Community Event 20th April 2016 – 5pm to 7pm
Professor Alison Fell from the University of Leeds shared her expertise on women during World War I with two year five classes and the wider community in the evening.
The popular community event also included performances from the year five children reflecting on the learning that they had done over the past few months about women at the turn of the 20th century. After the presentations there was First World War food such as trench cake and pea soup on offer. The crowd also enjoyed marbles; sharing their own family stories; taking part in a quiz; reading and looking at the children’s art and writing.
Included in their work was an examination of the fight for women to gain the right to vote. “We were quite shocked to find out how women were at the bottom of society structure during the First World War,” said a year five pupil.
Professor Alison Fell from the University of Leeds shared her expertise on women during World War I with two year five classes and the wider community in the evening.
The popular community event also included performances from the year five children reflecting on the learning that they had done over the past few months about women at the turn of the 20th century. After the presentations there was First World War food such as trench cake and pea soup on offer. The crowd also enjoyed marbles; sharing their own family stories; taking part in a quiz; reading and looking at the children’s art and writing.
Included in their work was an examination of the fight for women to gain the right to vote. “We were quite shocked to find out how women were at the bottom of society structure during the First World War,” said a year five pupil.
Birley Spa Primary School children have identified the following questions they would like the research to explore -
Families Where Women Were Working
Families Where Women Were Working
- Where did the children of women workers go?
- When did the kids see their Mum?
- Were women happy to leave their children behind?
- How did the family feel when their women were away?
- Did the children think they were being abandoned?
- How did the families cope without somebody to run the house properly?
- What happened if the women failed at their jobs?
- Would they be sacked if they didn’t come for a couple of days?
- Why did the men think that women were bad at jobs?
- What jobs did the women first get accepted at?
- Did the women enjoy the jobs?
- Did women get bullied by any men?
- Were they as good as the men?
- What did they eat when they were at work?
- Did all women accept that women had to work?
Jobs Women Did in Sheffield
- How many jobs were there for women?
- Why did they have women police?
- Could women choose what job they wanted?
- What was the most popular job for women?
- How hard were the jobs?
- Did they work in farms or mines?
- How long were their shifts?
- Were women trained in the jobs?
- Did any women stay at work after the war ended?
- Were any of the other women kept for good work?
- What did women do when they finished work?
- Were men angry that women got to work?
- Did women celebrate the end of the war?
Women and Family Health
- Did any women die from work-related diseases?
- Did many women die whilst working?
- Did they have any doctors and nurses at factories?
- How much did medicine cost?
- What did pregnant women do in the war?
- What would happen if their child was ill?
- What was the manager’s name?
- How did the machines work?
- Did anyone die whilst working in the factory?
- Did it have health and safety standards?
- Could women have the day off?
- Did they have to pay for their uniform?
- How and when were women paid?
- What was the difference between pay for men and women?
