freedoms we all cherish.
The Curriculum
There are five lesson plans, ten handouts, one quiz, one power point are created to
accompany the movie, Women in the Military: Willing, Able and Essential. The
lessons have been written to include national teaching standards from the areas of
United States’ history, government and civics, and economics. Our lesson plans
and materials also fit very nicely into a sociology or gender studies classroom as
well.
Throughout the lesson plans, you will find that we have purposely integrated
cognitive, skill and affective objectives. Because we believe that students should
take an active part in learning history, critical thinking skills are emphasized
throughout the lesson plan series. The procedures in the lesson plan give the
history educator suggestions on how to mix both traditional (content-centered) and
progressive (student-centered) teaching methodologies.
Numerous Ways to Incorporate This Curriculum into your Classroom
The materials have been created to use as one unit or as stand-alone lessons.
The power point presentation, for example, is created with full knowledge that
slides will be deleted and added based upon an individual instructor’s needs. It is
our hope that each educator will easily be able to pick and choose which activities
are most appropriate for their classroom.
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www.v-nep.org/films-lessons/
Women in the Military: Willing, Able, Essential Movie Outline
Part 1:
I.
II.
Introduction
a. Women have fought to serve the country since its founding
b. Disguised to fight
c. Nurses
d. Present day
e. Rights and obligations of citizenship
The Early Years
a. Revolutionary War
i. Many women followed male family members into war
1. Too poor to live on own
ii. Cooks and laundresses – free men to fight on field
iii. Nurses
iv. “Molly Pitcher”
1. Women would carry water to soldiers and cool cannons
between fire
2. Mary Ludwig Hays – battle of Monmouth
i. Husband struck down – took his place at the
cannon as rammer
3. Deborah Sampson – “Robert Shurtliff”
i. disguised herself to fight as a male soldier
ii. fought for 3 years before being wounded
1. upon discovery was honorably
discharged
b. Civil War
i. Went to war to take care of domestic chores
ii. Patriotism, adventure, opportunity
iii. Nurses
1. Many of them African Americans
2. Helped to supply hospitals and hospital ships
3. Clara Barton
a. American Red Cross
4. Dr. Mary Walker
a. Commissioned as a surgeon in the Civil War
i. Eventually captured and held as a POW
ii. Only woman to be awarded the Congressional
Medal of Honor
5. Sarah Edmunds & Loretta Valaquez
a. Fought as male soldiers
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III.
b. 400 disguised women would fight
6. Harriet Tubman – former slave
a. Led slaves to northern freedom
b. Also served as a nurse, Union scout, and spy
7. Women as spies
a. Belle Boyd, Rose Greenhow – confederate spies
b. Pauline Cushman – union spy
i. Caught and escaped
iv. Nursing schools begin to train women
c. Involvement in other military actions
i. Tropical climates brought new need for nurses
1. Spanish rule in Caribbean and Pacific islands
2. Spanish American War
a. Hospital ships
b. Many women physicians were forced to serve as nurses
c. Horrible living conditions – typhoid, yellow fever
d. Women serves as volunteers
ii. Conflicts enhanced view of women as valued professionals
d. Women officially serve as members of the armed forces
i. Army Nurse Corps – 1901
ii. Navy Nurse Corps – 1908
The World Wars
a. Opportunities
i. Mass education and office work
ii. Allowed independence and an increase in sufficiency for women
b. World War I
i. Women join the Navy in force as “yomenettes”
ii. Marionettes joined the Marine Corp as reserves freeing up men to go
to war
iii. Over 10,000 Army nurses would be sent overseas
1. Witnesses to warfare (on the front lines)– chemical gases,
injured soldiers
2. Shortages of surgeons led 56 women to be contracted – big
step forward in recognition
iv. Women still do not have right to vote
c. World War II
i. In the military –
1. Following Pearl Harbor America mobilizes – Army/Navy
nurses answer to call
2. Some already stationed in Philippines are left as POWs
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ii. On the home front –
1. Women filled the factories as men were drafted to serve
2. “Rosie the Riveter”
a. Fueled war production effort – worked on machinery
and weapons
3. 1942 – WAAC (Women’s Army Auxiliary Corp)/WAC
(Women’s Army Corp)
a. “Free A Man To Fight”
b. Segregated
i. Officer Martha Putney – send to back of train
while trying to get to an army base
iii. Roles –
1. Women began to fill many ‘non-traditional’ roles
a. Parachute – rigging
b. ‘top secret’ projects such as the computer
c. ‘fly girls’ – test flew planes, flew targets for practice,
etc
2. Women fill every role except that of combat
iv. Deployment –
1. Eisenhower asks women to fill clerical roles in war theaters
2. Evacuate soldiers from costly battles i.e., Iwo Jima – support
soldiers mentally and physically (LT Katherine Van Wagner)
v. Post WWII –
1. Women return home to resume traditional roles yet enjoy a bit
more freedom and independence
Part 2 –
I.
The Cold War
a. 1948 – all military women are given permanent status within the armed forces
i. Integration Act – served as a basis for the mobilization of women
ii. Korea
i. Nurses used in field camps – put in danger and forced to evacuate
with the troops
a. Heroically braved battle fire and primitive living conditions
to care for the troops
b. Once again assume a role in which allowed men to be free
to fight
ii. American society had changed
a. No longer did the country feel patriotic towards warfare in
Korea as they had in WWII
b. Active recruiting began to take place
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i. Women were kept away from the military by being
excluded from the mainstream military, an all male
draft, and unfriendly family policies
ii. High recruiting standards with emphasis on
femininity
II.
III.
IV.
V.
Vietnam
i. Men were drafted – nurses needed
ii. Nurses were unprepared and overwhelmed with the conditions in Vietnam
iii. Advancements in equipment and techniques aided in saving many lives
a. Helicopter helped to evacuate patients
b. Large quantities of blood and antibiotics
iv. Women began receiving promotions
v. War became unpopular
a. Those involved would not receive recognition at home
b. 1993 - Vietnam Women’s Memorial
Changing Times – 1970s
a. The draft ends – all voluntary military
i. Military manpower needs
ii. Quest for greater equality
i. Female participation in the armed forces soars
b. Women’s Movement
i. Many restrictions removed – more options for women in the service
ii. Skills open, jobs open – female cadets were admitted to the service
iii. Women enter mainstream military
i. Trend to move towards more unconventional jobs
ii. Become vital to military success
c. Grenada and Panama
i. Signal first successful employment of integrated troops
Desert Storm
a. Iraq invades Kuwait
i. Large scale deployment of women in the military
i. General (Dr.) Rhonda Cornum –survivor of Black Hawk
helicopter that was shot down
ii. Showed that American public would accept the idea that women
could be captured or killed in times of war
a. Balanced by the exceptional performance of the women
serving in the military
ii. Women prove to be highly capable asset to the military
9/11 – The War on Terror
i. Many called upon to fight terror in Middle East
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VI.
i. Watkins – son follows mother into war
ii. Vernice Armour – first female African American combat pilot
iii. Sgt. Lee Ann Hester – first female awarded the Silver Star
ii. Women still excluded from direct combat roles
i. Enemy fire can happen anywhere anytime
iii. Today – not sharp distinction between men and women
i. Both leaders, soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines
ii. Major Megan McClung – killed in roadside bomb
a. Women making the ultimate sacrifice
i. Die serving a cause they believe in
Women’s Memorial - Arlington National Cemetery
a. Bravery, courage, honor, patriotism
b. 2.5 million women past/present
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Women in the Military: Willing, Able, Essential
QUIZ
Multiple Choice:
1. “Molly Pitcher” describes women who would
a. Work as nurses on the battlefields
b. Disguise themselves as men in order to fight
c. Carry water to soldiers and cool cannons between fire
d. Sew patches into the men’s uniforms
2. During the Revolutionary War, many women followed male family members into war
because
a. They were too poor to live on own
b. They missed their husbands/brothers/fathers
c. They did not want to be home alone
d. They were bored
3. During the Spanish American War, many women physicians were
a. Treated with respect
b. Asked to serve alongside male physicians
c. Forced to serve at nurses
d. Not allowed to serve on hospital ships
4. __________________ allowed independence and an increase in sufficiency for women.
a. Technology and factory work
b. Mass education and office work
c. Labor unions and political advancement
d. Advances in healthcare and child care
5. “Rosie the Riveter” portrayed and symbolized women as
a. Domesticated - belonging in the household
b. Equal - Fighting in the military
c. Strong – Filling the factories to aide in production
d. Weak – Standing by waiting for the men to return
6. President Eisenhower asked women to fill ______________ roles during WWII
a. Aviation
b. Combat
c. Clerical
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d. Domesticated
7. With the end of the draft, the military becomes ____________________.
a. Voluntary
b. Mandatory
c. Strictly male
d. Required
8. Which of the following signaled the first successful employment of integrated troops?
a. Korea
b. Vietnam
c. Grenada
d. Iraq
9. ________________ brought about a large scale deployment of women in the military
a. The Cold War
b. Desert Storm
c. Bay of Pigs
d. Operation Overlord
10. True or False. Today, women as still excluded from direct combat roles.
a. True
b. False
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Lesson #1: Women in the Military – Introduction
Standards:
8.1.12C Evaluate historical interpretation of events.
8.3.12C Evaluate how continuity and change has influenced United States history from
1890 to Present.
5.2.12C Interpret the causes of conflict in society.
Objectives:
1. The students will be able to analyze the participation of women during war efforts of the
past and the present.
2. The students will be able to empathize with the women contributing to the war effort
while struggling against the constraints of society.
3. The students will be able to effectively take notes representing the lecture.
Subject Matter: gender, discrimination, race, conflict, anatomy, combat, “passing”
Materials:
• Chalkboard
• Chalk
• Computer
• PowerPoint presentation
• Television
• Debate Handout and Rubric
Procedure:
1. Set: Students will copy down the essential question upon entering the classroom:
• How did women contribute to various war efforts throughout American
history?
2. Media:
a. Students will view the film Women in the Military: Willing, Able, Essential (It
is to be assumed that the instructor has already viewed this film and is familiar
with its content).
b. Students will be asked to list many ways women contributed to the war effort
as they watch the film. Their notes on this film will later be used for
classroom activities and discussion.
3. PowerPoint Presentation:
a. The PowerPoint presentation will supplement the discussion provided to the
students.
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b. Students will be expected to take notes on the PowerPoint. Few/limited
wording on the PowerPoint is to encourage students to focus on the lecture,
while writing key ideas and phrases listed on the slide.
c. The PowerPoint presentation begins with a quick review of the main
events/ideas covered in the movie.
4. Discussion or Debate Activity:
a. Present the following information to your students: Close to 90 percent of
military jobs are now open to the nearly 200,000 women who currently serve
in the U.S. armed forces. Women fly helicopters and fighter jets, serve on
combat ships, and command military police units. But they are not permitted
to serve in units that engage in direct ground combat with the enemy. The
debate concerning the role of women in the military is unique in that it
concerns both the issue of equality for women and the issue of national
defense.
b. Discussion Questions:
(1) Are there physical limitations and if so, can women be trained to
overcome those limitations?
(2) Can women be effectively integrated in ground units?
(3) Is the American psyche ready to send a mother or sister into combat?
5. Close: The instructor will complete a concise check for understanding by asking the
students what roles women have already played in the war effort in American history.
Assessment:
1. The teacher will informally observe the students taking notes from PowerPoint.
2. The teacher will informally observe the students participating in class by answering
questions asked throughout the PowerPoint presentation.
3. The teacher will informally observe the students participating in the discussion.
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Women in Combat
A DEBATE
A. Introduction:
Close to 90 percent of military jobs are now open to the nearly
200,000 women who currently serve in the U.S. armed forces.
Women fly helicopters and fighter jets, serve on combat ships, and
command military police units. But they are not permitted to serve
in units that engage in direct ground combat with the enemy. The
debate concerning the role of women in the military is unique in
that it concerns both the issue of equality for women and the issue
of national defense.
B. Process:
1. Divide into three groups:
a. Against Women in Combat (con)
b. For Women in Combat (pro)
c. Judge/Arbiters: run the debate and score points
2. Format:
a. Opening Statement
b. Pro points
c. Rebuttal
d. Con points
e. Rebuttal
f. Closing remarks cons
g. Closing remarks pros
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C. Discussion Questions:
1. Are there physical limitations and if so, can women be trained
to overcome those limitations?
2. Can women be effectively integrated in ground units?
3. Is the American psyche ready to send a mother or sister into
combat?
CLASSROOM DEBATE RUBRIC
Levels of Performance
Criteria
1. Organization and
Clarity:
1
2
3
4
Unclear in most
parts
Clear in some
parts but not over
all
Most clear and
orderly in all
parts
Completely clear
and orderly
presentation
Few or no
relevant reasons
given
Some relevant
reasons given
Most reasons
given: most
relevant
Most relevant
reasons given in
support
Few or no
relevant
supporting
examples/facts
Some relevant
examples/facts
given
Many
examples/facts
given: most
relevant
Many relevant
supporting
examples and
facts given
No effective
counterarguments made
Few effective
counterarguments made
Some effective
counterarguments made
Many effective
counterarguments made
Few style
features were
used; not
convincingly
Few style
features were
used
convincingly
All style features
were used, most
convincingly
All style features
were used
convincingly
viewpoints and responses are
outlined both clearly and
orderly.
2. Use of Arguments:
reasons are given to support
viewpoint.
3. Use of Examples and
Facts:
examples and facts are given
to support reasons.
4. Use of Rebuttal:
arguments made by the other
teams are responded to and
dealt with effectively.
5. Presentation Style:
tone of voice, use of
gestures, and level of
enthusiasm are convincing to
audience.
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Lesson #2: Historical Look at Women in the Military
Standards:
8.1.12C Evaluate historical interpretation of events.
8.3.12A Identify and evaluate the political and cultural contributions of individuals and
groups to United States history from 1890 to Present.
5.2.12C Interpret the causes of conflict in society.
Objectives:
1. The students will be able to analyze the participation of women during war efforts of
the past and the present.
2. The students will be able to create a Venn diagram to organize information.
3. The students will be able to compare and contrast the roles of women and African
Americans as support units throughout military history.
Subject Matter: gender roles, race, segregation, institutionalized discrimination
Materials:
• Chalkboard
• Chalk
• Venn Diagram worksheet
• Television
• Media: Women in the Military: Willing, Able, Essential
Procedure:
1.Set: Students will answer the following question written on the board or
overhead:
• Which wars do you believe American female soldiers have fought in?
African-American soldiers fought in? (Ascertain how much the students
already know about today’s lesson).
2. Media (optional):
a.
Students will view the film Women in the Military: Willing, Able,
Essential
i. It is to be assumed that the instructor has already viewed this
film and is familiar with its content.
ii. It is also to be assumed that the students have received
background information on African Americans in the military –
see On the Wings of Freedom: The Tuskegee Airmen
b.
Students will be asked to take notes on this film that will later be
used for classroom activities and discussion.
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3. Venn Diagram Activity:
a. Students will be given a Venn diagram worksheet to complete the activity.
b. Working with a partner, students will be asked to use their classroom notes,
video notes, and any other materials in order to compare and contrast the roles
of women and African Americans as support units in the military.
• What types of positions did they hold?
• How were they viewed in society?
c. After students have completed their Venn Diagrams, they will be asked to
come and fill in the information from their worksheets onto the Venn diagram
that is on the overhead/blackboard.
d. The instructor will lead the class discussion as they go over the information
together as a whole.
4. Close: Check for understanding –
a. The instructor will ask students to answer the following before leaving the
classroom: recalling what we learned today about the history of the American
military,
• What two characteristics are specific to the female military
experience?
• What two characteristics are specific to African American military
experience?
• What are three characteristics both groups share?
Assessment:
1. The instructor will informally observe the students taking notes on the video.
2. The instructor will informally observe the students working with one another to
complete the Venn diagram.
3. The instructor will formally collect and assess the Venn diagrams.
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Name: _________________________________
Date: __________________________________
Venn Diagram
DIRECTIONS: Using the diagram provided, compare and contrast the roles of women and
African Americans as support units in the military. What types of positions did they hold? How
were they viewed in society?
Women
Both
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African Americans
Lesson #3: Rosie the Riveter – “What’s My Line?”
Standards:
8.1.12C Evaluate historical interpretation of events.
8.3.12A Identify and evaluate the political and cultural contributions of individuals and
groups to United States history from 1890 to Present.
5.2.12C Interpret the causes of conflict in society.
Objectives:
1. The students will be able to analyze the participation of women during war efforts of
the past and the present.
2. The students will be able to comprehend the various roles of women throughout
military history.
3. The students will be able to work together in groups to complete the What’s My Line?
Activity.
4. The students will be able to create questions for a famous female and her involvement
in the military in order to complete the What’s My Line? Activity.
Subject Matter: gender, roles, Medal of Honor, intelligence, entertainment,
Non-traditional jobs
Materials:
• Chalkboard
• Chalk
• Television
• Media: Women in the Military: Willing, Able, Essential
• Worksheet – “What’s My Line?” group task sheet and biographies
Procedure:
1.Set: Students will answer the following question written on the board or overhead:
• What do you already know about the past/present involvement of women
in the military?
2. Media (optional):
a. Students will view the film Women in the Military: Willing, Able, Essential
b. It is to be assumed that the instructor has already viewed this film and is
familiar with its content.
c. Students will be asked to take notes on this film that will later be used for
classroom activities and discussion.
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3.“What’s My Line?” Cooperative Group Activity:
a. Students will break into groups of 4 or 5 depending on classroom size. Each
student will be assigned a role (leader, recorder, reporter, task manager).
b. The instructor will show the class a short segments from a video clip of the
television show “What’s My Line?” to give students an example of what the
activity will be about.
• http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/whats-my-line-eleanorroosenvelt/7316669be241d50784a87316669be241d50784a8191834030275?q=whats%20my%20line&FROM=LKVR5&GT1=LK
VR5&FORM=LKVR11
c. After viewing the film, students will be given pictures and information
pertaining to an important female and her contributions to past/present war
efforts.
• Marlene Dietrich
• Rosie the Riveter
• Mary Walker
• Sarah Edmunds
• Leigh Ann Hester
• Rhonda Cornum
d. Using the picture and the information given, students will create questions
referring back to their assigned female. They will then partner up with
another group to act out the game of “What’s My Line?”
4. Informal Discussion:
a. The instructor will then have the students break their groups and return to
their assigned seats.
b. The instructor will ask the students to share information about the female in
which they were assigned –
• Who was/is this person?
• What did they do to impact the war effort?
• What sacrifices or dangers did they incur?
• How was her role considered “unconventional”, if at all?
• How did society view women during the time period of this particular
female’s service/actions?
c. Students will be given a few minutes to write down their ideas before
discussion is resumed.
5. Close: Check for understanding –
a. Exit Slip – Students will be asked to write down one way that women have
contributed to the war effort of the past and the present.
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b. The instructor will collect the exit slips at the door on the students’ way out of
the classroom.
Assessment:
1. The instructor will informally observe the students taking notes on the video.
2. The instructor will informally observe the students participating in the What’s My
Line? activity.
3. The instructor will informally observe the students working together in groups.
4. The instructor will formally collect the Exit Slips during the closing activity.
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Name: ___________________________
Date: ____________________________
“What’s My Line?”
DIRECTIONS: Each member of your group will assume one of the following
roles:
Leader – ______________________________________
Recorder – ____________________________________
Reporter – ____________________________________
Task manager – ________________________________
“What’s My Line?” was a game show which originally ran in the U.S. from 1950
to 1967. The game challenged celebrity panelists to question contestants in order
to determine their occupations. It was the longest-running game show in the history
of United States. The rules of the game require panelists to ask questions which
could only be answered by "yes" or "no".
Using the picture and information provided, create _____ questions referring back
to your group’s assigned female. Once you have completed the questions, partner
up with another group and act out the game of “What’s My Line?” Remember, all
questions must be able to be answered with a “yes” or “no”.
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Name: ___________________________
Date: ____________________________
Name: Maria Magdalene Dietrich - aka – “Marlene Dietrich”
Date of Birth: December 27 1901 – Schöneberg, Berlin, Germany
Death: May 6 1992 (age 90) – Paris, France
Occupation: Actress/Singer
Biography: Dietrich was known to have strong political views. She was also
known to speak her mind. In interviews, she stated that she had been approached
by the Nazi Party to return to Germany, but had turned them down. She was a
devoted anti-Nazi, became an American citizen in 1939.
When the United States entered WWII, Dietrich became one of the first
celebrities to promote the selling of war bonds. Although a fugitive of Germany,
she traveled within miles of the German border to perform for the American
troops. In 1944, She worked with the Morale Operations Branch of the Office of
Strategic Services (OSS). She became a vital part of the Musac project, which
produced musical propaganda broadcasts designed to demoralize enemy soldiers.
Dietrich was the only performer aware that her recordings would be used by the
OSS. She recorded a number of songs in German for the project, including the
popular Lili Marleen.
Dietrich was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by the United
States government in 1947. She was also awarded the Légion d’honneur by the
French government to recognize her wartime work. She was a fashion icon as well
as a screen icon who would be followed by many to come.
Information adapted from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marlene_Dietrich
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Name: ___________________________
Date: ____________________________
Name: Rosie the Riveter (fictional cultural icon)
Date of Birth: The term "Rosie the Riveter" was first used in 1942 in a song by
Redd Evans and John Jacob Loeb.
“All the day long,
Whether rain or shine
She’s part of the assembly line.
She’s making history,
Working for victory
Rosie the Riveter”
Occupation: Assembly line/factory worker, mechanic
Biography: “Rosie the Riveters” took on male dominated trades during WWII in
order to aide in the war effort. Rosie the Riveter was inspired by Rose Will
Monroe, a woman from Kentucky who moved to Michigan during World War II.
She worked as a riveter at an aircraft factory building B-29 and B-24 bombers for
the U.S. Army Air Forces.
Films and posters depicting a female riveter appeared all over the country
and were used to encourage women to go to work in support of the war effort. In
1942, Westinghouse Company’s War Production Coordinating Committee hired
an artist from Pittsburgh , J. Howard Miller, to create a string of posters supporting
the war effort. One of these posters became the famous “We Can Do It!” image.
This image today is known as the “Rosie the Riveter,” though this was not the
authors intention upon its creation. Miller based the “We Can Do It!” poster on a
photograph taken of Michigan factory worker, Geraldine Doyle.
Information adapted from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosie_the_Riveter
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Name: ___________________________
Date: ____________________________
Name: Mary Edwards Walker
Date of Birth: November 26, 1832 – Oswego, New York
Death: February 21, 1919 (age 86, natural causes) – Oswego, New York
Occupation: Surgeon, United States Army
Biography: At the beginning of the Civil War, Mary Walker volunteered as a
civilian for the Union Army. The Army at the time had no female
surgeons, so she was forced to practice as a nurse, also working as
an unpaid field surgeon near the front lines. Eventually, she was
awarded a commission as a civilian "Contract Acting Assistant
Surgeon” in September 1863, becoming the first-ever female U.S.
Army Surgeon.
Following this commission, Mary Walker was appointed
assistant surgeon of the 52nd Ohio Infantry. In order to treat
civilians, she frequently crossed battle lines, resulting in her capture
by Confederate troops on April 10, 1864. Walker was arrested as a
spy and taken to Richmond, Virginia. Eventually she was released
as part of a prisoner exchange.
Walker often wore men’s clothing, and was arrested for dressing as a man
several times. After the war, she became an author and speaker, supporting
women’s rights, temperance, and health care. She is the only woman ever to
receive the Medal of Honor.
Information adapted from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Edwards_Walker
24
Name: ___________________________
Date: ____________________________
Name: Sarah Emma Edmunds
Date of Birth: December 1841 – Magaguadavic, New Brunswick, Canada
Death: September 5, 1898 – La Porte, Texas
Occupation: Union soldier, spy, and nurse
Biography: Sarah Emma Edmunds left home after her abusive parents forced her
to marry a man she hated. She settled in Flint, Michigan, where she enlisted in the
2nd Michigan Infantry during the American Civil War disguised as a man named
"Franklin Flint Thompson." Edmunds was given the position of a spy for the
Union.
Frequently traveling into enemy territory in order to gather intelligence,
Franklin Thompson used many disguises such as an African American male and
Irish immigrant girl. Edmunds eventually contracted malaria, and instead of being
revealed as a woman in a military hospital, she left the army and went to a private
hospital. Upon her recovery, she learned that “Frank Thompson” was considered a
deserter, and decided to serve as a nurse in Washington D.C.
In 1886, she received a government pension of $12 a month for her previous
military service, eventually receiving an honorable discharge.
Information adapted from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Emma_Edmunds
25
Name: ___________________________
Date: ____________________________
Name: Leigh Ann Hester
Date of Birth: January 12, 1983 (age 28) – Bowling Green, Kentucky
Occupation: Sergeant, Military Police Company – Kentucky Army National
Guard
Biography: Leigh Ann Hester received the Silver Star for her
military actions in Iraq on March 20, 2005. While
shadowing a convoy near the town of Salman Park, Iraq,
Hester and her team were ambushed by approximately 50
insurgent fighters. The insurgents carried assault rifles,
machine guns, and rocket propelled grenades. Hester
skillfully moved her team through the "kill zone" and in turn
attacked a trench with hand grenades and grenade launcher
rounds. The assault lasted almost a half an hour, in which
Hester had killed at least three of her attackers. By the time
the fighting had commenced, 27 insurgents were dead, six
wounded, and one captured. Leigh Ann Hester is the first female
soldier to receive the Silver Star for outstanding bravery since World War II and
the first ever to be cited for courage in close quarters combat.
Information adapted from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leigh_Ann_Hester
26
Name: _____________________________
Date: ______________________________
Name: Rhonda Cornum Ph.D., M.D.
Date of Birth: Born October 31, 1954 – Dayton, OH
Occupation: US Army Brigadier General, Director of Comprehensive Soldier
Fitness
Biography: In 1990, Rhonda Cornum volunteered to go to the Persian Gulf as a
flight surgeon with the 101st Airborne Division. The U.S. was preparing to go to
war in order to fend off the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. While out on an attempt to
rescue an injured fighter pilot with a broken leg, Cornum's Black Hawk helicopter
was shot down over Iraq. The helicopter crashed at 140 miles per hour.
Five of the eight crew members died in the crash. Cornum was shot in the
shoulder and both arms were broken. She could not stand, as she had torn a
ligament in her leg. She was captured by Iraqi soldiers and taken to a prison in the
city of Basra. During the drive to the prison, Cornum was sexually assaulted by an
Iraqi soldier. She was unable to fight back due to both of her broken arms.
Rhonda Cornum was held prisoner for eight days. Although she was repeatedly
interrogated, she refused to release any classified information. Cornum was
released by her captors on March 5, 1991, a week after the war ended.
Information*adapted*from:*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhonda_Cornum$
27
Lesson #4: Women in the Military & Technology
Standards:
8.1.12A Evaluate chronological thinking.
8.1.12C Evaluate historical interpretation of events.
8.3.12C Evaluate how continuity and change has influenced United States history from
1890 to Present.
Objectives:
1. The students will be able to analyze the participation of women during war efforts of
the past and the present.
2. The students will be able to create a timeline illustrating how technology has
influenced women in war.
3. The students will be able to explain how technology has changed the role of women in
modern warfare.
Subject Matter: gender, chronology, technology, warfare, combat
Materials:
• Chalkboard
• Chalk
• Television
• Media: Women in the Military: Willing, Able, Essential
• Timeline task sheet
Procedure:
1. Set: Students will copy the essential question written on the board or overhead:
• How has technology influenced the role of women in war?
2. Media (optional):
a. Students will view the film Women in the Military: Willing, Able, Essential. It
is to be assumed that the instructor has already viewed this film and is familiar
with its content. Students will be asked to take notes on this film that will later be
used for classroom activities and discussion.
3.
Timeline Activity:
a. Students will create a timeline depicting five different wars from the film.
b. Using the timeline, students will define the role of women in each conflict and
explain how technology has changed that role. Students will be expected to
use specific examples while justifying each role and how technology has
influenced it.
28
4. Close: Check for understanding –
a. Students will be asked an essential final question –
b. Explain the insignificance of gender in modern warfare through the evolution of
technology.
Assessment:
1. The instructor will informally observe the students taking notes on the video.
2. The instructor will informally observe the students creating and plotting their
timelines.
3. The instructor will formally collect the timelines and the essential final question.
29
Name: _________________________
Date:______________________
Timeline Activity
DIRECTIONS: Using the timeline, plot five different wars from the film. For each conflict,
define the role of women and explain how technology has changed that role.
30
Lesson #5: Interview Project
Standards:
8.1.12C Evaluate historical interpretation of events.
8.3.12A Identify and evaluate the political and cultural contributions of individuals and
groups to United States history from 1890 to Present.
6.3.12A Analyze actions taken as a result of scarcity issues in the regional, national, and
international economies.
Objectives:
1. The students will be able to interpret historical events using a primary source.
2. The students will be able to create a list of interview questions in order to complete the
activity.
3. The students will be able to use their interview to compile a comprehensive summary
answer to the essential question of the lesson.
Subject Matter: gender, primary document, combat, pink collar jobs, community
Materials:
• Chalkboard
• Chalk
• Tape recorder (optional)
• Television
• Media: Women in the Military: Willing, Able, Essential
• Interview Project Handout and Rubric
Procedure:
1. Set: Students will copy down the question and think pair share their answers to the
question written on the board or overhead:
• How have women been essential to the military throughout our history?
(Students should be able to answer this question by the end of the class period)
2. Media (optional):
Students will view the film Women in the Military: Willing, Able, Essential. It is
to be assumed that the instructor has already viewed this film and is familiar with
its content. Students will be asked to take notes on this film that will later be used
for classroom activities and discussion.
3.Interview Project:
a. Students will be asked to find a female within the community to interview and
learn their point of view on female action within the military and how they, or
someone they knew, contributed to an American war effort.
31
b. Explain to students that historians form good questions to find out the most
accurate information as possible. Today, they will be creating questions
similar to the way a historian would.
c. Students must submit at list of 10 questions they plan to ask during their
interview. The instructor will review and approve these questions.
• The instructor will provide sample questions such as:
i. How were women portrayed in society during the time?
ii. What were ‘normal’ jobs for women at the time?
iii. What do you remember most about the war?
• The teacher will instruct the students to order their questions by the
most general to the most specific
• The teacher will also help the students determine if there is a type of
question that is left out. In this way, the student interviewer will get
the most out of the interview experience
d. Once students have completed their interview, they will be asked to
summarize the information they have accumulated into a well-written
response to the essential question:
• Are there any patterns in the answers that you see?
• Does the interviewee have a bias? If so, what is it?
• Overall, what would you say if how women have been essential or not
essential to the military throughout our history?
4. Classroom Discussion:
a. The instructor will ask students to share some of the questions they asked
during their interviews, as well as some of the answers they had received.
b. Students will be asked to share any information they acquired during their
interview that they found interesting or would add to the classroom
discussion.
c. What does the interview experience about being a historian?
5.Close: Check for understanding –
a. Exit Slip –Students will hand in their interviews and summaries as they exit
the classroom. While exiting, students will tell the instructor who they
interviewed, what conflict they were involved in, and one interesting fact they
learned during their interview.
Assessment:
1. The instructor will informally observe the students taking notes on the video.
2. The instructor will formally collect and review the students’ interview questions.
3. The instructor will formally collect and assess the students’ interviews.
4. The instructor will informally check for understanding as the students exit the
classroom
32
Learning about Perspective
An Interview Project
Directions:
Interviewee: Locate and make arrangements to interview an adult female within our community
to learn their point of view about female action within the military and how they, or someone
they knew, contributed to an American war effort.
Interview Questions: Like historians, we are going to form effective questions for the purpose
of uncovering the most accurate information as possible. Write and submit a list of ten questions
you plan to ask during the interview. The instructor will review and approve these questions
before the interview.
Sample questions:
How were women portrayed in society during the time?
What were ‘normal’ jobs for women at the time?
What do you remember most about the war?
After gaining approval, you will order your questions from the most general question to the most
specific question.
Analysis: Once you have completed the interview, summarize the information you have
accumulated into a well-written response to the following essential question:
Are there any patterns in the answers that you see?
Does the interviewee have a bias? If so, what is it?
Overall, what would you say as to how women have been essential or not essential to the
military throughout our history?
Report: See the rubric on the next page for the criteria for writing the report.
33
Research Paper Rubric Name: _____________________ Date: ________ Score: _____
Category
Exceeds Standard
Meets Standard
Nearly Meets
Standard
Does Not Meet
Standard
No
Evidence
Title Page
Title
Your Name, Teacher’s
Name,
Course Period,
Date, Neatly finished
Clearly and concisely
states
the paper’s purpose in a
single
sentence, which is
engaging,
and thought provoking.
Evidence of four
Evidence of 3
Evidence of 2 or
less
Absent
Clearly states the
paper’s
purpose in a single
sentence.
States the paper’s
purpose in a single
sentence.
States the paper’s
purpose in a
single sentence.
Incomplete and/or
unfocused
Absent,
no
evidence
Introduction
The introduction is
engaging,
states the main topic and
previews the structure of
the
paper.
The introduction
states the
main topic and
previews the
structure of the
paper.
The introduction
states the
main topic but
does not
adequately
preview the
structure of the
paper.
There is no clear
introduction
or main topic and
the structure
of the paper is
missing.
Absent,
no
evidence
Body
Each paragraph has
thoughtful
supporting detail
sentences
that develop the main
idea.
Each paragraph
has sufficient
supporting detail
sentences
that develop the
main idea.
Each paragraph
lacks
supporting detail
sentences.
Each paragraph
fails to
develop the main
idea.
Not
applicable
OrganizationStructural
Development of
the Idea
Writer demonstrates
logical
and subtle sequencing of
ideas
through well-developed
paragraphs; transitions
are used to enhance
organization.
Paragraph
development
present but not
perfected.
Logical
organization;
organization of
ideas not fully
developed.
No evidence of
structure or
organization.
Not
applicable
Conclusion
The conclusion is
engaging
and restates the thesis.
The conclusion restates
the thesis.
The conclusion
does not
adequately restate
the thesis.
Incomplete and/or
unfocused.
The conclusion
does not
adequately restate
the thesis.
Incomplete
and/or
unfocused.
Absent
Mechanics
No errors in punctuation,
capitalization and
spelling.
Almost no errors
in
punctuation,
capitalization
and spelling.
Many errors in
punctuation,
capitalization and
spelling.
Numerous and
distracting
errors in
punctuation,
capitalization and
spelling.
Not
applicable
Usage
No errors sentence
structure
and word usage.
Almost no errors
in sentence
structure and word
usage.
Many errors in
sentence
structure and
word usage.
Numerous and
distracting
errors in sentence
structure
Not
applicable
Thesis Statement
34