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Interpreting the Evidence

Sloppy Sitter

  • Documents in this Activity:
  • Historical Eras:

    The Great Depression and WW II (1929 - 1945)

  • Thinking Skill:

    Historical Analysis & Interpretation

  • Grade Level:

    Lower Elementary
    Upper Elementary
    Middle School
    High School
    College University

  • Topics:

    Industry
    Labor

  • Primary Source Types:

    Image

  • Regions:

    New York State

  • Creator:

    NYS Archives Partnership Trust Education Team

  1. Load Sloppy Sitter, Job Hunting, 1924 in Main Image Viewer
  2. Load Sloppy Sitter, Job Hunting, 1924 in Main Image Viewer

Suggested Teaching Instructions

Document Description
A page from a 1924 educational publication on job hunting.
Historical Context
Women gained the right to vote in 1920 when the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution was passed.  Women's equality did not extend to the workplace, however.  The majority of women still worked in the home; only one in four held jobs.  For women employed outside of the home, society dictated what kind of work was acceptable.  Respectable women held clerical or sales jobs or worked as nurses, librarians, or teachers.  They usually earned less than men, even when doing the same job. 
 
Essential Question
How does industrialization change a society?
 
Check for Understanding
Describe the scene in the photograph and discuss the impact of industrialization on workers.
Historical Challenges
How did U.S. involvement in World Wars I and II help bring women into the workforce?
 
Interdisciplinary Connections
English Language Arts: Write a list of ten tips on how to get a job in today’s world.