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How Women Served
Heather Brooks
World War II presented opportunities to women beyond the home and factory. Many felt the call to serve their country by joining the military. It was their way of doing their part. Women joined such programs as Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES), Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WACs), and the Women's Air Force Service Pilots (WASPs). One of the more crucial roles that women played was that of nurses. They healed, encouraged, and comforted countless U.S. soldiers while often times putting themselves in harm's way.
Following students completing independent research (Media Center or Internet), they will form groups and will analyze, compile, and present research to class.
Websites:
http://userpages.aug.com/captbarb/posters.html
http://www.army.mil/cmn-pg/books/wwii/72-14/72-14.htm
www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/bulge/sfeature/sf_dispatches.html
Reporting World War II, Party One: American Journalism 1938-1944. New York: Library of America, 1995.
Annalee Jacoby: Bataan Nurses: Nurses Under Fire I the Philippines: April 1942(pps. 308-311)
Martha Gellhorn: The First Hospital Ship; Casualties of Normandy: June 1944 (pps. 151-163)
Lee Miller: U.S.A. Tent Hospital; The Wounded in Normandy: July 1944 (pps. 177-193
Transparencies
Transparency pens
Internet
TV that can display the Internet
Media Center
Documents for groups (will be listed in procedures).
Copy of "Accomplishing Something Important" by Ester Edwards.
Bulletin board paper the length of a student
Markers
Tape
2 days
2
How does war alter traditional roles of women both during the conflict and in the aftermath?
Content Specific Question:
What contributions did women make to the war effort during World War II?
Frayer Diagram (box divided into 4 equal divisions, with the term circled in the middle). In the first square the students need to write the definition of the word. In the second square, students need to list characteristics of the term. In the third square, students need to list examples of the term and in the fourth square, they need to list non-examples. A suggested term for this lesson would be WACs, Women's Army Auxiliary Corps. Give the students a few minutes to complete the diagram and then discuss their answers.
Recruitment Posters Activity. Find pictures of various recruitment posters used by the military during World War II that were aimed at persuading women to join. Suggested website for posters: http://userpages.aug.com/captbarb/posters.html
(This website has 17 recruitment posters for women).
1. Display the posters from the Internet using the TV screen in the classroom.
2. Have the students to write down three general observations they can make about the posters.
3. Have each student select and explain why a poster is his favorite.
4. Discuss the posters with the class.
1. One to two days before the lesson, take students to the library to research women in the military during World War II. Require that each student compile information from at least two sources. They need to write a one page summary of their research and cite the information.
2. Divide the class into five groups. Give each group a document that describes nurses in World War II. Suggested document: The Army Nurse Corps from www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/wwii/72-14/72-14.htm (You must type this website in instead of clicking here.)
3. Assign each group a topic from the document. Group 1 - Description of the Army Nurse Corp During WWII, Group 2 - Recruitment and Training and Black Army Nurses, Group 3 - At the Front, Evacuation Procedures, and Transport of Patients, Group 4 - Sicily & Southern Italy, Anzio, and the European Theater, Group 5 - The Pacific Theater and China-Burma-India Theater.
4. Give each group a transparency pen and a transparency. Have the groups to describe their topics by writing the information on the transparency. Give each group 20 minutes to finish this part of the activity.
5. Have each group to teach their information to the class. Have the class to take notes on the material presented. Give the students options of how to present the material. They can present PowerPoint presentations, skits, role playing, etc. The teacher could take the notes up as a participation grade.
6. Direct students to a website and ask them to read a first hand account of an Army Nurse during World War II. Suggested account: "Accomplishing Something Important" by Ester Edwards, U.S. Army available at www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/bulge/sfeature/sf_dispatches.html
Account is from "Dispatches: Angels of Mercy: Nurses' Tales. Other accounts include "Women in Combat" by Grace G. Patterson, U.S. Army, "Jolly Good Sports" by Florence Heermance Wiechman, U.S. Army, and "The Fifty-Sixth General" by Viola Molloy.
7. Read the document as a class and discuss how it mentions information learned in the previous activity.
1 . Have the students move back into their original groups. Give each group a length of bulletin board paper that is the length of one of the students in that group. Lay the paper on the floor and have one of the students to lay down on the paper. The group should then trace that student's outline onto the paper.
2. Students will label the different appendages of the body with topics: Arm = training, Arm = Recruitment requirements, Leg = duties and responsibilities, Leg = Different military options open to women, Trunk = experiences during the war (hardships they faced), and head = characteristics of a typical military nurse (bravery, etc.).
3. The students should decorate their nurses and present them to the class.
4. The nurse posters could be hung in the hallways for other students to see.
Alternative Activity:
1. Provide students with poster board.
2. Have the students prepare collages of nurses in various wars.
3. The collages could be hung in the hallways for other students to see.
Suggested Readings:
Annalee Jacoby: Bataan Nurses: Nurses Under Fire I the Philippines: April 1942 (pps. 308-311) from:
Reporting World War II, Party One: American Journalism 1938-1944. New York: Library of America, 1995.
Martha Gellhorn: The First Hospital Ship; Casualties of Normandy: June 1944 (pps. 151-163) from:
Reporting World War II, Part Two: American Journalism 1944-1946. New York: Library of America, 1995.
Lee Miller: U.S.A. Tent Hospital; The Wounded in Normandy: July 1944 (pps. 177-193 from:
Reporting World War II, Part Two: American Journalism 1944-1946. New York: Library of America, 1995.
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