This unit of study explores the experiences and the role of women during World War II. The unit can serve as an introduction or supplement to commonly taught topics such as Nazism in Germany, the Holocaust, the "home front," the USSR's Great Patriotic War, and the struggle between Nationalists and Communists in China. It begins with an overview and rationale, followed by the unit context and correlation to the National History Standards. Five unit objectives are outlined, lesson plans and introductory activities are described, and a table of relevant dates is provided. The unit then presents four lessons: (1) "The Impact on Women"; (2) "The Influence of Both the War and Cultural Views about Women on American Women's Employment"; (3) "Conditions That Militated for and against Gender Equality in the Soviet Combat Forces"; and (4) "The Importance of Social Context in Women's Attitudes about and Participation in the War: China as a Case Study." Each lesson contains teacher background materials, class activities, and primary sources. An 18-item bibliography concludes the unit. (Contains 18 references.) (BT)