The shock of Pearl Harbor awoke America from its dream of isolationism. As troops went overseas and industry ramped up to supply the urgent need for war materials, a new wave of Southern blacks migrated north and west to fill the workforce – along with millions of women, who exchanged housework for war work.
This program discusses the effects of World War II on the home front, spotlighting the war’s impact as a catalyst for economic, demographic, and social change.
Rosie the Riveter was an allegorical cultural icon of World War II, representing the women who worked in factories and shipyards during World War II, many of whom produced munitions and war supplies. These women sometimes took entirely new jobs replacing the male workers who joined the military.
Using the National Archives poster analysis worksheet, work in small groups to analyze a poster from the list below.
Posters from The National Archives exhibit "Powers of Persuasion," available through a link from the EDSITEment resource Educator Resources:
Posters from The Smithsonian Institution exhibit "Posters on the American Home Front (1941-45)," a link from the EDSITEment resource Center for the Liberal Arts:
From the EDSITEment-reviewed American Memory exhibit "World War II Posters from the WPA":
Posters from the EDSITEment resource At Home in the Heartland Online, exhibit on World War II Posters:
As you work, fill out the Poster Analysis Worksheet
When groups finish their analysis, each group should share its poster with the rest of the class.
Once you have analyzed your Homefront poster, create your own poster. You will use the same theme from your poster analysis for your new poster.
Copyright © 2021
behavioral-science.education
All Rights Reserved.