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1) Before you begin the lecture, ask students to write down 3-5 activities performed by women and 3-5 activities performed by men prior to the Civil War, and give a brief explanation as to why they think tasks might have been divided by gender.
2) What are the reactions to Samuel's implication that he would "be a pretty good female?" or Why does Samuel say he would "be a pretty good female," and what does this say about the division of labor based on gender?
3) How many students indicated in their pre-lecture exercise that women completed primarily "domestic" tasks, and what was the rationale behind their answer(s)?
4) Ask students how much the division of labor based on gender has changed or in their own experiences, what kinds of tasks do women (mothers, grandmothers, aunts, etc.) and men (fathers, grandfathers, uncles, etc.) perform?
5) Ask students why the contributions of provisions / supplies from home might have meant so much to the soldiers (how might the war have affected the nation's production of essential products such as clothing, food, etc., etc.) – (why was there such a shortage of materials and supplies during the war)?
6) Why would letters and mementos from home have been so important to a soldier serving in the war?
7) What similarities can the students see in the importance of "packages from home" to soldiers in the Civil War as compared to soldiers serving in the military today?
Indiana Women in the Civil War Sections
- Lesson Plan
- Standards
- Overview
- Lecture
- >> Leading Questions / Comprehension Test <<
- Poem
- Group Activity
- Discussion
- IHB Marker
- Assignment
- Sources