This unit examines women of the 20th century and the use of their images in war propaganda. The unit begins by exploring women soldiers of the Civil War, who disguised themselves as male soldiers. What inspired them to do this?
We will also analyze the roles of the women of World War II. The women of the home front took over men’s jobs and helped with the all-encompassing war effort. When students study the visual wartime propaganda, including images of women and appeals to women, they will be able to gain appreciation for the enormity of the war campaign.
Next, we study the “Be All That You Can Be” campaign of the 1980s. This campaign sparked the largest influx of women in military history, in an effort to reshape and change the image of the military. The campaign focused on what the Army could do for you during peacetime.
The unit concludes by examining the “Army Strong” campaign (2006), the first interactive, multi-media advertising campaign with women as a target audience.
(Developed for Photoshop and Graphic Design, grades 11-12; recommended for Graphic Design, Visual Arts, and American History/Women’s Studies, Secondary grades)
