Download Powers of Persuasion Lesson Plan - The Historical Museum at Fort

 POWERS OF PERSUASION (Adapted from Montana Historical Society’s education footlocker “The Home Fires: Montana in World War II”) GRADE LEVEL: Upper elementary – high school For primary grades, adapt the Introduction, use VTS, the Home Front poster, then do the Seek and Find Family Fun Guide. TIME: 45 minutes OBJECTIVES: Students will: • Touch WW II objects • Enhance critical thinking skills through VTS by o Looking carefully at the WW II posters, o Talking about what they observe, o Backing up their ideas with evidence, o Listening to and considering the views of others, o Discussing many possible interpretations. • Define “Propaganda”. • Explain why the U.S. government used propaganda methods in WW II. • Complete a written analysis of propaganda messages found in WW II poster art. • Share their findings. • Listen politely to others’ ideas and thoughts. • Identify the countries of the Allied Forces and the Axis Forces. MATERIALS: • Rationing book • Rationing tokens • Japanese Invasion Money (JIM) • “The Home Front” poster (for younger groups) • VTS cheat card • Posters in exhibit. Use one of your choice for VTS , or use the following recommended posters: o “A Careless Word – A Needless Sinking” o “Keep ‘Em Flying” ( older group) o “O’er the Ramparts We Watch – Army Air Forces” (The man in this poster was from Great Falls.) o “Don’t Let That Shadow Touch Them – Buy War Bonds” o “Every Rivet a Bullet” (younger group) o “Freedom From Fear” (appeal to younger group) o “Freedom Of Speech” (appeal to middle and high school groups) • Poster analysis sheets • Pencils • Clipboards SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS MET:  Citizenship – Standard 1 1  Relates to the following high school courses: o Modern World History – grades 9-­‐12 o U.S. History – grade 11 o Advanced Placement U. S. History – grades 11 & 12 FINE ARTS STANDARDS MET:  Art Standard 1  Art Standard 2.4  Art Standard 3  Art Standard 5  Art Standard 6.2 & 3 COMMUNICATION ARTS STANDARDS MET:  Standard 3  Standard 4  Standard 8  Standard 9 PRE-­‐LESSON PREPARATION: Guns, tanks, and bombs were the principal weapons of World War II, but there were other, more subtle, forms of warfare as well. Words, posters, and films waged a constant battle for the hearts and minds of the American citizenry just as surely as military weapons engaged the enemy. Persuading the American public to support the war effort became a wartime industry, almost as important as the manufacturing of bullets and planes. The government launched an aggressive propaganda campaign to galvanize public support, and some of the nation’s foremost intellectuals, artists, and filmmakers became soldiers on that front. The persuasive messages found in World War II posters that helped convince citizens to actively support the war effort are similar to those used in advertising. Advertising sells attitudes, as did messages in the posters. It works this way – basically, humans have similar emotional needs: they want to feel safe, they want to belong, they want to be patriotic, they want to feel confident, positive, and successful, and they want to believe what credible individuals tell them. In the WW II poster art, colors, images, symbols, and wording all were carefully put together to produce messages instilling feelings that became positive, supportive attitudes towards the war efforts. Also, some posters were designed to help ward off complacency; they featured grim, unromantic visions of war. All of these persuasive messages became important strands in the fabric of the Home Front in Montana, as in the rest of the country. There were 6 themes for these posters: 1. The Nature of the Enemy 2. The Need to Fight 3. The Need to Sacrifice 4. The Need to Work 5. The Nature of Our Allies 6. The Americans, which included Norman Rockwell’s well-­‐known 4 Freedoms posters (that FDR outlined as our reasons for supporting the Allied cause in WW II): a. Freedom of Speech b. Freedom of Worship c. Freedom from Want d. Freedom from Fear 2 Posters were produced by OWI (Office of War Information) and distributed by Boy Scouts. Some of the more well-­‐known artists were Norman Rockwell, J. Howard Miller, Thomas Hart Benton, Ben Steele, Ben Shahn, and Dr. Seuss! Allied Powers: USA, Great Britain, Russia – referred to as “The Big Three”. FDR referred to USA, Great Britain, Russia and China as “The 4 Policeman”. Other Allied countries were France, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Greece, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, South Africa, Yugoslavia, Cyprus, India, Portugal, Mexico, Czechoslovakia and Ethiopia. (For the student’s recording on the worksheets, The Big Three will suffice.) Axis Powers were Germany, Japan, Italy, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. (For the student’s recording on the worksheets, Germany, Japan and Italy will suffice.) Other countries, both Axis and Allied powers, also produced propaganda posters for their war efforts. A fair warning to teachers: The Japanese and German propaganda posters are quite graphic and not appropriate for students. Take a look at them before deciding to use them for further study. PROCEDURE: INTRODUCTION (10 MINUTES)  It is important to lay down the ground rules with students for this particular exhibit, since most of the exhibit is framed posters. They are not secured at the bottom, only at the top, so they can be knocked and moved if touched or nudged. Also the huge Freedom of Worship is close to one of the chosen posters for VTS. So, please, gather group in the Orientation Gallery and tell groups the following before beginning the tour, using the written poster of “Museum Etiquette and Safety”: 1. Please do not touch the posters. These are “untouchables”. There are other “Touchables” in the exhibit for your handling. 2. Do not lean against the walls. 3. Keep a distance from the walls. 4. Careful not to write on the walls or posters with your pencils. 5. If you want to point out something on a poster, please use your eraser tip of pencil for pointing. 6. Leave all belongings in the Orientation Gallery, including jackets.  Share one or all of the WW II objects with group by passing them around and giving some info. about them. You can do this in the “interactive” area where the ration books, stamps, and tokens are. • Ration books for stamp rationing • Ration tokens • Japanese Invasion Money (JIM)  With younger groups, if you have time and want to, use the Home Front poster as background information about the War at Home.  BODY (15 MINUTES)  Using one of the designated posters or one of your choice, use VTS to introduce students to the posters and to get them connected and engaged. • What’s going on in this picture? • What do you see that makes you say that? • What more can we find out? • Paraphrase – Point -­‐ Link 3  Discuss the meaning of the word “propaganda”, appropriate for their level. Do this in the section of the exhibit titled “What is Propaganda Today?” for a visual. Ask for examples.  Walk through the exhibit, pointing out to the group the 6 themes.  Students may work in partnerships, groups, or as individuals for the following activity. (20 MINUTES or as needed) • Provide each group or student with a Poster Analysis Sheet, clipboard and pencil. (Use appropriate sheets for age group). • Give the task of identifying the Allied and the Axis Powers’ countries and record on the poster analysis sheet. They can find the information in the exhibit. • Allow time for groups/individuals to discuss and answer questions on analysis sheet. • Groups/individuals can share their poster and analysis. CONCLUSION Discussion questions/Post-­‐activities (Choose one appropriate for your groups age, reading and abstracting ability.) 1. Put all of the posters on a bulletin board and vote on the class favorite. Discuss why it is well-­‐
liked. Is there one that most seem to not like? Why? 2. What colors and/or symbols are used in today’s world to elicit patriotism? 3. Why is it important for a government to convince the majority of its citizens to support a war effort? 4. What happens when many citizens do not support a war effort in their country? Can you give an example? 5. Do the messages in the posters tell the whole story about a war? If not, what is missing? 6. Would posters like these be effective in contemporary times? Why or why not? 7. Discuss the word “propaganda” again. Does it have negative connotations? Are the messages in the posters propaganda? Why or why not? Further Exploration (Again, choose one appropriate for groups age, reading, and abstracting ability.) 1. Students create their own persuasive posters. They choose their topic(s) – something that would be good for all to support. They model their own posters after the WW II ones, choosing the images, colors, and words they feel will effectively “sell” their message. 2. Research advertising techniques; analyze the WW II era posters based on those basic strategies. 3. Research poster art from other war times in the U.S. and compare with the WW II messages. 4. Research persuasive messages/propaganda from other countries, either past or present. How are the messages similar and how are they different from the WW II ones. NOTE: WW II propaganda posters from Axis Powers, are quite graphic and rude, especially the Japanese and German posters. I wouldn’t recommend using these! Look at other countries’ posters before you assign your students to do it. dmd 2012 4