Radium Girls
Guiding Question: How do the experiences of the Radium Girls affect workplace safety today?
Big Idea: Workplace Safety
The Radium Girls were women who were poisoned by radium during World War I, were denied knowledge of the dangers of their jobs, and brought some changes to the war industry by World War II.
This lesson is to provide knowledge to a group of women who made contributions to the war effort, but also to improve workplace safety. Students will learn historical and economic impacts from this lesson.
30-45 minutes. (Extension activities included)
- Students will learn of some women’s roles in the workplace during World War I and the 1920s, along with the attention to the dangers within their workplace.
- Students should have gained knowledge on how these women created a safer workplace for future employees.
- What was the motivator in keeping the truth from the women?
- Were the companies held appropriately accountable to the workers?
- Why does workplace safety take time to happen?
This lesson would be beneficial as you are discussing the homefront of World War I and how Americans are assisting in the war effort. It also could provide a segue from WWI into the 1920s.
- Radium Products Answer Key
- Notes sheet
- Powerpoint
- Readings
- Resources from readings can be found through the Library of Congress: https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2019/03/radium-girls-living-dead-women/
Warm Up:
Ask students to write their thoughts on: “What do you know about radium?” Allow time for students to write anything they may know or think they understand about the topic. Students will share their thoughts.
Provide students with a short reading, or a slide on the presentation to acknowledge the woman scientist who made the discovery of radium, Marie Curie. The major point to focus on is that radium in a large amount (quantity) or exposure (length of time) will have negative effects on the human body.
Activity:
- As students look at the slide with different “radium” products, allow them a few moments to “Observe, Reflect, and Question” the items. [Link to Library of Congress template.]
- Students will learn about the use of radium for the war effort during World War I and the female employees in those factories.
- Inform students on the illnesses that began facing these women in the dial painting factories.
- Break for reflection. Students will respond to a question. After a few minutes for their response, you can inquire with 3-4 students on what they thought.
- Break students either into 2 groups or take the time for them to read both readings. (Suggestion is to copy the 2 readings on different colored paper.) The 2 different readings are 1) the New Jersey women (1928) who first dealt with the radium poisoning and the outcome of their suit against the company and 2) the Illinois women (1937) who sued and the outcome of their case.
- Remainder of notes focus on how the Radium Girls influenced the federal government on worker and consumer safety. There are several questions included for students' personal thoughts. (You can choose how in depth you wish to go on this piece. Information is provided immediately following through to current day).
Extensions of the lesson:
- Analyzing radium products. Students will be provided products that claim to have radium components to them. They will be deciding when they think this product was available to the public and if it actually contained radium. (It is suggested that you copy these and have students in small groups. Each student will get their own product, but after 5-7 minutes, students might share with the group what they have for a product.) The teacher will have students call out some of the items and an answer key is provided. {Note there is a package of cigarettes.} Lead a discussion on common time periods, but also the outliers and ask why.
- Video which reviews information covered (Entire video is 10 minutes, but could begin at 4:44 for the most needed section.)
- Superfund sites. Slides 17 & 18 can be used as an extension of the lesson to explore the Superfund Sites. You could even allow students to research what is being done at these former sites.
Students will be given a political cartoon, they will respond to the cartoon.
- Create thought bubbles for the skeleton and the radium girl to explain what happened to these women.
- Write an editorial or a news story, as if it is the 1930s and include both groups of women.
- Research the Superfund Sites and have the thought bubbles of the skeleton and Radium girl reflect more current events that have occurred at sites.
The newspaper clippings related to the lgrossman.com site. These newspapers were collected by the lawyer for the women.
The Case of the Living Dead Women - The Radium Dial Case in the Newspapers - the Case of the Living Dead Women - the Radium Dial Case in the Newspapers - Radium DIAL178, www.lgrossman.com/pics/radium/slides/radium%20dial178-orig.html. Accessed 23 July 2024.
C3 Standards:
- D2.His.1.9-12. Evaluate how historical events and developments were shaped by unique circumstances of time and place as well as broader historical contexts.
- D2.His.16.9-12. Integrate evidence from multiple relevant historical sources and interpretations into a reasoned argument about the past.
- D2.Civ.14.9-12. Analyze historical, contemporary, and emerging means of changing societies, promoting the common good, and protecting rights.
Additional ideas covered:
- D2.Geo.5.9-12. Evaluate how political and economic decisions throughout time have influenced cultural and environmental characteristics of various places and regions.
- D2.Eco.1.9-12. Analyze how incentives influence choices that may result in policies with a range of costs and benefits for different groups.
This biography is sponsored in part by the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Eastern Region Program, coordinated by Waynesburg University. Content created and featured in partnership with the TPS program does not indicate an endorsement by the Library of Congress.
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