Her History: The Average American Woman's Experience Throughout US History
In this 8-week women's history class, students learn about the history of American women from colonization to the beginning of the 21st century, as well as complete a podcast project where they "interview" a woman from US history.
Victoria Atkinson, M.A.
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(123)
What's included
8 live meetings
7 hrs 20 mins in-class hoursClass Experience
Have you ever studied US History and noticed that there is hardly any mention of women unless they did something really big and important? Have you ever wondered what women were up to while the men were creating a new nation and enacting new laws that have shaped the US to be what it is today? If you answered yes to these questions, then this is the course for you! This class is an introduction to the history of American women and will be based on Nancy Woloch’s book, Women and the American Experience, 5th edition. Each class will mostly consist of a PowerPoint lecture, with the opportunity to discuss during and after the lesson. Learners are always free to share their thoughts and make connections throughout the lesson. I will also provide guided notes that you can print off, so all you will have to do during the lecture is fill in the blanks instead of furiously writing out everything on the slides. Learners may also write out their notes directly on the document. In addition to all of this, students will also have the opportunity to complete an optional project. It will entail selecting a specific woman in US history and creating a podcast "interview" with said woman. Students will complete various parts of this project over the course of the class. Below is the list of topics that will be covered over the course of 8 weeks, as well as homework assignments and project due dates: Meeting 1 - The 17th Century: Colonial Life + Explain Podcast Project ---HW: Do preliminary research and decide on who you will complete the podcast project on, should be shared with Mrs. Atkinson before next week's meeting Meeting 2 - The 18th Century: Revolution Life | Milestone #1 Due: Selection of Woman for Podcast Project ---HW: Begin researching selected woman Meeting 3 - Woman’s Sphere & Reform: 1800-1860 ---HW: Complete research for selected woman, should be turned in by next week's meeting Meeting 4 - The New Woman: 1860-1920 | Milestone #2 Due: Research for Selected Woman ---HW: Begin scripting podcast interview for project Meeting 5 - Finding Independence: The 1920s ---HW: Finish scripting podcast interview for project, should be turned in by next week's meeting Meeting 6 - Life in Conflict: The 1930s and 1940s | Milestone #3 Due: Script for Podcast Project ---HW: Record podcast for project (more info will be given in class about different free podcasting websites and software) Meeting 7 - From Housewives to Feminists: 1950-1975 ---HW: Edit podcast for project and put on any final touches, should be turned in by next week's meeting Meeting 8 - The Fight for Equality: 1975-2000 | Final Project Due: Completed Podcast Project
Learning Goals
Students will understand American women's experience in "family life, economic life, and public life, with attention to the pervasive impact of class and race" (Woloch ix). In the end, they will understand what it was like to be a woman throughout US history.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
I would recommend that only high school students take this course. Because I am basing the entire course on the textbook I used for my class in college, we will briefly touch on historical events and movements such as Margaret Sanger's advocacy of birth control in the 1920s and the Sexual Revolution of the 1960s, which I do not feel is appropriate for middle schoolers or even younger students. However, you can rest assured that everything will be taught objectively as a statement of fact.
Supply List
Guided notes will be provided for each class meeting. Also, although not required, you can purchase your own copy of Women and the American Experience, 5th ed. by Nancy Woloch if you would like your learner to read the additional chapters about various women in each of the time periods we will cover in class. Here are some links for different places you can purchase/rent it: Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Women-American-Experience-Nancy-Woloch/dp/0073385573 Thriftbooks - https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/women-and-the-american-experience_nancy-woloch/315165/item/4576271/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwjIKYBhC6ARIsAGEds-JSxF_6_2qcwFQxxkwSWELdubLnsqlRHYaPq-JlEtvS3bbvh1QWPEoaAlgOEALw_wcB#idiq=4576271&edition=6898098 Chegg - https://www.chegg.com/textbooks/women-and-the-american-experience-5th-edition-9780073385570-0073385573 You may also be able to request it through your local library or at a nearby college/university. World Cat will show you the colleges/universities it's at nearest to you: https://www.worldcat.org/title/women-and-the-american-experience/oclc/838005567?referer=di&ht=edition
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Sources
I will be using my undergrad textbook, Women and the American Experience by Nancy Woloch, as a reference. For more information about it, see the source listing below:
Woloch, Nancy. Women and the American Experience. 5th ed., McGraw-Hill, 2011.
Joined April, 2020
4.9
123reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
South Carolina Teaching Certificate in Social Studies/History
I took this very course in college and I thought it was so fascinating. Oftentimes in US History, we gloss over the lives of women, looking at them as mere footnotes. All of the research papers I wrote for my undergraduate degree, including my senior thesis, focused on women, so I feel like I have a pretty good understanding of the life of women throughout US History.Reviews
Live Group Class
$17
weekly1x per week, 8 weeks
55 min
Completed by 6 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 13-18
1-10 learners per class
