Propaganda

Usha's comments in Blue.

Your name: Sabrina Kokosarevic

**Initial Reading and Assessment of Textbook Treatment of the Topic**
Name of Gr. 10 Textbook examined: "Spotlight: Canada 4th Edition"

Name of more "scholarly" source examined: "History of Canadian Peoples: Vol 2 1867- Present" by M. Conrad and A. Finkel.

__Your Initial Thoughts:__ Please provide a **brief** (5-10 sentences) initial assessment of the textbook's treatment of the subject. We have not developed any particular criteria by which to assess the textbook so this is really simply you initial reactions, feelings, questions about what you have read. Thanks!

The textbook //Spotlight: Canada 4th Edition// does a poor job at discussing and flushing out the essence of propaganda and its role in WWI. There is only one small paragraph about propaganda posters and four small example images where most of the text cannot even be read. While the paragraph does provide a basic definition and therefore gives student’s sufficient information to understand //what// propaganda is it does not come close to explaining //why// propaganda was important to Canadian understanding of the war on the home front or the various ways in which the Canadian government implemented it. The textbook gives the impression that propaganda was only found in the form of colourful posters with patriotic slogans, which is misleading. This is an opportunity for the teacher to expand on what the text has produced and inform students that propaganda often came in the form of confrontational peer pressure (ex: the White Feather Campaign—originating from England), or from misleading military officials who promised adventure to farm boys. The examples given in the textbook are Canadian but if the teacher incorporated examples from the other countries involved in the war (Germany, for example) the class could discuss the differences/similarities between the approaches to propaganda and brainstorm about which method/nation’s might have been the most efficient. This kind of activity would not only allow for a ‘think-pair-share’ session but it would also push students into thinking critically about propaganda and its effects.

Thanks for your assessment, Sabrina. You have some fabulous ideas about how to enhance the treatment of this topic. What you'll have to consider is how you might have students uncover the far-reaching methods that you describe (rather than it being the teacher's job necessarily to show them it). I also like the critical question you've alluded to regarding effectiveness. Good start.


 * Lesson Design—Initial Planning Stages **
 * Grade 10 Academic History: Propaganda in WWI **

The lesson is geared to teach students to understand not only how propaganda affected Canadians but why and how it was employed by the government. Good start, Sabrina. You might want to expand this a little to articulate what it is you want students to walk away understanding ABOUT how propaganda affected people. e.g. "Students will understand that propaganda had a significant effect..." or that "the use of propaganda is controversial..." or "sometimes it is obvious while at other times it is subtle..." - do you see what I mean? What do you want students to walk away believing or thinking about the topic.
 * __Identify Key Learning/ “Big Idea”/ Learning Target:__**

Compare and contrast examples of Canadian propaganda versus that of the opposing nations. Which nation employs propaganda to the best advantage? How did they accomplish this?
 * __Frame Critical Challenge:__**

This assignment will ask students to look beyond the Canadian perspective of the war. It will provide them with a better understand of both the similarities and differences in how each nation approached the use of propaganda. They will have to use critical thinking skills to put themselves in the place of a Canadian during WWI and ask themselves if the propaganda they are viewing may or may not have made them more inclined to join the war effort. They will also be using and expanding upon their research skills as they will have to find examples of foreign propaganda on their own don't settle on this yet - you'll have to decide whether it's worthwhile for pedagogical reasons to have students do this research or whether it makes sense to bring them examples that you have found (which should be approved by the teacher as acceptable). Students will present the teacher with what criteria is necessary for a successful propaganda campaign as well as provide examples and reasoning for their assessment. Good - also consider mentioning explicitly how this lesson will help students specifically prepare for their final summative task (i.e. the newspaper spread) - They don't have to actually complete any part of the newspaper spread but you should be able to articulate to students how this lesson is directly relevant to the final summative.
 * __Skills Learned:__**

Evidence and Interpretation—Students will be asked to examine primary source evidence and pair it with their knowledge gleaned through secondary sources (textbook materials, teacher, previous activities, etc) to come to an educated conclusion.
 * __Historical Thinking:__**


 * Intellectual Tools: **

Specific Curriculum Expectations— Content/Skills Necessary—
 * __Background Knowledge:__**

a) Criteria for: what makes an effective propaganda campaign a. Does it attempt to convince the audience to do something or hold a particular opinion?  b. Does it evoke an emotional response in the audience?  c. Does it present its view as the logical/right right decision for the audience to make?  Well articulated criteria.
 * __Criteria for Judgment:__**

Usha: Due to my absence I was unclear on what a "habit of mind" or a "thinking strategy" is. Is it in a section of our book like the "historical thinking" and I'm just missing it? No worries, Sabrina. You'll find an outline of habits of mind and thinking strategies in Chapter 7 of the Anthology, I think. I've uploaded a list of habits of mind to Blackboard under "Class Handouts". We'll be talking about thinking strategies more - I can fill you in on Tuesday.
 * __Habit of Mind:__**
 * __Thinking Strategies:__**


 * Lesson Plan:**
 * Course: Gr 10 History (CHC2D) **
 * Subject: Propaganda **


 * __Unit:__** The subject of propaganda and it’s usage will be a small part of the World War One and the Canadian Home Front unit.

- Trench Warfare - Disillusionment of Soldiers - Women on the Home Front - Wartime Economy
 * __Previously Covered:__**

- //Describe Canada’s and Canadian’s contributions to the war effort at home during World War I// - //Formulate different types of questions// - //Gather information on Canadian history and current events from a variety of sources// - //Distinguish between primary and secondary sources// - //Organize and record information gathered through research// - //Formulate and use a thesis statement when researching a historical topic or issue//
 * __Curriculum Expectations:__**
 * //Canada’s Participation in War, Peace, and Security://**
 * //Specific Expectations://**

Compare and contrast examples of Canadian propaganda versus that of the opposing nations. Which nation employs propaganda to the best advantage? Does the use of the propaganda reflect what you know of the government’s standards and aims? Explain your answer.
 * __Critical Challenge:__**

- Propaganda - Persuasion - “Guilt Trip”/ “Peer pressure”
 * __Critical Thinking Vocabulary:__**

- Have empathy; can appreciate others’ points of view - Question ideas; don’t accept everything at face value - Don’t jump to conclusions - Willing to live with ambiguity; don’t require black or white answers. Evidence and Interpretation—Students will be asked to examine primary source evidence and pair it with their knowledge gleaned through secondary sources (textbook materials, teacher, previous activities, etc) to come to an educated conclusion.
 * __Habits of Mind:__**
 * __Historical Thinking:__**

- Laptop with prepared powerpoint slide - Projector and projector screen - Laminated copies (multiple of each) of propaganda posters used in WWI for student use - Overhead with key terms for student note taking. - Briefly go over the main points of what was covered in the previous lesson, bringing the students’ minds back to the ideas that they’re going to be covering. Call on students to help tell everyone what they had learned last class. - Use the comments that students bring up to tie in to the idea of propaganda e.g. There were not only women’s groups that focused on making socks or collecting non-perishables for soldiers but also groups whose sole purpose was to intimidate/guilt men into enlisting. || Student notes || - How do we identify propaganda? Ask ourselves: a. Does it attempt to convince the audience to do something or hold a particular opinion? b. Does it evoke an emotional response in the audience? c. Does it present its view as the logical/right decision for the audience to make? || Chalkboard/ overhead projector || - Statistics on recruitment levels vs. the use of propaganda (as enlistment went down, propaganda use went up). - Why did the government of Canada use these methods that seem almost dubious and scheming? Discuss how the status of the war being fought in Europe directly affected not only how the Canadian people acted but also how the government treated them. || Overhead with key terms || - Students are to compare and contrast Canadian propaganda posters with that of the “enemy” and, using what they learned in class, write a short report on which nation they believe used propaganda the best. Additionally, they are asked to question whether or not the usage of propaganda reflects the general effectiveness of the government in question during the war. Report is to be handed in the following week. ||  || Next class, make sure all the students understand the assignment, address any lingering questions and ensure that everyone understands how to properly cite images from the resources they were given.  =**Propaganda: Who did it better?**= You’ve been exploring the idea of propaganda, in all its forms, in class and with your peers. Now it’s time to put what you’ve learned to test. Your assignment is to look at examples of foreign propaganda and compare them to the examples of Canadian propaganda we’ve looked at in class and write a short report about it. Which nation provides the more convincing propaganda poster? Why? What does this tell you about the government at the time and does that match what you’ve come to understand about the party in power? Make sure you examine and report on both examples so as to better solidify your argument. Papers must be typed in **12 point font and double spaced**. Please make sure that they are **between one and two pages**. You must examine at least **two** posters from each side (either the Triple Alliance or the Triple Entente) and correctly cite them. a. Does it attempt to convince the audience to do something or hold a particular opinion? b. Does it evoke an emotional response in the audience? c. Does it present its view as the logical/right right decision for the audience to make? =Resources:=
 * __Resources Necessary:__**
 * __Detailed Plan:__**
 * **Time** || **Lesson Breakdown**  || **Resources** ||
 * 5 min || __Recap:__
 * 10 min || - introduce the idea of propaganda: What is it? Discuss the Critical Thinking vocabulary, ask students for volunteers to define the words.
 * 10 min || Focusing on the aforementioned criteria for effective propaganda, show students modern examples of propaganda (see Appendix A). Get them to discuss whether these images evoke an emotional response from them (if so, what?), do the images present an opinion that seems like a logical conclusion? Ask them to talk about the events/subjects brought up by the propaganda and how they feel about those events/subjects themselves. || Projector and laptop ||
 * 15 min || Introduce WWI propaganda posters: Explain what the posters are referring to e.g. war bonds, rations, etc. Remind students of the criteria for effective propaganda and have them apply them to the WWI posters—how are these different/the same from the previous posters? Do they evoke an emotional response in you? || “ ||
 * 5 min || **Think-Pair-Share:** Have students discuss with two or three peers who sit near them: Put yourself in the place of a young man or woman during the first world war, how would you feel when you saw these posters? What kind of emotional response would be evoked? Would they convince you to join the war effort? Why or why not? ||  ||
 * 5 min || Bring students back, call on each group to share some of what they discussed and have them write down any ideas that their peers came up with that they did not—explain that it will be useful for the upcoming assignment. || Chalkboard/ overhead projector ||
 * 20 min || - Explain the other various methods of propaganda (The White Feather Campaign, Recruitment Officers, etc) beyond.
 * 5 min || - Give students assignment sheet that explains their task for the following week and read over it with them so that questions may be asked.
 * __Follow Up:__**
 * Remember to ask yourself: What makes an effective propaganda campaign?**
 * List links or books where students can find translated versions of German, Austrian-Hungarian and Italian propaganda.