This lesson will allow students to evaluate the use of propaganda during presidential election years. Through shared readings, short lectures, net explorations, cooperative learning and interaction...students will examine how propaganda has a real impact in relation to the success of presidential election campaigns. They will also gain the ability to evaluate how their own views might be manipulated by the propaganda utilized by the presidential candidates. This lesson will incorporate technology (the use of the internet) and various primary and secondary sources. And, this lesson will challenge students with an individual assignment that will allow each student to evaluate...How am I being influenced by the propaganda utilized during the current presidential campaign? With the knowledge gained during this lesson, it is my hope that my students will be better able to evaluate and assess the positions of presidential candidates and grasp how campaigns will attempt to persuade the views and opinions of the populace.
I am utilizing this lesson to challenge students to go beyond just watching the news or reading about the presidential election. I would like to see students evaluating what is taking place to see how it has a direct bearing on their lives. Additionally, I would like to provide students with a guide they can utilize to evaluate all information that comes their way...to determine credibility. It is also my hope that my students will develop a continued curiosity in relation to government that will last a lifetime.
- Learn skills in relation to the evaluation of information.
- Practice the skills of evaluation in relation to their own lives.
- Apply the evaluation skills learned to the campaign techniques and propaganda utilized by President Truman.
- Apply the evaluation skills learned to the campaign techniques and propaganda utilized by the main candidates in this year's presidential election.
- Evaluate primary and secondary resources in relation to the election of President Truman.
- Evaluate primary and secondary resources in relation to the election of one of the current candidates for president.
- Draw conclusions in relation to how propaganda is utilized to influence views and opinions.
- Draw conclusions in relation to how propaganda has impacted their views in relation to issues challenging America.
- Evaluate how propaganda can ultimately impact the direction that America heads.
- Speculate how propaganda is potentially impacting their lives.
- Develop skills in more effectively being able to determine credibility in the thoughts and ideas being shared by others.
- Iowa Common Core: SS.09-12.PS.02 and MISIC Code: SS.09-12.10.02
- Interpret and evaluate sources and examples of citizens' rights and responsibilities.
- Iowa Common Core: SS.09-12.PS.04 and MISIC Code: SS.09-12.06.01
- Explain the purpose of government and analyze how it's powers are acquired, used and justified.
- Iowa Common Core: SS.09-12.PS.05 and MISIC Code: SS.09-12.10.03
- Practice forms of civic discussion and participation consistent with the ideals of citizens in a democratic republic, and investigate how it can shape public policy.
- Iowa Common Core: SS.09-12.PS.06 and MISIC Code: SS.09-12.06.03
- Evaluate the role of technology in communication, information processing or other areas as it contributes to or helps resolve conflict.
- Iowa Common Core: SS.09-12.H.01 and MISIC Code: SS.09-12.02.04
- Systematically employ critical inquiry to analyze and interpret the past.
- Iowa Common Core: SS.09-12.H.02 and MISIC Code: SS.09-12.02.02
- Identify and analyze characteristics, causes and consequences of an event, issue or problem. Explain the major historical events that occurred during a time period.
- Iowa Common Core: SS.09-12.H.02 and MISIC Code: SS.09-12.02.03
- Analyze and evaluate the historical backgrounds which have led to the present day civilizations. Analyze patterns historians utilize.
- Iowa Common Core: SS.09-12.H.04 and MISIC Code: SS.09-12.02.03
- Analyze and evaluate the historical backgrounds which have led to the present day civilizations. Analyze the actions of individuals and groups in the development of historical events. Identify significant individuals who have affected historical development in positive or negative ways.
- Iowa Common Core: SS.09-12.H.08 and MISIC Code: SS.09-12.02.05
- Analyze and explain how historical backgrounds have led to the present developments of various systems of government.
*MISIC=Mid Iowa School Improvement Consortium
- Resource Book: Tactics For Thinking by Robert J Marzano and Daisy E Arredondo... to share with students skills in the evaluation of information.
- Videos/ Clips from the internet...in relation presidential campaigns and campaign propaganda...found by students (We have a one on one computer program at our school...I like for students to search for and investigate sites relating to what we are examining).
- Campaign ads promoting a candidate (For President Truman...ads will be secured from the Truman Library/Museum and the website trumanlibrary.org. For today’s candidates...actual newspaper and video ads will be explored and shared.)
- Newspaper clips and sources found at the Truman Museum (News pictures that have been blown up so that they can be visually examined) and newspaper clips and sources found at the Truman Library/Museum website.
- Resources and notes from the 2016 Truman Library Teachers Conference.
- Video interviews with and presentations by current candidates (all major news sources will be utilized)
- Actual campaign ads created by and for a given candidate. The NET will be used to gather examples.
- Pictures found in the Truman Museum relating to Truman Campaigning.
- Pictures of artifacts in the Truman Museum relating to Truman Campaigning.
- Pictures of letters in the Truman Museum relating to Truman Campaigning.
- Handout provided by presenter Jeffrey Pasley...Public Notice (Referencing the character and nature of John Adams)...to share how campaigning has progressed over the years...or...has it?
- Handwritten notes on Russian Ambassador
- Memo, Clark Clifford to Harry S. Truman
- Handwritten notes on World Policy
- Memo to Harry S. Truman; March 8, 1948
- President’s Acceptance Speech; July 15, 1948
- Clark Clifford to Harry S. Truman; August 17, 1948
- Campaign Speech, Toledo, Ohio; September 6, 1948
- Campaign Speech, Dexter, Iowa; September 18, 1948
- Press Release, Speech of Thomas E. Dewey: September 21, September 28, October 1, October 21, 1948
- Campaign Speech, Indianapolis, Indiana; October 15, 1948
- Campaign Speech, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; October 23, 1948
- Handwritten St. Louis Speech Notes; October 30, 1948
- Handwritten notes on President’s Speech With Attached Explanatory Notes; November 1, 1948
- Day One:
I will share notes about how to evaluate information that we come in contact with. The materials I will be sharing will come from the book; Tactics For Thinking by Robert J Marzano and Daisy E. Arredondo. I will be referencing pages 77-79 which share insights about how to determine credibility in relation to the information we take in...from all sources. I will also be sharing the Historical Thinking Chart created by the Stanford History Education Group. Finally, I will share a summary wheel that I have created in relation to propaganda.
Following the sharing of notes (I will discuss with students and personalize the notes as I present them), I will discuss with students how this information might come in handy as we look at past and present presidential election campaigns.
For day two, I will have each student use the NET to find a presidential campaign ad...from any campaign...past to present.
- Day Two:
I will have each student share their campaign ad with the rest of the class. While doing this, I will lead students in evaluating what was presented in relation to the notes provided on day one.
Following presentations, I will have students take a short quiz so that I am confident they will be able to evaluate the presidential campaigns that we will be evaluating.
I will have students bookmark the Truman Library Website and I will have students bookmark NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, FOX, USA Today, etc. media sources.
- Day Three:
I will return student quizzes and review again how to evaluate credibility in the information that we hear, read or view.
Following the short review, I will have students go to the Truman Library Website. I will highlight several campaign documents that I would like students to evaluate. I will have students in groups of 3 to 5 take an article or website source, read it, evaluate it in relation to evaluation of evidence, draw a group consensus in relation to the legitimacy of what was presented. One student in each group will note the group responses.
Once each group has completed their evaluations, I will have each group share their conclusions and discuss how the campaign propaganda might have influenced people at that time. I will also have students evaluate how the same information would impact people today.
- Day Four:
I will discuss with students what they learned from day three in relation to presidential campaigns. Then, I will have students choose one of the bookmarked media websites and find an article or a video to review as a group (different groups of 3 to 5) in relation to the current campaign taking place. I will have each group process the information in the same format as day 3.
Following the sharing and discussion in relation to propaganda and campaigns, I will ask each student to write an essay addressing how they feel they are being impacted by the propaganda utilized in the campaign. I will also have them address the credibility of what is shared during campaigns.
- Day Four/Five:
I will have students share their essays and discuss the impact that presidential campaigns might have in our lives in the future. I will allow student questions and interaction following each presentation. This time will allow for students to generate further learning and further questions to investigate.
I will then wrap up this lesson by asking students to consider their responsibility as a citizen of this nation in relation to sorting through the propaganda to determine credibility.
This lesson is part of a larger unit on the Executive Branch...
- I will utilize a short quiz to evaluate student understanding in relation to shared information from Tactics For Thinking, Stanford History Education Group Historical Thinking Chart and the Summary Wheel covering Propaganda that I have created.
- I will utilize an essay...as described on day four above.
- I will incorporate elements of this lesson into a future test. Essay questions will be used to allow students to share with me what they have learned and how they intend to apply this knowledge...in relation to evaluation of evidence.
- Objective evaluation... I will observe students as they grasp the focus of this lesson during groups and investigation sessions...are they getting it? Based on listening to and watching students I will be able to evaluate the learning taking place.
- Additionally, student evaluation feedback will give me insights about the effectiveness of this activity...and the learning that has taken place.