Download Lesson 3: Propaganda in the Territory

Lesson 3: Propaganda in the Territory
Students will complete Read Kansas! Lesson M-11 to explore the issue of slavery in
Kansas Territory as presented in two pamphlets published by opposing sides. They will
then examine modern examples of propaganda and identify persuasive statements.
Students will examine five objects from the territorial period to determine how they were
used as a form of propaganda and complete a graphic organizer. This lesson can take two
to three class periods.
It is recommended to complete this lesson in the order given. However, teachers can go
directly to Part 2, “Objects as Propaganda,” as long as students have a good
understanding of the definition of propaganda and can identify past or modern examples
of propaganda.
Seventh-Eighth Grade Standards:
Kansas History, Geography and Social Studies Standards
Standard #3: Societies are shaped by beliefs, ideas, and diversity
Benchmark 3.1: The student will recognize and evaluate significant beliefs,
contributions, and ideas of the many diverse people and groups and their impact on
individuals, communities, states, and nations.
Kansas College and Career Ready Standards
RH.6-8.6: The student identifies aspects of a text that reveal an author’s point of view or
purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).
RH.6-8.8: The student distinguishes among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a
text.
WHST.6-8.1: The student writes arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
a. Introduces claims(s) about a topic or issue, acknowledges and distinguishes the
claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organizes the reasons and
evidence logically.
b. Supports claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant, accurate data and evidence
that demonstrate an understanding of the topic or text using credible sources.
c. Uses words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships
among claims(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
d. Establishes and maintains a formal style.
e. Provides a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the
argument presented.
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Objectives:
Content:
 The student compares and contrasts the beliefs about slavery between
proslavery and antislavery forces during the Kansas territorial period.
 The student defines names used during the territorial period to define
proslavery and antislavery beliefs.
Skills:
 The student analyzes propaganda-type primary source documents to identify
the author’s position.
 The student identifies the techniques used by the author in persuasive text.
 The student recognizes the difference between fact and opinion.
Essential Questions:
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How did slavery shape the language people in Kansas Territory used?
How did people in Kansas Territory use propaganda to persuade their audience?
How is propaganda used today?
Materials Needed from the Trunk:
 Read Kansas! Lesson M-11 (one copy for every student)
 Worksheet #3: Objects as Propaganda
 Herald of Freedom Newspaper
 Pomeroy Bag
 Ballot Box
 “Admit Me Free” Flag
 John Brown’s Hat
 “Southern Rights” Flag
 Object cards for Herald of Freedom newspaper, Pomeroy Bag, Ballot Box,
“Southern Rights” flag, John Brown’s Hat and “Admit Me Free” flag.
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Advance Preparation Needed:
 Review lesson to determine if Part 1 will be taught.
 Make one copy per student of Read Kansas! Lesson M-11 cards and
corresponding documents (“Defence of Kansas” and “Let the South Respond”).
 Make one copy per student of Worksheet #3: Objects as Propaganda.
Part 1: Words as Propaganda
Day 1:
 Complete Day 1 of Read Kansas! Lesson M-11: Dispute Over Slavery in Kansas
Territory. See the Read Kansas! lesson plan for details.
 Have students finish worksheet, and discuss both points of view expressed in the
two documents.
 Briefly conduct a discussion about propaganda. Provide students with a definition
of propaganda:
o Propaganda is a specific type of persuasive communication, created to
convince listeners/readers to agree with the speaker/writer’s opinion.
o The audience should be affected emotionally by the words on the page.
People exposed to propaganda are more likely to be convinced if the
argument taps into their emotions.
o Propaganda is created for a very large audience. The speaker/writer wants
lots of people to see/hear the statement.
o Many advertisements for products/services could be classified as a type of
propaganda. Companies use advertising to appeal to consumers’ needs
and wants.
o Modern apparel companies use their logo as advertisement. This was not
the case in the 19th century, but is true today.
o Politics are rife with propaganda—posters, buttons, television and online
advertising, all in the name of garnering votes for a cause or candidate.
 As homework, have students bring in an article, advertisement or object that could
be classified as propaganda. Clothing with prominent logos or political posters,
buttons or advertisements can also be classed as propaganda. Students can look
for propaganda in many places, including newspapers, magazines, online, or
community bulletin boards.
Day 2:
 Have students take out the item they brought from home.
 Explain and conduct a discussion about different types of persuasive techniques.
Write names of the different techniques on different sections of the board. Give
each section enough space to tape up several articles.
o Stating facts: Listing facts that support an argument.
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This technique is often used in advertising—if Company A’s price
for a product is lower than Company B’s, Company A should use
that information to persuade readers to buy from them.
 How do modern businesses use this method?
o Bandwagon approach: Encouraging readers to join the crowd.
 If everyone is doing something, than you should too.
 Ask students how they use this method with their friends. Think of
online communities—do students join online ‘groups?’ Does their
participation encourage other friends to join?
o Call to Action: Similar to the bandwagon approach. Individuals should act
out in support of a cause.
 Ask students where they have seen this technique in use. Think of
political campaigns, when candidates ask voters to vote for them as
a change in government.
o Glittering generalities: Using words that appeal to the reader’s emotion,
even if they don’t directly or accurately represent the issue; i.e., “dignity,”
“freedom,” “justice.”
 Ask students what phrases they use in day-to-day life to describe
events. (e.g., “Today was the best day ever.”) Do any of those
phrases overstate the importance of ordinary events?
o Any other methods discussed at the teacher’s discretion in class: namecalling, citing statistics, etc.
One by one, have students read or summarize their article/advertisement out
loud to the class, then decide which persuasive technique(s) the author used.
Tape the article to that technique’s section of the board. (Many will fit into
several or all of the categories. The student should select the one that they
think is best represented.) Continue until all students have put their examples
on the board.
Review the class’s examples. Which techniques were used the most? Which
were used the least? Did any of the examples successfully persuade students
to believe that point of view or buy that product/service?
Part 2: Objects as Propaganda
In this lesson, students examine some of the objects in the trunk and determine whether
or not they could be used or seen as propaganda. Students should already be familiar
with the term “propaganda.”
 Introduce students to the concept of using objects as propaganda. Written
materials can be easily identified as propaganda, but objects can have the same
qualities. They convey a certain opinion to large groups of people, and work to
persuade those people to agree with that opinion. Some of the objects in the trunk
could have been used in Kansas Territory and across the United States as
propaganda, persuading people to support one cause instead of another.
 Divide students into five groups.
 Hand out Objects as Propaganda, Worksheet #3, one copy per student.
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Give each group one of the five trunk objects (Herald of Freedom newspaper,
Pomeroy Bag, Ballot Box, “Southern Rights” flag or John Brown’s Hat) and its
object card. The final trunk object used in the lesson (the “Admit Me Free” flag)
will be used later. Do not give it to students at this point.
Instruct students to examine the objects, read the object cards and discuss in their
groups whether or not they would be used or could be understood as propaganda.
Have students answer the questions for their object on the worksheet “Objects as
Propaganda.”
To complete the last column “What method(s) of persuasion does this object
use?” students choose among the methods discussed previously (i.e., bandwagon,
stating facts, glittering generalities, call to action). If they do not believe the
object could be propaganda, they should put “n/a” in that column.
Each student should complete his/her own worksheet. The group members do not
need to come to a consensus on their answers.
Pass objects and object cards around the class until all students have seen each of
the top five objects and completed the worksheet.
After completing the worksheet, conduct a discussion on each of the objects. Call
on one student to read aloud his/her answers for one object. Continue with all
objects, discussing their answers as you go along.
Hang up the “Admit Me Free” flag so it is visible to the whole room. Instruct
students to answer the questions in the final row on the worksheet. This work
should be done on an individual basis to assess each student’s ability to read
objects for meaning. Students should hand in their work when finished.
Conclude the lesson with a discussion about using objects as propaganda.
o What is or is not propaganda? Not all persuasive messages are
propaganda. What turns a persuasive message into propaganda?
 Created for a large audience
 Appealing to emotions
o Logos on clothing didn’t become a status symbol until the mid-20th
century. How do they affect life today? Could they be read as
propaganda? Why?
Note for assessment: Students should be able to support their answers with
information gleaned from the object card. If a student comes to a conclusion
different from the answer key or the rest of the class but is able to support the
answer, credit should be given.
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