Lesson Plan - The Battle Over Boot Camp

About the Article

Learning Objective

Students will learn about the role of women in the U.S. military by reading an article, a timeline, and a graph.

Curriculum Connections

• U.S. Military

• Gender and Discrimination

• World War I, World War II, the Persian Gulf War, Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq

Key Skills

Social Studies:

• Analyze the causes and consequences of events and developments

• Study how culture, groups, and experiences shape personal identity

English Language Arts:

• Learn and use academic and domain-specific vocabulary

• Provide an accurate summary

• Integrate information presented in multiple formats

Key CCSS Standards

RH.6-8.1, RH.6-8.2, RH.6-8.4, RH.6-8.7, WHST.6-8.2, RI.6-8.1, RI.6-8.2, RI.6-8.4, RI.6-8.7, W.6-8.2, SL.6-8.1

1. Preparing to Read

Engage and Build Vocabulary

Ask students to respond to this prompt: Make a list of at least five characteristics that could help make someone an effective member of the military. For example, you might say “determined.” Explain which characteristic you think is most important and why. Discuss responses. Then use the Skill Builder Words to Know to preteach domain-specific terms in the article.

2. Reading and Discussing

Read the Article

Read the article aloud or have students read it independently. As students read, direct them to circle or jot down any unfamiliar words. Challenge them to use context and a dictionary to define them.

Answer Close-Reading Questions

Have students write their responses or use the Close-Reading Questions to guide a discussion.

• Summarize the Crucible exercise and explain how Jacob James’s team tackled the rope bridge obstacle. (Summarizing)
The Crucible is a 54-hour challenge that recruits have to complete at the end of boot camp to officially become Marines. Jacob James told his team members to cross the bridge with the ammo cans hanging around their necks. When that did not work, the team completed the obstacle using Katelin Bradley’s idea instead—by tying the cans to the bridge and pushing them across.

• What evidence supports the statement “for a long time, women were treated unequally throughout the armed forces”? (Text Evidence)
Women weren’t allowed to officially join the military until 1917, and they could only serve in supporting roles like nursing. They couldn’t enlist during times of peace until 1948. All combat positions weren’t opened to women until 2016. Also, female Marine recruits still face limits on how many can go through boot camp at a time because of gender-separated training.

• What does the graph “A Growing Presence” show? (Text Features)
The graph shows how the percentage of female service members has increased in four U.S. military branches since 1970, when less than 2 percent of service members were women. In 2018, the Marines had the lowest percentage of female service members, at 9 percent, while about 20 percent of both the Air Force and Navy identified as female.

3. Skill Building

Analyze a Timeline

Assign the Skill Builder Timeline: Women in the U.S. Military to help students understand how opportunities for women have changed over time.

Assess Comprehension

Assign the 10-question Know the News quiz. You can also use Quiz Wizard to assess comprehension of this article and three others from the issue.

Printable Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan
Lesson: The Battle Over Boot Camp

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Interactive Slide Deck

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Slide Deck - The Battle Over Boot Camp

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