Intrductin Dear Educatr, Teaching with Stuff: Prpaganda in the Classrm is an easy t incrprate primary surce activity that was designed t inspire inquiry-based learning and t help teach students hw t analyze and interpret plitical cartns and ther frms f prpaganda. The cntents f this guide are based n Scial Studies TEKS fr high-schl level U.S. and Wrld Histry, but can easily be mdified fr lwer grades depending n yur individual classrm needs. Fr additinal resurces and infrmatin n ITC exhibits and turs, please visit http://www.texancultures.cm/resurces/ If yu have any questins r wuld like mre infrmatin n materials, resurces and services fr students and educatrs, please d nt hesitate t cntact us. Respectfully, The Institute f Texan Cultures Educatin and Interpretatin 210-458-2281 ITCEducatin@utsa.edu Table f Cntents Intrductin... 2 Table f Cntents... 2 Tips fr Teaching with Plitical Cartns and Prpaganda in the Classrm... 3 Prpaganda Analysis Activity Instructins... 4 Prpaganda Analysis Activity... 6 Texas Essential Knwledge and Skills fr Scial Studies... 8 Institute f Texan Cultures 2015 Prpaganda Analysis 2
Tips fr Teaching with Plitical Cartns and Prpaganda in the Classrm 1. Use mdern-day plitical cartns in cnjunctin with thse fund in yur histry textbks t help yur students make imprtant relatable cnnectins t scial studies cncepts. Cmpare and cntrast the similarities and differences fund in plitical cartns and prpaganda in recent newspapers r magazines t thse featured in primary surce dcuments, yur histry textbks, nline, r in a museum. Discuss the cncepts f visual distrtin, symbl and metaphr, and steretype and caricature. 2. Cnsider the tls and techniques used by the authr f the prpaganda piece yu are examining t help students engage with abstract cncepts. What stry are yu hping t tell yur students thrugh the study f plitical cartns and prpaganda? Cnsider the fllwing tpics and discussin prmpts t help guide yu in integrating prpaganda analysis skills int yur daily classrm activities: Analgy: Des the authr r creatr use analgy? What tw situatins des the prpaganda cmpare? Des this cmparisn make the authr s pint mre clear? Irny: Can yu find any irny in the situatin the prpaganda piece depicts? What pint is the irny intended t emphasize? Des the irny help the authr express his r her pinin mre effectively? Euphemisms and name-calling: Des the prpaganda image use any dergatry r negative wrds? What persns r things are the authr trying t disparage? Des the authr use wrds t make smething awful less negative? Hw? Fear and bandwagn: Des the authr use peer pressure? Hw? Des the authr use fear as a frm f persuasin? Hw? 3. Inspire inquiry-based learning. Allw students t discver the imprtance f infrmatin cnveyed by plitical cartns and ther frms f prpaganda. Encurage them t examine mdern-day cartns and prpaganda with a careful eye and critically examine the imagery t identify the message and intended audience. Ask pen-ended questins, and als encurage students t create questins f their wn t investigate. 4. Create hme-schl cnnectins. Extend the classrm experience by encuraging students t explre plitical cartns and ther frms f prpaganda n their wn. Students can apply what they learned in the classrm by making cnnectins t current events and issues being discussed in mainstream media. 5. Visit a museum r histric site t enhance learning. Cnsider visiting a nearby museum r histric site t help yur students make cnnectins t what they are learning in the classrm. In additin t prviding yur students with real-life resurces t examine, museums and histric sites can als prvide yu with added cntext and backgrund infrmatin. 6. Be creative! This activity can be easily adapted and mdified the wrksheet can be used as-is, integrated int a classrm discussin, used t create graphic rganizers, r guide students in cnducting independent research prjects. Feel free t use ur ideas r create yur wn lessn r unit based n ur ideas. Institute f Texan Cultures 2015 Prpaganda Analysis 3
Prpaganda Analysis Activity Instructins In this activity, students will fine-tune their critical thinking skills in bservatin and inference by analyzing a plitical cartn r ther piece f prpaganda imagery. Befre yu begin, yu ll need t gather the fllwing materials: Whitebard r flip chart paper and markers fr brainstrming Cpies f a plitical cartn, prpaganda pster, advertisement, article, r vide fund in a histry textbk, newspaper, magazine, bk, r nline Enugh cpies f the Prpaganda Analysis Activity handut t distribute t yur students Directins: 1. Identify the time perid and tpic yu d like t explre using prpaganda imagery. 2. Tell students they will be bserving and analyzing a plitical cartn r ther piece f prpaganda t learn mre abut the strategies and gals used t persuade and prmte particular ideas, practices, r dctrines. 3. Intrduce the tpic f prpaganda and the types f prpaganda t yur students. Prpaganda has played a key rle in imprtant scial and plitical events thrughut histry, and is used tday t persuade and prmte ideas. What are sme examples f prpaganda used tday? 4. Display r distribute a sample plitical cartn r ther piece f prpaganda fr yur students t examine as a class. Mdel prper investigative techniques t prepare yur students t examine images n their wn. Use the fllwing prmpts t engage yur students in a class discussin: What bjects r peple d yu see in the prpaganda image? Is there a title r captin? Are there any wrds r phrases used in the image? Imprtant dates r numbers? D the bjects in the image functin as symbls? What d yu think they mean? Are any f the peple in the image exaggerated r visually distrted? Why d yu think the creatr f the image made the decisin t d this? What actin is taking place in the image? What issue is the image abut? Wh is the intended audience? Hw persuasive is the image? 5. Distribute prpaganda images r have students lcate their wn using the Internet, their textbks, r bks, magazines, r newspapers. Distribute the Prpaganda Analysis Activity wrksheet t yur students. 6. Have students cmplete the wrksheet individually, in pairs, r in small grups. Mnitr prgress and prvide assistance as needed. Clsure: 1. Discuss the tls and techniques utlined in Step 2 f the Teaching Tips presented abve. Which f these tls r techniques were used by the creatr r authr f the images the students examined in the activity? Select ne f these items fr students t examine in greater detail. Extensin Ideas: Have students demnstrate what they have learned abut the structure f prpaganda imagery and the tls and techniques used by the authrs by creating their wn prpaganda pster n a plitical r scial issue. Students may als write a research paper n the types f prpaganda used during a particular histrical event and present their findings t the class. Institute f Texan Cultures 2015 Prpaganda Analysis 4
Types f Prpaganda Prpaganda is used t systematically prmte certain ideas, practices r dctrines. Review sme f the mst cmmn types f prpaganda belw and use these definitins in cnjunctin with the tips utlined abve fr discussin. Bandwagn: Mst peple have this r are ding this s yu shuld t! Fear: The prpagandist warns that smething hrrible will happen t a grup r persn if they d nt fllw a specific curse f actin. Name-Calling: The use f dergatry r negative wrds cnnecting a persn r thing t a negative image r symbl. Euphemism: This term describes a technique a prpagandist uses t make smething awful seem less negative. Plain Flk: This term refers t a technique in which a prpagandist uses rdinary peple t sell smething r persuade yu t supprt a persn r idea. Example: Peer pressure, jining a religius grup r plitical party Example: WWII psters that indicated if yu dn t cnserve bacn fat, sldiers will die Example: Peple wh ppse funding fr a new family recreatin center are simply stubbrn and narrwminded. Examples: Death is described as lss, lying is fabricating, accidental deaths are cllateral damage, jails are crrectinal facilities Example: An ad r cmmercial that appeals t the Average Je r rdinary family and uses imagery such as a park r hme Institute f Texan Cultures 2015 Prpaganda Analysis 5
Name: Prpaganda Analysis Activity Date: Directins: Cmplete the questins belw using the plitical cartn r prpaganda image yu examined in class. Use additinal sheets f paper if needed. Step 1. Make Observatins and Cllect Data 1. What bjects r peple d yu see in the image? Are any f the bjects yu listed symbls? If yes, what d yu think they mean? Are any f the bjects r peple visually distrted? 2. What wrds r phrases d yu see in the image? Nte any titles, captins, labels, numbers, r dates that appear in the image. What text seems t be the mst imprtant r significant? 3. Describe the actin taking place in the image. Institute f Texan Cultures 2015 Prpaganda Analysis 6
Step 2. Analyze and Make Sense f the Data 1. What is the message f the image r what issue d yu think this prpaganda image is abut? What clues tell yu this? 2. What is the authr r creatr s pinin n this issue? What ther pinin can yu imagine anther persn having n this issue? 3. Wh is the intended audience fr the image? 4. What tls r techniques des the authr r creatr use t make the image effective? 5. Did yu find this prpaganda persuasive? Why r why nt? Institute f Texan Cultures 2015 Prpaganda Analysis 7
Texas Essential Knwledge and Skills fr Scial Studies 113.41. United States Histry Studies Since 1877 (1 Credit), Beginning with Schl Year 2011-2012. (c) Knwledge and skills. (29) Scial studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills t rganize and use infrmatin acquired frm a variety f valid surces, including electrnic technlgy. The student is expected t: (A) use a variety f bth primary and secndary valid surces t acquire infrmatin and t analyze and answer histrical questins; (B) analyze infrmatin by sequencing, categrizing, identifying cause-and-effect relatinships, cmparing and cntrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizatins, making predictins, drawing inferences, and drawing cnclusins; (C) understand hw histrians interpret the past (histrigraphy) and hw their interpretatins f histry may change ver time; (D) use the prcess f histrical inquiry t research, interpret, and use multiple types f surces f evidence; (E) evaluate the validity f a surce based n language, crrbratin with ther surces, and infrmatin abut the authr, including pints f view, frames f reference, and histrical cntext; (F) identify bias in written, ral, and visual material;(g) identify and supprt with histrical evidence a pint f view n a scial studies issue r event; and (H) use apprpriate skills t analyze and interpret scial studies infrmatin such as maps, graphs, presentatins, speeches, lectures, and plitical cartns. (30) Scial studies skills. The student cmmunicates in written, ral, and visual frms. The student is expected t: (A) create written, ral, and visual presentatins f scial studies infrmatin; (B) use crrect scial studies terminlgy t explain histrical cncepts; and (C) use different frms f media t cnvey infrmatin, including written t visual and statistical t written r visual, using available cmputer sftware as apprpriate. 113.42. Wrld Histry Studies (1 Credit), Beginning with Schl Year 2011-2012. (c) Knwledge and skills. (29) Scial studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills t rganize and use infrmatin acquired frm a variety f valid surces, including electrnic technlgy. The student is expected t: (A) identify methds used by archaelgists, anthrplgists, histrians, and gegraphers t analyze evidence; (B) explain hw histrians, when examining surces, analyze frame f reference, histrical cntext, and pint f view t interpret histrical events; (C) explain the differences between primary and secndary surces and examine thse surces t analyze frame f reference, histrical cntext, and pint f view; (D) evaluate the validity f a surce based n language, crrbratin with ther surces, and infrmatin abut the authr; (E) identify bias in written, ral, and visual material; (F) analyze infrmatin by sequencing, categrizing, identifying cause-and-effect relatinships, cmparing, cntrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizatins and predictins, drawing inferences and cnclusins, and develping cnnectins between histrical events ver time; (G) cnstruct a thesis n a scial studies issue r event supprted by evidence; and (H) use apprpriate reading and mathematical skills t interpret scial studies infrmatin such as maps and graphs. (30) Scial studies skills. The student cmmunicates in written, ral, and visual frms. The student is expected t: (A) use scial studies terminlgy crrectly; (B) use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuatin; (C) interpret and create written, ral, and visual presentatins f scial studies infrmatin; and (D) transfer infrmatin frm ne medium t anther. Institute f Texan Cultures 2015 Prpaganda Analysis 8