Women and WWI

Lesson Starter:

Make a list of at least 5 items that

were rationed during WWI.

Today we will…

• Examine the role of women in pre-WWI Britain.

• Identify the jobs women did during WWI.

Success Criteria

• I will explain why women’s role in society changed during WWI.

• I will describe the types of work completed by women during WWI.

Before WWI…

What do you think traditional women’s roles were before WWI?

What do you think women were expected to act like?

Women before WWI

• In the years leading up to WWI, the role of women in society was being challenged.

• Traditionally, women were considered to be simple, delicate and naïve.

• However, this was changing as women were becoming more involved in politics, education and work.

• Write the following sentence in your jotter:

Before WWI women worked as:

• You will now see a series of images showing some of the jobs that women did before WWI. For each one, note down the type of job the women are doing.

Thinking taskBefore WWI, many women worked as:

• Laundresses • Maids• Seamstresses• Primary teachers• Factory workers

• Women’s work changed drastically throughout WWI.

• Why do you think women were required to do different jobs during the war?

World war One

• When war broke out in August 1914 many men left their jobs to fight in the army.

• The women of Britain were expected to take over some of those jobs.

How did people feel about this? (Include evidence)

What types of work did women do during WWI?

Task

• Divide a page in your jotter into two columns like below.

• Each group will be given a set of information cards.

• Each member of the group should take responsibility for at least one of the cards.(The person with card 5 only has to do this card.)

• You should write any relevant information you find on your card into the columns in your jotter e.g.

• Once you have completed your sheet, take it in turns to share your information with the rest of the group. Make a note of any information you don’t already have.

• Florists• Zookeepers

•They thought it was bad as sheet two says they “weren’t doing a good enough job.”

What types of work did women do during WWI?

How did people feel about this? (Include evidence)

Individual Task

In your jotter answer the questions below:

1. How did the work women did change during WWI?

2. What effect do you think this had on people’s attitudes towards women? (i.e. were they still simple, delicate and naïve?) Explain your answer.

Today we will…

• Examine the role of women in pre-WWI Britain.

• Identify the jobs women did during WWI.

Success Criteria

• I will explain why women’s role in society changed during WWI.

• I will describe the types of work completed by women during WWI.