Christine Y. House
WOMEN OF THE WEST
In this part of the unit we will read about a variety of women who left their mark on the West. We will read about specific women as much as possible and about groups when the names of individuals are not known. We will examine their lives in terms of how they might have changed as a result of the Westward (or in some cases, northward) expansion.
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A. Some of the women we will be studying are:
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“Stagecoach” Mary Fields
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Mary Ellen Pleasant
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Narcissa Whitman
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Sacajawea
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Henrietta Chamberlain King
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Zuni Pueblo women
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Spanish women in Santa Fe
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Plains Indian women
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Marion Sloan Russell
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Susan Shelby Magoffin
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Esther Morris Slack
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Amanda Burks
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Louisa Wade Wetherill
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Homesteader from Kansas, Nebraska or Oklahoma
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B. Students will work in groups of no more than three people to discover the specifics of these women’s lives. Included in their research will be an exploration of the following:
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What did they eat and where did they get their food?
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What kind of clothing did they wear (for warmth, to keep cool)?
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Where or how did they get the materials to make their clothing?
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In what kind of homes did they live (adobe, sod, log, tipis, etc.)?
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How children were educated (if they were)?
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What did women in particular do for recreation?
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C. Students will use the materials found in their research to write a description of the lives of these women or to create a replica of the home they have studied and its environment.
