Download Concept Formation Lesson - eewright

Erin Wright
October 16, 2009
Concept Formation Lesson
The Best Propaganda Ever!
Concept: Propaganda
Overview: This concept formation lesson is designed to teach students the concept of
propaganda. The teacher will not explain this concept outright, but, rather, have students
discover it on their own. First, they will be given a chart with four examples of propaganda.
They will answer questions on the chart and then determine differences and similarities amongst
the four examples. By so doing, students will tease-out the critical attributes of propaganda and
therefore also begin to understand what it is; they will then shape a definition of the concept
based upon what they have discovered. Once done, students will attempt to name their newly
defined concept. Their knowledge will then be tested through an activity in which they must
identify examples and non-examples of propaganda.
Background Information: Propaganda is any message that has been deliberately designed and
selectively presents information in an attempt to alter one's opinion and actions in a manner that
is beneficial to the creator. It can be spread by a variety of mediums, including print, video,
Internet and radio. Propaganda has played a vital role in the history of this country, as well as
the history of many others. From Ancient Rome to anti-Semitic indoctrination of German youths
to Iraqi propaganda during our recent wars, this form of communication has been able to
transcend both time and culture. Most often, propaganda is thought of as being political.
However, it is has found use in both the commercial and religious spheres. Almost all
advertising is some form of propaganda and many different religions have employed propaganda
to help further their cause.
Rationale: Concept formation is a powerful educational tool. In their nature, concepts are
abstract and therefore difficult to master. However, presenting a concept through example gives
students a concrete scenario from which to learn. Being required to work through examples on
their own, or in pairs, students actively engage in the educational process and are more apt to
understand and remember the concept than they would be, should the teacher have spoon fed
them the information. Furthermore, propaganda is a difficult concept to tackle. By being
presented with examples and non-examples, via text, picture and video, students will better
understand this concept. This is an important understanding to have because propaganda played
a vital role in many American wars, especially the Spanish-American War, Word War I and
World War II, all of which will be studied during this course.
Grade/Class: 7th Grade/United States History: 1877—Present
Length: 49 minutes with some wiggle-room. (Period is 55 minutes long.)
Objectives:
Academic
1. Students will be able to list the critical attributes of propaganda.
2. Students will be able to define propaganda.
3. Students will be able to differentiate between examples and non-examples of
propaganda.
4. Students will be able to describe the role propaganda played in the Spanish-American
War, WWI and WWII (SOL USII.4a, 4b, 6a, 6b, 6c).
5. Students will be able to identify propaganda as a way in which to assume and exercise
power over another (NCSS VI).
Intellectual
1. After creating their own definition of propaganda, students will apply their knowledge
and be able to identify historical examples of it.
2. After learning the concept of propaganda, students will apply their knowledge and be
able to recognize modern-day examples of it.
Assessment: Student assessment will come in two forms:
 At the end of the lesson, students will be asked to identify examples and non-examples of
propaganda. This will be done as a whole-class activity. Examples and non-examples
will be shown via the document camera or projected from the computer screen. This will
be my informal assessment.
 Students will be given a homework assignment in which they must find two examples of
modern propaganda and write a sentence about each explaining why it is propaganda. In
other words, they will have to write a sentence explaining how their example possesses
all of the critical attributes of propaganda. If possible, they will have to include the
propaganda with their sentences, either by printing it, clipping it from a magazine or
providing me with the web address of where to find it. Should they be unable to include
the propaganda with their sentences, they will have to describe it (in writing or verbally)
to me as best they can. The examples must be a combination of the following types:
political, commercial or religious. I will provide graded feedback for this assignment.
This will be my formal assessment.
Content and Instructional Strategies:
1. Concept Definition: Propaganda (1) is a political, commercial or religious message that
(2) has been deliberately designed (3) to present information selectively (4) in order to
elicit an emotional, as opposed to rational response, (5) with the aim of changing a
person's opinion and action in a manner beneficial to the creator.
2. Hook: (4 minutes)
 My hook will be a 91 second YouTube video of a 1976 Swine Flu propaganda
commercial. Because the title includes the word propaganda, I will have to scroll down
the page so that the title is out of view before showing it to the students. The commercial
advocates getting vaccinated for the Swine Flu by relating the sordid tale of one man who
comes home from work infected with the virus and thereby causes the infection of about
a dozen people and the death of one more. After the video is shown, I will ask the
students to tell me how it made them feel and why.
3. Data-Retrieval Chart and Example Analysis: (15 minutes)
 After the Hook, I will assign each student a partner.
 I will then explain that I am about to hand out a data-retrieval chart. I will also
explain that there are three examples of a concept on the chart and that they must
answer the questions based on what they read in the examples. Students are to
work with their partners in order to do this.
 Once each student has a chart, we will work through the first example together;
students will then finish the chart with their partner.
 After everyone has finished, we will go over the answers.
4. Defining and Labeling the Concept: (15 minutes)
 After discussing the chart, I will hand out the information gathering sheet and ask
the students to work with their partners to determine any differences between the
examples. I will then ask them to tell me what they have come up with (they
should say something to the effect of “the examples are political, religious and
commercial”) and I will list them on the board.
 After we have created a list of differences, we will repeat the previous step, this
time searching for similarities. Students' answers should include not all the
information was given, someone else other than the person(s) directly involved
benefited from the situation, persons responded based on feelings/emotions and
the messages were created on purpose.
 Once the differences and similarities have been identified, students will then be
told to work with their partners to determine up to five critical attributes of the
concept. We will also go over these as a class and I will write them on the board.
 Students will then be told to create a definition of the concept based on these
critical attributes. Again, students will first work with their partner and then share
and synthesize their definitions with the class. I will write their synthesized
definition on the board.
 Finally, students will be asked to give a name to the concept. I will write their
suggested names on the board. I expect to have to guide them to the word
propaganda.
5. Classifying/Closing: (15 minutes)
 Once we have reached this point in the lesson, students will be presented with an
array of examples and non-examples of propaganda via the document camera and
Internet. As a class, they will work together to correctly categorize each example
or non-example they are shown. I will show them five examples (SpanishAmerican War, WWI, WWII, Islam, Gatorade commercial) and three nonexamples (gas ad, car ad and doctor diagnosis).
◦
Potential Probing Questions:
▪ “Is this commercial, religious or political in nature?”
▪ “Does this give you all of the information?”
▪ “Does this make you want to act immediately or sit down and think it
through first?”
▪ “Is someone going to benefit from this?”
▪


“Do you think this was created deliberately?”
We will then return to the 1976 Swine Flu commercial. I will give the students
more information about the outbreak of Swine Flu, namely that the epidemic
failed to materialize, in order to stress that the commercial presented information
in a selective manner. Students will then be asked to give reasons for why this
qualifies as propaganda. They will be expected to list the critical attributes of
propaganda.
Students will be given their homework assignment. Please see the assessment
section for the assignment.
Resources:
 Data charts for every student.
 Information gathering sheets for every student.
 Dry erase markers.
 Dry erase board erasers.
 Document camera.
 Computer with Internet access.
 Projector.
 Projection screen.
 Printed examples/non-examples of propaganda.
 YouTube: Swine Flu & Gatorade commercials.
Differentiation: This lesson is universally designed to meet the needs of a variety of learners
and learning styles. It incorporates many pictures and two videos for the benefit of both visual
and audio learners, as well as relies on the written word in the Data Retrieval Chart to the benefit
of those who learn best by reading. This lesson also requires discussion amongst partners and
for students to report to the class what they have decided. These activities will help those whose
learning style requires dialogue and discussion. Finally, there is also some individual work
incorporated into this lesson to further aid the students' educational process.
Adaptations: This lesson can be adapted in a myriad of ways. First, a different hook can be
used, especially if it is possible that students may become fixated on the 1976 commercial or
unsettled by its content. Instead of using the commercial clip, a picture or an ad can be utilized
instead. Also, if students are familiar with Yellow Journalism, examples of that can be used in
order to introduce and scaffold the new and unfamiliar concept of propaganda.
Furthermore, instead of requiring students to work with partners, whole-class instruction
can be employed. This is recommended if students are likely to require a greater degree of
scaffolding. It will benefit students by allowing them to get the input of their entire classroom as
opposed to one partner, thereby enabling them to better analyze the data included in the Data
Retrieval Chart and feed off of one another's ideas concerning the concept's differences and
similarities. It will also allow the teacher to read aloud to the whole class, which will meet
various IEP requirements of students having text read to them. To meet other IEP requirements,
Data Retrieval Charts and Information Gathering Sheets with typed answers can be provided to
those who need them, but only after the class has completed them together.
To incorporate individualized learning, and if appropriate, students can be asked to
singularly define the concept, rather than working with a partner or with the entire class to do so.
In addition, different examples and non-examples can be chosen. If those used seem to
be too abstract for student comprehension, others that are less subtle may be substituted.
Finally, documents can be printed in a large font to accommodate those with visual
impairment.
Reflection On This Lesson Plan:
It is my hope that my students will understand what propaganda is after completing this
lesson. However, I am concerned that the topic is too abstract for students to fully understand it
after one, 49-55 minute lesson. I am also concerned that some of the examples I have chosen to
show them could cause a little strife, namely the Swine Flu information and the Islam picture. I
do plan to share with students that I have met a couple who works with many Muslims in
England and that, according to them, the vast majority of Muslims are peaceful people—that it is
a comparatively small amount who are violent extremists. I may cut this example entirely.
Another concern over the students' probable lack of a priori knowledge. Students will
not have studied the Spanish-American War or either of the World Wars at the time of this lesson.
While I believe this lesson will be a good prelude to these topics, the pictorial examples I present
to the students may require a slight explanation of context in order for the students to understand
them. Despite this, I still feel that many students will be able to comprehend this concept.
I feel that my examples on the data chart are clear and straightforward and that I have
required a fair amount of reading for my students to do. Again, I have also made allowances for
students to be read aloud to as necessary. I think that this is a useful, though difficult topic for
students to learn, but that both a special ed. class and a gifted class are quite capable of doing so.
Upon completion of this lesson, I find myself rather interested to see the examples my students
will produce for their homework assignment.
Post-Teaching Reflection:
On a whole, I was very pleased with how this lesson turned out. My students were eager
to learn and highly motivated to participate throughout the class period. I think this was due in
large part to the fact that the lesson was introduced by both my CT and I as one that may be
confusing and frustrating to them. I also told them that when I participated in a concept
formation lesson, I experienced frustration, so it would be okay if they did as well. I also was
careful to praise and thank them for any contribution they made during the lesson—they all
seemed to like this and seemed to be more willing to share in the future. The students were also
successful in learning and understanding the concept of propaganda, as evidenced through both
their comments during class and their homework responses.
Due to time constraints and adaptive suggestions from my CT, I had to alter this lesson
slightly from my original plan. First, I decided to utilize whole-class instruction rather than have
students work with partners. I also changed my hook. Instead of using the 1976 Swine Flu
commercial clip, I presented students with a modern Nike ad and asked them to write down what
it made them feel like doing. Then, I used the document camera to project some images of
headlines written after the USS Maine blew up. Students were already familiar with the concept
of Yellow Journalism, so I used this topic to scaffold the new and unfamiliar one of propaganda.
I had also intended to use four examples on my Data Retrieval Chart, but instead scaled
back to three. As it turned out, those three were all I needed in order to help students understand
propaganda. Using three also help me better manage my time. Likewise, I changed my
homework assignment. Instead of requiring students to find two examples of propaganda, I only
asked for one.
Again, because of time constraints, I was unable to address my fourth and fifth academic
objectives to the extent I wanted. Nor was I able to work through as many examples and nonexamples at the end of the lesson as intended. In future lessons, I will aim to spend less time
during the hook so I can have more time meeting these needs.
In regards to the end of the lesson, I chose to change the examples and non-examples I
showed to students. Those that I used during the first period class seemed too subtle and abstract
for students to fully understand them. Because of this, I used different ones during the second
period class. I had these with me “just in case,” though I did not expect to use them. I am very
glad I had them, because they worked much better than those used during first period.
PASS Standards
Because this lesson focused on a concept that my students had not yet learned and
required them to both generalize and synthesize the information they were presented with, they
were forced to engage in Higher Order Thinking. This was especially true while they answered
the questions on the Data Retrieval Chart and as they worked through the Information Gathering
Sheet.
It also presented them with a deep knowledge of the concept of propaganda. They did
not learn a superficial meaning of propaganda as they were introduced to the three avenues by
which it can be evinced: commercial, political and religious. This was in the stead of merely
teaching them about political propaganda, which I believe to be the form of propaganda most
commonly thought of in history classes due to its usage during the World Wars.
There was some substantive conversation during this lesson, as students and I discussed
the subject matter and students engaged in higher order thinking because of this. While I asked
probing questions, students' answers helped the entire class better understand the concept at
hand. The lesson was more teacher-led than anything else, but in reviewing the PASS
qualifications for substantive conversation, I do believe this lesson succeeded in meeting some of
them.
This lesson helped students make connections to the world beyond the classroom. I
showed them several examples and non-examples of propaganda throughout the lesson. After
each, I had students share what these examples and non-examples made them feel like doing.
This helped students understand the influence that propaganda can have on a person. I also gave
them a homework assignment by which they had to find an example of contemporary
propaganda and write a sentence as to why their chosen example qualified as such. Sadly, I was
unable to be in the classroom the day their homework was due, but, according to my CT, they did
swimmingly well with this assignment. Many students had commercials to report on and one
student even found a propaganda poster online, printed it out and brought it in!
I am unsure as to how much ethical valuing my students learned from this lesson. My
intent was to teach them that propaganda can exercise an incredible amount of sway over a
person's decisions. Due to time constraints, I was unable to spend as much time during the
lesson addressing this subject as I had planned to. However, based on what we were able to
cover during class, I do believe my students went away with the fundamental knowledge that
propaganda can cause a person to feel and act in a different way than he or she initially intended,
which may or may not be good for that particular person, to the benefit of the creator of the
propaganda.
There was a fair amount of integration in this lesson. Students learned a concept, saw
historical and contemporary examples of it and then were required to find a modern example,
thereby helping them link past to present. I also heavily relied on technology to teach this
lesson—I used the document camera for both the Data Retrieval Chart and the Information
Gathering Sheet, as well to project my examples and non-examples of propaganda onto the LCD
screen.
DATA RETRIEVAL CHART
Examples
Mr. and Mrs. Childers are looking
for a new car. They want to buy a
Chevy but see an Internet pop-up of
a very happy family on the beach in
their new Jetta. After they buy the
Jetta, they find out that, since it is a
foreign car, repairs and maintenance
cost a lot more than they would
have for the Chevy.
John just turned 18 and has decided
to vote in this year's elections. John
intends to vote for the Republican
candidate. He sees a commercial
that shows the Republican candidate
stating, “I will raise taxes.”
However, the commercial did not
show the end of the statement. The
Republican candidate really said, “I
will raise taxes for no one.” John
did not know this and voted for the
Democrat candidate.
During the Middle Ages, the
Catholic church sold Indulgences.
People were told that if they paid
the Church money, their dead loved
ones would go to Heaven. Because
of this, many people gave a lot of
money to the Church. However, no
one, not even the Pope, could really
know if this claim was true.
Was
somebody
influenced to
do or think
something?
Did this
Who benefited
Was this done
include all the
in this
on purpose?
facts?
situation?
INFORMATION GATHERING SHEET
Differences:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Similarities:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Concept Characteristics:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Your Definition of this Concept:
Give this concept a name:
VIDEO CLIPS AND PICTURES FOR EXAMPLES
Video:
 1976 Swine Flu Propaganda:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASibLqwVbsk&feature=related
 Swine Flu info: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1894129,00.html
“In February 1976, an outbreak of swine flu struck Fort Dix Army base in New
Jersey, killing a 19-year-old private and infecting hundreds of soldiers. Concerned
that the U.S. was on the verge of a devastating epidemic, President Gerald Ford
ordered a nationwide vaccination program at a cost of $135 million (some $500
million in today's money). Within weeks, reports surfaced of people developing
Guillain-Barré syndrome, a paralyzing nerve disease that can be caused by the
vaccine. By April, more than 30 people had died of the condition. Facing protests,
federal officials abruptly canceled the program on Dec. 16. The epidemic failed to
materialize.”
 Gatorade Commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIlEv34dKVI
Pictures:
 Spanish-American War:
http://www.mainemaritimemuseum.org/uploads/rich_text_editor/orlop/orlop15/15maineu
rn.JPG

WWI: http://www.propagandaposters.us/WWI/poster2.html

WWII: http://archives.delaware.gov/100/other_stories/Defining%20the%20Enemy.shtml

Islam:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_t2Ry7I5DNuQ/RwX8_6bIhkI/AAAAAAAAA3Y/TFy8sCAcx
w8/s320/religion_of_peace_1.jpg
PICTURES AND TEXT FOR NON-EXAMPLES

Gas prices: http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/images/blgasprices.htm?p1

Doctor diagnosis: After examining Tom Jenson, Dr. Mayberry has learned that he does
not have heart disease, but that he needs a new liver. Dr. Mayberry finds Tom's wife and
says, “Mrs. Jenson, Tom does not have heart disease, but he is a very sick man. He needs
a liver transplant.”
 Audi: http://norfolk.craigslist.org/cto/1418390472.html
“1987 Audi--43,245 miles. That is not a typo, it is 043,245 original miles.
Silverish grey with grey cloth interior. Non-smoking car. Power moonroof, power windows,
power seats, CD player. I loved driving this car; however, it does have some problems. The
power locks do not work and one of the back doors does not open. Also, there is an unidentified
electrical problem that does not allow the car to start. Even with a jump, it does not hold its
charge once it's been turned off again. The car could be used for parts, or, in the right hands,
restored. I am willing to negotiate on price. Please see my photos.”