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Women in the Military

Introduction

As the old saying goes, "war is no place for a woman." Men go off to fight the war, while women stay at home with the family and farm, tending the wounded in homefront hospitals, running funding drives, worrying, and waiting for their loved ones to come home safely. While this certainly did occur, it is also true that women have also performed an important role in defending their country, often at the front and on the battlefield.

During the American Revolution, many officers, including General George Washington, initially were reluctant to have women in camp for fear of their safety and the misplaced notion that they would not be up to the task. However, they soon recognized the tremendous contributions women made to the war effort—keeping the economy going on the farms and in the shops, raising money and supplies for the troops, serving in hospitals, and moving with the military camps performing needed duties. Some women even hid their gender and enlisted in the army to fight alongside the men.

Since the Revolutionary War, the U.S. military has gradually included women in roles equal to men in defending the nation. In this lesson, students explore their own thoughts on women serving in the military and gain a historical perspective on women's roles during the American Revolution. They also analyze a time line highlighting women's increasing presence in the military, then write a short essay describing their views on women serving in America's armed forces.

Materials

Strategy

Opening Activity: An Opinion Continuum

  1. With masking tape, a strip of white paper, or string, mark a long line on the classroom floor. Set up a continuum line that looks like this:
  2. Write the following position statement on the board. Have students review the statement and think about their personal views.
    Position Statement:
    Women should serve in the military in all operations, including combat roles.

    Next, explain the different placements along the continuum line. Ask students to stand on the continuum line in locations that best describe their views on the position statement.

  3. Hold a class discussion in which students explain their reasons for choosing particular locations on the continuum line.

Slide Presentation
You may either present the Women in the American Revolution QuickTime Slide Presentation on a computer projector or introduce the information yourself. Before beginning the lesson:

  1. If your computer does not have QuickTime Player software, download and install the free QuickTime Player.
  2. Download the Women in the American Revolution QuickTime Slide Presentation (file size approx. 1 MB) to your computer. Connect your computer to an LCD projector or a television screen in the classroom.
  3. Show students the Women in the American Revolution QuickTime Slide Presentation. Pause each slide for as long as necessary and share the related information from the Women in the American Revolution QuickTime Slide Presentation—Teacher Notes.

Main Activity: Women in the Military Time Line

  1. Organize students into groups of six, then divide each group into three pairs. Give each pair of students a copy of the Time Line: Women in the U.S. Military to review. In each group, assign the three pairs of students the following tasks:
    • Pair 1: Identify examples of women hiding their gender while serving in the military.
    • Pair 2: Identify examples of women serving in non-combat roles.
    • Pair 3: Identify examples of women working in combat roles or in combat areas.

    Have each pair of students mark or circle the time line entries they have been asked to identify. Randomly select students to report their findings to the class.

  2. Facilitate a class discussion in which students respond to the following questions:
    • In the 1700s and 1800s, why do you think women were not permitted to participate in the military in roles other than as nurses, laundresses, or cooks?
    • Review the time line of women in the military from 1861 to 1917. What roles did women have during this period of time?
    • When do you see the first examples of women officially joining the military? What circumstances do you think led to this change?
    • Identify the first time women served on a combat mission. Why do you think it took so long for women to fill that role?
    • Identify the different ways women serve in the military today. What jobs do they hold?
  3. After the class discussion has concluded, ask students to revisit the position statement they considered earlier in the lesson:
    Position Statement:
    Women should serve in the military in all operations, including combat roles.

    Ask students to again stand on the continuum line in locations that best describe their current views on the position statement.

  4. Provide time for students to explain their reasons for their positions on the continuum line. Did their positions change from the first time? Why or why not?

  5. Have each students write a short essay describing his or her views on women in the military. Each essay should incorporate information gleaned from the lesson.

Lesson Extension
From the time line and other sources, have students research past or present civilian and/or military women who have made important contributions to the U.S. military. What motivated them to contribute to the military effort? What barriers did they have to overcome? What contributions did they make, and why were they important?


This lesson was written by Greg Timmons, freelance writer and education consultant, Missoula, Montana.



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