Download WWII Propaganda Webquest Journal

US History – World War II
NAME:
The War at Home...
The Poster War
Propaganda WebQuest Journal
During World War II, persuading the American public to fully support the war became a wartime
industry, almost as important as the manufacturing of bullets and planes. While Pearl Harbor gave
many reason enough to support the war, the government still launched an aggressive propaganda
campaign with clearly articulated goals and strategies to gain public support, and it recruited some
of the nation's foremost intellectuals, artists, and filmmakers to wage the war on the home front.
Directions: After reading the above statement, go to
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/powers_of_persuasion/powers_of_persuasion_home.html
Using the headings, click on each & answer each corresponding question carefully so you can
FULLY understand what life was like for Americans on the home front during WWII. You don’t
need to use complete sentences for most of the answers, but be sure to use complete thoughts.
PART 1
Man the Guns!
1. What did “American Muscle” display?
2. Explain why the 3 posters show men without their shirts on…what are they trying to symbolize?
It`s a Woman`s War Too!
3. Look carefully at the posters…name 3 goals the posters are trying to convey to women.
a.
b.
c.
4. Who is Rosie the Riveter? Explain her importance/why she looks different than the other women.
United We Win
5. Explain what the “Double V” is. (where did it start? Who uses this phrase? What is the point?)
Use it Up, Wear it Out
6. Look at these posters carefully (if you click on it, it gets bigger) in the 3 of them, what do they want
America to conserve/save?
a.
b.
c.
Four Freedoms
7. List the 4 freedoms & tell who inspired them.
a.
b.
c.
d.
PART 2
Warning! Our Homes Are in Danger Now!
8. According to the Office of Facts and Figures, commercial advertising uses what 2 motives during “not
normal times”?
a.
b.
9. What is each poster trying to tell Americans?
a.
b.
c.
d.
This is Nazi Brutality
10. The images here were composed to foster fear. Implicit in these posters is the idea that what
happened there could happen here…List any 5 fears that these posters show Americans.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
He`s Watching You
11. What does the Office of War Information NOT want Americans to do? WHY?
He Knew the Meaning of Sacrifice
12. This is the “guilt trip” method of WWII propaganda. Look at each poster carefully (some are a bit
graphic)…what are they trying to make Americans feel guilt about? FULLY explain using 2 sentences!