Rosie the Riveter

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

Subject Area

Social Studies

Grade(s)

11

Overview

After reading this passage, students will learn about the impact World War II had on the lives of American citizens, including women. During World War II, some 350,000 women served in the U.S. Armed Forces, both at home and abroad. They included the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots, who on March 10, 2010, were awarded the prestigious Congressional Gold Medal. Meanwhile, widespread male enlistment left gaping holes in the industrial labor force. Between 1940 and 1945, the female percentage of the U.S. workforce increased from 27 percent to nearly 37 percent, and by 1945 nearly one out of every four married women worked outside the home. This learning activity provides an informational text, video, and comprehension questions. 

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Social Studies (2010) Grade(s): 11 - United States History II

SS10.US2.10

Describe the impact of World War II on the lives of American citizens, including wartime economic measures, population shifts, growth in the middle class, growth of industrialization, advancements in science and technology, increased wealth in the African-American community, racial and ethnic tensions, Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 (G. I. Bill of Rights), and desegregation of the military. (A.1.b., A.1.c., A.1.d., A.1.e., A.1.g., A.1.i., A.1.k.)

UP:SS10.US2.10

Vocabulary

  • wartime economic measures
  • G.I. Bill of Rights
  • desegregation
  • Tuskegee Airmen
  • Aliceville POW camp

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The impact of WWII on national economic issues.
  • Population shifts that occurred as a result of WWII.
  • Social changes in the nation, including the growth of the middle class.
  • The growth of industrialization in the nation and the impact of this growth.
  • Advancements in science and technology and the lasting impact of these advancements.
  • Changes in racial dynamics, including increased wealth in the African-American community, desegregation of the military, and changes in the racial and ethnic tensions in the nation.
  • Political actions that impacted the effects of the war, including the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944.
  • Alabama's participation in WWII, including the role of Tuskegee Airmen, Aliceville Prisoner of War camp, the growth of the Port of Mobile, production of Birmingham steel, and the establishment of military bases.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media.
  • Evaluate an author's premises, claims, and evidence by corroborating or challenging them with other information related to historical events.
  • Read and comprehend historical texts independently and proficiently on various topics related to events that led to WWII and the effect of those events on American foreign policy today.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • There was a significant domestic impact from WWII with lasting effects on the political, social, and economic environment of the United States.

CR Resource Type

Learning Activity

Resource Provider

Other

License Type

CUSTOM

Resource Provider other

ReadWorks

Accessibility

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