Lesson Plan: Finding Purpose in Political Propaganda Mailers

SUBJECTS

U.S. Government, Social Studies

GRADE LEVEL

9-12

OBJECTIVES

This lesson will help students learn how to critically analyze political propaganda mailers. They will understand how political mailers can be used to better inform themselves on a political issue or candidate. Students will use research to develop an informed opinion on a political issue or candidate and they will participate in the political process via letter writing.

LESSON PLAN

Vocabulary

propaganda, partisan, non-partisan, bandwagon, testimonial, emotional, word repetition, glittering generalities, name-calling/demonizing

1. Students collect and bring in political propaganda mailers sent to their homes.

2. After a lesson dealing with types of persuasive propaganda done in concert with the language arts teacher, students sort the propaganda into various types (i.e., bandwagon, testimonial, emotional, word repetition, glittering generalities, name-calling/demonizing).

3. Students choose one piece of political propaganda and research its validity using all four of the fact-checking websites below. If they cannot find their politician or issue on at least three of the websites, they must choose another.

NON-PARTISAN

www.factcheck.org

http://politifact.com

PARTISAN

Newsbusters.org -- http://newsbusters.org/ -- (for conservatives)

Media Matters -- http://mediamatters.org/ -- (for liberals)

4. During their research students are asked to consider a variety of questions, Typically, the classes work together to develop a list of critical questions to consider such as:

a. Who’s paying for the message?

b. Which organization or person created the message?

c. What words and images are working to play on your sentiments and sympathies?

d. What accurate information can be found in the mailer?

5. Students use their research to write an essay in which they compare the propaganda mailer to what they believe to be the truth, based on information they collected during their research.

6. Students are asked to develop an informed opinion based on their research and participate in the political process via letter writing to a relevant politician associated with the propaganda.

RESOURCES

Connection to Internet

Vocabulary

Political propaganda mailers sent to students’ homes

CREDIT

This lesson was presented by a 2010 Congress in the Classroom® participant, Jodi Robertson, Bunsold Middle School, Marysville, OH.

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