Propaganda techniques

[jsfowler]

Hey, this is last minute but I thought since I had a few minutes I would ask for some advice. Tomorrow (Tuesday), I am teaching a lesson on propaganda techniques and then watching "An Inconvenient Truth". This is part of my coal/global warming unit. Here is what I plan on doing and if you have any suggestions, I will throw them in. This will probably take me about 3 days to complete.

1. Survey of their opinions on global warming
2. Think-Pair-Share: Brainstorm list of propaganda techniques (this is a review, they learned this in language arts)
3. PowerPoint with handout (lists and defines approximately 12 techniques)
4. Each pair is assigned a technique to "act out"
5. Watch "An Inconvenient Truth"...keep a list of propaganda techniques found in the video with a brief description
6. Take survey again...compare the two
7. Reflection - What propaganda techniques were used in the video? Why do we use propaganda techniques? Did this video alter your opinion of coal-burning power plants and global warming? etc.

[Chef Dave]

You could expand upon your lesson by discussing the political lobbying efforts of both coal mines and coal-burning power plants.

In addition to coal-burning power plants, you might want to mention that there are still private homes that are heated by coal furnaces. According to the 2000 census, there are still 143,000 houses in the United States with coal furnaces. One-third of these are in Pennsylvania.

Number of BTUs used by coal:
http://www.content4reprint.com/home/home-improvement/organizing/how-many-btus-does-your-furnace-give-you-from-your-fuel-source.htm

The home use of coal furnaces:
http://geology.about.com/od/coal/a/aacoalathome.htm

[jsfowler]

Thanks for the sites...good extension. All four of my classes also have civics this semester as an exploratory and I may talk to their teacher tomorrow about discussing the political aspect of the issue. One of my students is taking a close look at the presidental canidates and reporting on their views of fossil fuels, etc. I will give him this info to add to his project.

[sendaletterbomb]

If you're looking for propaganda relating to WWII, there a bunch of great cartoons on youtube that can be found by searching for "banned cartoons."

[emilyb]

Looking forward to hearing how it's going! I love teaching propoganda. They get so engaged!

In my English class we read about hate radio leading up to the Rawandan Genocide, they made their own "propoganda" and also analyzed how it's using also as a selling technique and then we watched Hotel Rawanda, which made for some incredible journals and responses!

We'd also read from the Freedom Writers Diaries earlier in the year, and they'd read Anne Frank last year, so they could use that prior knowledge with Nazism.

[JustTess]

My first experience with propoganda which tied the concept clearly was a collection of WWII leaflets which urged Americans to give up.

[jsfowler]

Students are studying WWII in social studies right now and reading "Anne Frank" in language arts. I am studying global warming (I know, it doesn't fit the theme) but I did offer to teach propaganda techniques. Today, we brainstormed our list of techniques and I grouped them in two's and assigned them a specific technique. They had to create a TV commercial, radio announcement, or print ad. They were great!! I did not stop laughing all day! My favorites were "red herring". We then discuss how propaganda has been used throughout history to make the connection to WWII. We also discussed propaganda techniques used in this years presidential election.

Tomorrow we will view "An Inconvenient Truth". I wonder what the kids will think about it. Today some of my kids actually asked who Al Gore was!!!! Then I thought, you know, they were 4 when he ended his vice-presidency. I know, they should still know but I understand how some of them wouldn't.

[anyalee]

This is late, but you could use it next year....give a short lesson on advertising techniques & then pass out newspapers. Have students find examples in the newspapers & think of other examples in the world.