Women & The War Effort

The theme for this unit, "Women and the War Effort," will have students consider the contributions of Canadian women during the Second World War, the significance of these roles in shaping Canadian military history and expanding the roles of women to the world stage. Students will engage with these materials to examine the contributions in a variety of areas including; serving over seas as nurses and officers, and supporting troops from Canadian soil through taking jobs such as transport drivers or creating care packages. Students will discuss the ways women were encouraged and supported to actively participate in the rough conditions our country was undergoing to ultimately have the rights and freedoms Canadians enjoy today. Through documentaries, archival films, personal wartime diary entries and news clips, such as Queen Elizabeth' s address to Canadian women, Canadian women on the both the home front and war front will be remembered.

The objective this unit is to provide educators and students with inspiration and appropriate resources (primary, secondary, lesson plans, graphic organizers) supporting the Ontario curriculum connections for grade 10 history. Various social, historical and political contributions because of Canadian women's effort during WWII will be further explored in the the teaching resources, primary and secondary resources below.


Historical Perspective Students consider the perspective of women in the war effort through engaging with a variety of sources (both primary and secondary).	Historical Significance Through engaging with these materials, students can evaluate the importance of women’s contributions in World War II and consider the long lasting impact of this to both women as a group and Canadian society as a whole.	Continuity and Change Over the course of this unit, students will determine the ways women's participation in the war effort stayed the same and show it changed between the first and second World Wars.

Historical Perspective

Students consider the perspective of women in the war effort through engaging with a variety of sources (both primary and secondary).

Historical Significance

Through engaging with these materials, students can evaluate the importance of women’s contributions in World War II and consider the long lasting impact of this to both women as a group and Canadian society as a whole.

Continuity and Change

Over the course of this unit, students will determine the ways women's participation in the war effort stayed the same and show it changed between the first and second World Wars.


Cause and Consequence Through this unit, students will determine the factors that led to women's participation in a variety of areas that supported the war effort.