Women were in the workplace long before Rosie the Riveter pushed up her sleeve. Learn about the working options available to women during the Industrial Revolution, the Progressive Era, and the Great Depression with a lesson that prompts learners to choose a historical profile and write a narrative journal from their selected women's perspective.

Concepts

famous women, women's history, women's rights, american industrialism, industry

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Have class members work in pairs or groups to formulate a character sketch that each can use for their narrative essays
• If pupils are artistically inclined, encourage them to draw a sketch of their characters
• Narrow the time period down to the relevant era in your curriculum

Classroom Considerations

• Most of the instruction and assignment description are available in the attached handout, rather than the lesson plan
• The information from National Women's History Museum is solid but not sufficient for a thorough research project; consider augmenting the research by adding more sources for learners to peruse

Pros

• Exhibit covers an array of women in American history
• Connects to both NCSS and NCTE standards, making it a good interdisciplinary lesson for social studies, language arts, and technology

Cons

• None

Common Core

W.8.3.a W.9-10.3.a W.11-12.3.a