This World War II women 27-page resource with 44 primary sources, 35 comprehension questions and 3 DBQ prompts gives students a chance to look in depth at women's experiences and contributions during World War II. The first two pages include Background, Notes on Primary Sources and Teacher Notes.

Here’s a chance for students to read documents and look at images that shed light on issues facing women and facing the country during World War II. These include photographs, speeches, newspaper articles, posters, pamphlets, letters and memoirs. Due to the sheer number of men going overseas to fight, women were needed to take on men's tasks, in the factories and on the farms, and even to serve as support staff in the military. African-American women, along with white women, were also needed due to labor shortages and had greater opportunities than ever before, but nonetheless still faced discrimination. Japanese-American women faced great challenges due to internment in camps throughout the western United States but still managed to contribute to the war effort and to endure the indignities of living in difficult situations.

Topics include the following:

Women Workers

Nurses during World War II

Women in the Military

Japanese-American Women

African-American Women

Victory Gardens and Rationing

Women's Land Army

Women Volunteers

End of War

Assign just one, a few or all of the sources depending on time constraints and student interest. This can be completed in one or two class periods.

Each page of primary sources includes comprehension questions at the end in order for students to analyze perspectives, consider key ideas and to identify bias.

Included is a one-page sheet that explains what primary sources are and how to analyze them using specific questions through a process called HAPPY (Historical Context, Audience, Purpose, Point of View and Why Significant). There is also a page at the end for students to apply the HAPPY process to the sources.

Three DBQ prompts are included at the end with instructions on how to create a response to the prompt.

An Answer Key to all the comprehension questions and the DBQ prompts are available at the end of the packet. This is excellent practice for all high school students, particularly Honors and AP students, but all students will find these resources engaging.

Please note that this is NOT an editable file.

Other Curriculum Resources about World War I include the following:

Women during World War II: Power Point Lesson

Women during World War II: Reading Assignment and Worksheet

All three resources are also available in a Teaching Bundle for a discounted price:

More resources are always being added so check back frequently!

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I have been a high school history teacher for over 15 years, both in-person and online with involvement in education for over 25 years. I have primarily taught U.S. History, AP World History, World History, AP World History and U.S. Women’s History. I have a B.A. and an M.A. in History.

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Please reach out if you have any questions, concerns or comments about this resource at christa@historyprisms.com.

Thank you for your interest in this resource!

Christa Nonnemaker

Perfect for Veteran's Day!

This 17-slide PowerPoint presentation covers World War II between 1941 and 1945. It is an ideal lesson to augment a World War II lesson or as a stand-alone resource for women’s history. The presentation includes descriptive text as well as primary source documents and images. It is also a good resource to use during Women’s History Month!

A slide with Teaching Notes is included at the beginning of the lesson.

Each content slide contains information and graphics that highlight how women participated in World War II:

Topics include:

Background and causes United States' entrance into World War II

Women workers during World War II

Nurses during World War II

Women in the military

African-American women

Japanese-American women

Life on the home front

This file has been secured via Flat Pack but if you'd also like the Power Point file, please email me at cnonnemaker@gmail.com.

Whether for standard classroom use, Home Schoolers or for asynchronous learning, these are valuable digital tools.

This is part of the Women in American History Series which includes PowerPoint lessons as well as Reading Assignments and Worksheets, Analyzing Primary Sources and Activities for other eras.

Other resources about Women during World War II include:

Women during World War II: Reading Assignment

Women during World War II: Analyzing Primary Sources and DBQ's

Buy all three as a bundle at a discounted price:
Women during World War II: Unit Resource

Follow I Like History

Follow my store so that you know when I add new products. Click the star next to my name and my new products will appear on the front page of your TeachShare account.

Provide Feedback

Also, don’t forget that you can earn credit towards future purchases when you give feedback!

For each purchase that you make, you can leave feedback which earns you credit for future purchases. Easy and financially-savvy too! Feedback helps me to know what teachers want for their students.

Interested in Free Resources?

Sign up for my mailing list to receive the FREE resource: World War II Oral Histories from the Homefront. (not available on TeachShare)

To receive information about podcasts, offers for freebies, and more, join my mailing list here.

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram for more about teaching, researching and sharing about history!

I have been a high school history teacher for over 15 years, both in-person and online with involvement in education for over 25 years. I have taught U.S. History, AP World History, World History, AP World History and U.S. Women’s History.

Thank you for your interest in this resource!

Please reach out if you have any questions, concerns or comments about this resource at christa@historyprisms.com.

Thank you!

Christa Nonnemaker

Deepen your students' understanding of women's experiences during World War II!

This quick three-page Reading Assignment and Worksheet provides an overview of the various activities, contributions and activities of women during World War II. It works well as a Guided Reading activity or as an exercise for Reading Comprehension.

It covers the time period 1941 through 1945. Women's participation and contributions were essential to the success of Allied efforts in World War II and this shift is explored in this assignment. This resource addresses the following topics:

Women and Factory Work

African-American Women
Japanese-American Women
Women in the Military
Life on the Homefront
Other Volunteer Efforts

Students can read this on their own as a homework assignment or it can be a group activity in a classroom. It is also ideally suited for home-schoolers or independent learners who want to learn more about women's contributions. A Worksheet with questions based on the reading is included, along with an Answer Key.

Reading Assignment - 3 pages

Worksheet - 1 page

This is part of the Women in American History Series which includes Reading Assignments and Worksheets from other eras:

Women in the US Military during WWII: Reading Assignment and Worksheet
Women during the 1920s: Reading Assignment and Worksheet

Progressive Era Women: Reading Assignment and Worksheet
Women's Suffrage Movement: Reading Assignment and Worksheet

Women during the Industrial Era: Reading Assignment and Worksheet
Early Women's Rights: Reading Assignment and Worksheet
Women of the American Revolution: Reading Assignment and Worksheet
Women in Colonial America: Reading Assignment and Worksheet
Native American Women: Reading Assignment and Worksheet

Note that the Homefront during World War II: Reading Assignment and Worksheet is very similar to this assignment but covers both gender experiences.

This is NOT an editable file.

Follow I Like History

Follow my store so that you know when I add new products. Click the star next to my name and my new products will appear on the front page of your TeachShare account.

Provide Feedback

Also, don’t forget that you can earn credit towards future purchases when you give feedback!

For each purchase that you make, you can leave feedback which earns you credit for future purchases. Easy and financially-savvy too! Feedback helps me to know what teachers want for their students.

Interested in Free Resources?

Sign up for my mailing list to receive the FREE resource: World War II Oral Histories from the Homefront. (not available on TeachShare)

To receive information about podcasts, offers for freebies, and more, join my mailing list here.

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram for more about teaching, researching and sharing about history!

I have been a high school history teacher for over 15 years, both in-person and online with involvement in education for over 25 years. I have primarily taught U.S. History, AP World History, World History, AP World History and U.S. Women’s History.

Thank you for your interest in this resource!

Please reach out if you have any questions, concerns or comments about this resource at christa@historyprisms.com.

Do you or your students like historical fiction? Hearts of War is about a Nisei soldier who served in the Military Intelligence Service and a woman who served in the Women Army Corps. In writing this book, I wanted to bring an unknown aspect of history to light. Available on Amazon or Kindle and I appreciate any reviews. Thank you!

Christa Nonnemaker
M.A./B.A. - History