18th-Century Children and War

This resource guide provides engaging activities for Grades 7-8 students to learn about children in the eighteenth century. The materials impart the latest research into the reasons that boys as young as nine(!) enlisted in the British army. They also use paintings and memoirs about eighteenth-century girls playing soldier to question gender stereotypes. The background information and suggested activities encourage students to think critically about the impact of class, race, and gender on the experience of childhood. These activities will take multiple class periods and are not formatted as traditional lesson plans, allowing for flexibility to best support student learning. Developed by certified teacher, Melissa Hennig, using ground-breaking original research by Trent History Professor Jennine Hurl-Eamon.