Resource created by East Riding Museums, Heritage Learning and Normanby Hall Country Park.
Curriculum Links
- KS3/4 History: World War One
- KS3/4 Citizenship: Dealing with conflict, types of conflict
Learning Objectives
- Knowledge of the different ways in which women contributed to the war effort
- Understanding that women’s wartime experiences were varied and diverse
- Skills in analysing and interpreting historical evidence
Discussion Ideas
- Look at the photographs of working women in the resources section. What impression do they give of female workers?
- What other evidence would you need to get a more rounded view?
- Who might have objected to women taking on men’s jobs, and why?
- Why might there have been a backlash against women workers after the war?
- Why would married women in particular be targeted?
Activity Ideas
- Read the article from the Bridlington High School magazine (see Resources). Was Edith Drummond right in saying that ‘the old England, as it was before the war, has gone forever’ and that ‘in this future women are going to count as never before’?
- Set up a class debate to address the question of whether or not the First World War created permanent changes for women.
- Using the resources in this section as a starting point, research the different experiences women had during the war. Is there a ‘typical’ experience? How might women’s experiences have been affected by factors such as their age and social class?
- Try our interactive powerpoint - Which War Job is for You? - featuring a flowchart quiz. Participants learn which job they might have ended up with during WW1 based on their preferences.