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17.8: Assignment- WWI Propaganda

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WWI was famous for its propaganda posters.  In fact, WWI is the reason the word “propaganda” is now a dirty word.  At the start of the war it wasn’t, but as governments lied, withheld information, and manipulated the public, propaganda gained the negative connotation that it has today.  Here are two posters from WWI; one American, one British.

For each poster write a short paragraph that answers the following:

• What message is the poster trying to get across?  How does the poster express that message?
• What emotions does the poster try to stimulate?

• WWI Propaganda Assignment. Authored by : Chris Thomas. Provided by : Reynolds Community College. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Revision and Adaptation. Authored by : Kimlisa Duchicela. License : CC BY: Attribution

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Introduction to propaganda in wwi.

In this lesson, students will be introduced to propaganda produced during World War I. Propaganda greatly influenced the home front as well as soldiers’ morale, ranging from recruitment and enlistment ads, to posters asking for wartime loans, to images promoting morale at home. Propaganda influenced the economy during and after WWI, enlistment numbers, recruitment of women’s aid and service organizations, and helped to power the America’s role in the war. This lesson will define propaganda by using primary sources from WWI, outline the influence of propaganda on WWI, and allow students to engage with the primary sources as well as examples of contemporary propaganda through new knowledge.

Essential Questions

Students will be able to:

• Understand the early 1900s by analyzing primary source documents depicting propaganda from the WWI and WWII eras. 
• Identify and analyze different types of propaganda and their purposes by examining pieces of propaganda from both WWI and today.
• Be able to explain and evaluate their purpose and usage in diverse settings by getting involved in the interactive lecture and classroom discussion.

Other Materials

Propaganda and WWI slideshow by Schnell Washington

Guided note taking handout

Suggested Instructional Procedures

• First, the teacher should present the Propaganda and WWI slideshow as a discussion based interactive lecture using the slideshow for twenty to twenty-five minutes. The lecture starts with discussing propaganda and its seven forms. Give students the guided note-taking hand out. The slideshow handout will be used for the entirety of the lesson.
• In the slideshow, there is a video detailing the seven types of propaganda, and students should be defining the types as the video goes along on their handout. After the video, the class should review the definitions and examples of propaganda that were discussed in the video to ensure that everyone has the correct information. 
• Once the definitions are covered, the WWI primary source in the slideshow should be introduced. The teacher should give the students a minute or two to examine the source independently, and then share some of their opinions with the class.
• After analyzing the primary sources independently and as a class, the teacher should introduce a modern example of propaganda. Students should be encouraged to think of their own examples to share with the class too. During this discussion, the teacher should prompt the students to think of the societal effects of propaganda. The students should be able to come up with positive and negative effects, which should lead to a deeper discussion.
• Following this discussion-based lesson, the teacher should assign the students a group assignment. The groups should consist of about three students to ensure there is enough time for students to collaborate. Students should be instructed to analyze three other WWI/ WWII propaganda posters to explain their meaning. Students should identify the type of propaganda being used, analyze the author's intent, and discuss the positive and/ or negative implications of the poster. This should take 10 minutes to complete.
• For the last five minutes of this lesson, the teacher should bring the class back together to discuss the findings of the group assignment. The guided-notes can be collected as an assessment.

Propaganda : Information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc. It usually appeals to a certain emotion or feeling (fear, pride, embarrassment, happiness)

Name calling/stereotyping : When you invent a name to call someone to help dismiss their credibility.

“Glittering” Generalities : Generalities, virtues, and values.

Testimonial : Personal statement given by a credible person, advocating for the subject of the propaganda regardless of merit or fact.

Transfer or Association : Similar to Testimonial, but reliant on the credibility of an institution rather than an individual.

Bandwagon : Soliciting or advertising based on the desire to be a part of something or to have something in common with the majority (“Everyone’s doing it!” Or, “All the smart people are doing it!”).

Plain Folks : The argument that the “common man” or everyday, wholesome person understands, agrees with, or uses the advertized concept or product.

Professional/”Just a jacket”: Using physical appearance to create the perception of credibility.

Explicit: Fully and clearly expressed or demonstrated; leaving nothing merely implied; unequivocal.

Implicit : Implied rather than expressly stated.

Land Army : A civilian organization that allowed women to work in agriculture to replace the men who are overseas at war.

Bigotry : Stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one's own.

Primary Source : Pertaining to or being a firsthand account, original data, etc., or based on direct knowledge.

Secondary Source : Pertaining to or being a derived or derivative account, an evaluation of original data, etc.; not primary or original.

Plans in this Unit

Grade level, standards/eligible content, pa  core standards.

CC.8.5.6-8B

CC.8.5.6-8H

About the Author

This unit was created by Cultural Fieldwork Initiative Interns from Temple Univeristy Josh  Sherman and Schnell Washington, Summer Education Intern Jessica Sharp, and Alicia Parks, Wells Fargo Education Manager at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

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Let us know how you used this plan and be featured on our site! Submit your story here.  

Lessons of Liberty: Patriotism - Analyze WWI Propaganda Posters

This lesson plan asks students to examine their understanding of "patriotism" by analyzing over 60 primary source propaganda posters that called America to action during World War I.

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The Power of Persuasion: Press and Propaganda During World War I

• Newspaper and Propaganda Analysis using primary sources
• Technology-based presentations over findings

Critically analyzing media/print bias is an important skill in today’s world to avoid being manipulated by advertisers, news sources or politicians

• Analyze propaganda and newspaper articles from the World War I era.
• Design and give presentations summarizing findings
• SS7 1.7, 3.5, 3.6 Distinguish between fact and opinion and analyze sources to recognize bias and points of view (Missouri Social Studies CLEs)
• SS7 1.5 Interpret maps, statistics, charts, diagrams, graphs, timelines, pictures, political cartoons, audiovisual materials, continua, written resources, art and artifacts (Missouri Social Studies CLEs)
• 1. History Continuity and Change Theme 3 C. Evaluate the impact of U.S. participation in WWI and the resulting peace efforts. (DESE Missouri Grade Level Expectations)
• http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/wwipos/background.html   (purposes of propaganda posters)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t_Gwo3M-uc (Overview video of propaganda and press)
• https://www.studentnewsdaily.com/example-of-media-bias/voters-dont-trust-media-fact-checking/ (Types of Media bias)
• https://www.shmoop.com/wwi/timeline.html (Timeline of key events in World War I)
• http://www.ww1propaganda.com     (propaganda posters)
• http://www.loc.gov/pictures/search/?st=grid&co=wwipos (propaganda posters)
• https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ (searchable newspaper database)
• Day 1—A.) Introduce lesson by asking if any of the students or someone they know has ever been misled by a news report, advertisement, or social media post.  Let students share appropriate examples. Discuss what the words “Propaganda,” “Fake News,” and “Election Meddling” mean.  Ask students whether they believe advertisements, news stories, and social media posts are effective in influencing our attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors. Emphasize that this lesson, while focusing on news and propaganda from World War I, will help introduce skills that are needed to avoid being duped by misleading information in today’s world.  B.) Read the secondary overview of propaganda posters.  C.) Watch the video overview of propaganda and press during WWI. Discuss the purposes of propaganda during World War I.  D.) Analyze a World War I propaganda poster by discussing the following questions: 1.) For whom is the propaganda designed? (Be specific.)  2.) What is it trying to get the reader to think or do?  3.) What emotions does it appeal to?  4.) What might be the positive and/or negative consequences of this propaganda?
• Day 2—A.) Have students read the article on media bias.  Discuss the various types of media bias. B.) Remind students that when World War I broke out, President Wilson asked Americans to be "neutral in thought as well as deed."  Have students look at the timeline of WWI events.  Would any of these events make it harder for Americans to support neutrality?  Would the newspapers covering these events be likely to reflect a move towards entering the war?  C.) Find an American newspaper covering one of the key World War I events (sinking of the Lusitania, resumption of submarine warfare, Zimmerman Telegram,) etc.  **The teacher may need to give the students tips on how to search the database. Analyze the article by doing the following:

1.) Underline the facts in the article.  2.) Circle all opinions.  3.) Highlight any examples of media bias.  Is this article simply reporting the news or is it trying to persuade the reader to support a war against Germany?  On a “Fake News” scale of 1-10, where would this article rate in its journalistic integrity? (1 would be no obvious evidence of bias or misleading facts; 10 would be extreme bias or erroneous facts in reporting.)

• Day 3—Students should work in teams to examine World War I propaganda posters and newspaper stories.  Each team should pick one propaganda poster that they feel is highly persuasive, analyze the poster using the questions above, and then explain why they felt that this poster was highly effective.  They also should pick one World War I news story that they think is worthy of a “Fake News Award” and analyze it using the steps above.  Students also need to justify why they felt this news story was biased or erroneous in its reporting.
• Day 4—Students should give powerpoint or Google slide presentations which summarize their findings from Day 3.  The presentations should include the analysis questions/steps and their explanations for why the propaganda was effective and the news story was worthy of a “Fake News” award.
• Scoring Guide for Presentations will be based as follows for each expectation listed below:

4—Exemplary           3—Above average               2—Barely Adequate                        1—Lacking

Teachers should feel free to translate the scoring guide above to points or letter grades as desired.  Each expectation can be weighted according to the teacher’s preferences.

• The presentation included an analysis of a World War I poster by answering the questions modeled on Day 1. The poster should be included in the presentation.
• The presentation included an analysis of a World War I news story by following the steps modeled on Day 3. The news story should be included in the presentation.
• The presentation included an explanation with several reasons for why they felt the selected propaganda poster was highly effective.
• The presentation included an explanation with several reasons for why the selected World War I news story deserved a “Fake News” award.
• The presentation was well-organized and easy to follow.
• The presentation included effective communication techniques and proper grammar.

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• Resource Library
• Lesson Plan
• Social Studies

Education Standards

Utah core social studies.

Learning Domain: World Studies

Standard: Analyze how major world events of the 20th century affect the world today.

America in World War I

Photographs and postcards, propaganda posters, propaganda and its effects on wwi.

Propaganda had a large effect on opinions during World War One. This lesson is to introduce students to what propaganda is and how it can affect opinions and actions during wartime.

Propaganda had a large effect on opinions during World War One. This lesson is to introduce students to what propaganda is and how it can affect opinions and actions during wartime. Enduring Understanding: Students will understand important ideas from World War One and their effects.

Essential Question: How does propaganda affect opinions and actions of people and leaders during wartime?

• Pictures of Propaganda printed from attached websites
• paper and pencils for students
• Social Studies notebook/journal

Background for Teachers

World War One was full of images urging people to join the army, buy bonds, or support the war by growing their own victory garden. These images created nationalism as well as showed how evil the enemy was. Although some truth was shown in the posters, many were exaggerated to persuade citizens to do as the government desired. Propaganda was used in various countries and was quite effective for helping the war effort.

Student Prior Knowledge

Pre-assessment: Ask students if they have ever seen a commercial or poster that convinced them to do something. Ask them what was it that the author of the commercial or poster did or said that made the item persuasive. Discuss some reasons why people would want to persuade someone else.

Next, ask students in a time of war what a government would want to persuade people to do. Give examples such as: support the country with money, become a soldier, etc.

Ask them if they know what propaganda means and compare the definition to the posters or commercials the class discussed at the beginning of the lesson.

Intended Learning Outcomes

• Students will analyze the messages and effects of propaganda used in World War One.
• Students will create their own propaganda using their knowledge of good persuasive skills.

Instructional Procedures

• Visit America in World War One website (or print out the page and copy it for students) and read the description of propaganda together. Also read with them from the Propaganda posters website (or print them out again).
• Tell the students they will be viewing various examples of propaganda from a few different countries during World War One.
• Divide students into small groups. Give each group one packet of many postcard and poster pictures printed from the given websites.
• Ask the students to answer the following questions in their journals: What country is this item from? What is the main message of this image? How would this image affect me as a citizen during WWI?
• Discuss the images as a class.
• Assign students to write a summary about what propaganda is and how it can affect citizens and leaders during times of war.

Assessment Plan

Have students write a summary about what propaganda is and how it can influence citizens and leaders during times of war.

Bibliography

• http://www.firstworldwar.com/posters/index.htm
• http://www.firstworldwar.com/photos/postcards.htm
• http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/snpwwi5.htm

Emily Olaya

Version History

• UNC Libraries
• Course Guides
• English 105 Online Curriculum Module: Rhetoric of American World War I Posters

English 105 Online Curriculum Module: Rhetoric of American World War I Posters: Home

Unit project, lesson context.

The Rhetoric of American World War I Propaganda Posters unit sequence uses primary sources to introduce students to the basics of rhetorical and visual analysis, multimodal composition, and scholarly research and writing. The unit begins with students exploring “ North Carolinians and the Great War ,” the library’s digital collection of World War I posters. In the first feeder assignment, students complete a visual analysis worksheet and analyze the rhetoric and imagery of two posters from the collection. Students can also watch "Analyzing World War I Posters,"  a short video introduction to visual analysis and the history of World War I posters. In the second feeder assignment, students expand their rhetorical analysis by conducting additional secondary source research about one of the posters. Finally, in the unit project, students write an analysis of their poster and share their findings with the class in a five-minute conference presentation.

• Unit Summary - Printable PDF

Unit Summary

​ assignments.

You have been selected to present at a World War I conference. Your research begins with the library’s online collection of the many American propaganda posters created during World War I to recruit soldiers and build national pride. This digital collection, “North Carolinians and the Great War,” focuses specifically on posters that would have been widely distributed in North Carolina to help bolster war efforts in the state. In this unit, you will select one poster to study, analyze, research, and write about. You deliverables include a brief visual presentation about your poster and an essay. As a rhetorician, your goal is to analyze the rhetorical strategies the artist used to create an effective propaganda poster. You should consider include how the artist used images, color, text, and design elements to convey messages related to World War I. Additionally, you should explore the historical context of your poster and how it might have influenced North Carolinians who participated in the war efforts.

Learning Objectives

By working on the feeder assignments and unit project, you will develop the following skills:

identify how rhetorical strategies are deployed in both visual and textual formats;

conduct secondary source research;

place propaganda rhetoric in its historical context; and

synthesize complex research findings in a compelling oral presentation and written assignment.

North Carolinians and the Great War​

World War I propaganda posters are available from Documenting the American South (DocSouth). The goal of the poster collection is to “[examine] how World War I shaped the lives of different North Carolinians on the battlefield and on the home front as well how the state and federal government responded to war-time demands."

• Video: Analyzing World War I Posters This video provides a guide to visual analysis an examples of how to apply analytical questions to WWI posters within their historical context.
• World War I Posters Worksheet This worksheet accompanies the video "Analyzing World War I Posters."
• An introduction to the collection This introduction to the poster collection places the posters in historical context and describes the collection.
• Propaganda posters organized by theme All of the posters are accessible here and organized by topic.

In Feeder One, students will begin by exploring the online collection of American World War I propaganda posters to get a sense of the range and types of posters that were made. Either as an in-class activity or as a homework assignment, students should select a poster they find interesting and analyze it more closely by completing the Visual Analysis Worksheet . 

Once students have practiced their visual analysis skills, they can move on to the second part of the feeder assignment. First, they should select and download two posters they are interested in writing about for their final projects. Next, they should write a short paragraph about each poster that includes the following information:

• their reasons for selecting the poster, such as its color, shape, subject matter, artistic appeal, etc.;
• the message (or messages) they believe the poster was expressing; and
• the historical audience (or audiences) they believe the poster and message were trying to reach. 

Instructional Materials

• Visual Analysis Worksheet - Printable PDF

For Feeder Two, Background Research and Preliminary Analysis , students will choose one poster and examine it from multiple critical vantage points. First, in the research phase of the assignment, students will search for secondary and primary sources that answer key questions about their posters. Their driving goal as researchers in this assignment will be to learn more about the historical and cultural context in which their posters were created and disseminated.

Next, in the rhetorical analysis phase of the assignment, students will use the information they have gained and their own visual and textual analysis skills to draw conclusions about their posters. They will consider questions about the intended audience and purpose of their posters, as well as considering how persuasive techniques are deployed to connect with that audience and achieve that particular purpose.

• Background Research and Preliminary Analysis - Printable PDF

Possible Expansion: Visit the Undergraduate Library

Request an information literacy instruction session taught by librarians at the Robert B. House Undergraduate Library (UL). In this session, librarians can help connect students with library resources and search strategies to support their background research on their posters. Potential topics may include formulating keywords, searching in databases, evaluating print and online sources, citation, and other information literacy concepts.

For the Unit Project, an Essay and Conference Presentation , students will build on their prior research and thinking from Feeders One and Two by connecting their historical research with their rhetorical analysis. They will consider how the historical events and cultural norms of the time contributed to the visual and textual rhetorical strategies being used in the poster.

Playing the role of participants in a special session at the World War I conference, students will deliver a brief in-class presentation about the propaganda strategies used in their posters. They will also contribute an accompanying essay about their poster to the special issue of a journal published in conjunction with the conference. 

• Essay and Conference Presentation - Printable PDF

Additional Resources

These resources may supplement the instructional materials provided above:

Presentations

• Design Guide: Presentation Slides (UL)
• Presentation Planning Worksheet (UL Design Guide)
• Powerpoint and Google Slides Templates (Slides Carnival)

Public Speaking

• Tips and Tools Handout: Speeches (UNC Writing Center)
• Public Speaking Foundations (Lynda.com Tutorial)

Michael Keenan Gutierrez

Teaching Assistant Professor, Department of English and Comparative Literature

Emily Kader

Rare Book Research Librarian, Wilson Special Collections Library

Cait Kennedy

Carolina Academic Library Associate

Ashley Werlinich

Graduate Research Assistant, Wilson Special Collections Library; Ph.D. Student and Teaching Fellow, Department of English and Comparative Literature​

Discipline Areas

This online curriculum module is designed for use in the humanities unit of English 105; however, it could also be adapted for English 105i: Writing in the Humanities or Writing in the Digital Humanities. 

English 105 Requirements

This unit sequence meets the following English 105 requirements:

• Digital Literacy;
• Information Literacy;
• Multimodal Composition; 
• Oral Presentation;
• Primary Source Literacy; and
• Visual Literacy.

Possible Adaptations

This unit sequence could be adapted to use a variety of other special collections materials, depending on your research interests, desired learning outcomes, and other instructional goals.  Contact the Special Collections to discuss other possible adaptations.

Instruction

Schedule an instruction session.

If you would like your class to visit Wilson Special Collections Library,  request a special collections instruction session .

Teach with the Rare Book Collection

If you have questions about teaching with primary sources, contact Emily Kader .

Visit the Special Collections Research Room  or contact the special collections .

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Start a Conversation

To start a conversation about how future online curriculum modules can support your English 105 instruction, contact Jason Tomberlin , Head of Research and Instructional Services.

• Last Updated: May 6, 2022 1:53 PM
• URL: https://guides.lib.unc.edu/world-war-one-posters

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Assignment: WWI Propaganda

• Transcript of Joint Address to Congress Leading to a Declaration of War Against Germany, 1917
• Supreme Power is in the People
• Transcript of President Woodrow Wilson’s 14 Points
• Prosperity and the Production of Popular Entertainment
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• A New Generation
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WWI was famous for its propaganda posters.  In fact, WWI is the reason the word “propaganda” is now a dirty word.  At the start of the war it wasn’t, but as governments lied, withheld information, and manipulated the public, propaganda gained the negative connotation that it has today.  Here are two posters from WWI; one American, one British.

For each poster write a short paragraph that answers the following:

• What message is the poster trying to get across?  How does the poster express that message?
• What emotions does the poster try to stimulate?

Destroy this mad brute- Enlist  – U.S. Army. By Harry R. Hopps, (1869-1937).

Daddy, what did YOU do in the Great War?  from the Parliamentary Recruiting Committee, 1915.

Attribution

CC Licensed content, original

• WWI Propaganda Assignment.  Authored by : Chris Thomas.  Provided by : Reynolds Community College.  License :  CC BY: Attribution
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WWI Propaganda Assignment, CHC2D, CHC2P, Assignment and Rubric

Also included in

Description

In this WWI propaganda poster assignment, students are tasked with creating their own posters following the successful elements used during the war by the Canadian government.

They must select a specific target audience and employ propaganda techniques to effectively connect with them.

By strategically choosing imagery, slogans, and messaging tailored to their audience, students will construct persuasive posters aimed at spreading calculated ideas or viewpoints, much like those utilized during WWI to influence Canadian citizens.

Rubric Included.

This is also part of the WWI Inquiry Unit where all four assignments are provided.

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History Resources

World War II: Posters and Propaganda

By tim bailey, unit objective.

This unit is part of Gilder Lehrman’s series of Common Core State Standards–based teaching resources. These units were written to enable students to understand, summarize, and analyze original texts of historical significance. The lessons are built around the use of textual and visual evidence and critical thinking skills.

Over the course of three lessons the students will analyze a secondary source document and primary source documents in the form of propaganda posters produced to support the United States war effort during World War II. These period posters represent the desire of the government to gain support for the war by shaping public opinion. Students will closely analyze both the primary source artwork and the secondary source essay with the purpose of not only understanding the literal meaning but also inferring the more subtle messages. Students will use textual and visual evidence to draw their conclusions and present arguments as directed in each lesson.

In this lesson the students will carefully analyze an essay that discusses both the purpose and the impact of World War II posters on the American war effort on the home front. This essay will give the students background knowledge that will make close analysis of the actual posters more effective over the next two lessons. A graphic organizer will be used to help facilitate and demonstrate their understanding of the essay.

Introduction

With the attack by Japan on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the United States found itself suddenly involved in a war that was raging across nearly every continent of the globe. As the American military ramped up its war effort, support from the American public became crucial. The need for more soldiers, more factory production, more government funds, and less consumption by civilians of crucial war resources led to a public propaganda campaign. In an age before the widespread use of television the two best ways to reach the public were radio broadcasts and print. President Roosevelt was a pioneer in using the radio to sway public opinion, and soon colorful posters promoting the requirements of the war effort began appearing all over the United States.

• "Every Citizen a Soldier: World War II Posters on the American Home Front," by William L. Bird Jr. and Harry Rubenstein (abridged from The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History website; complete essay is here )
• Graphic Organizer: Every Citizen a Soldier: World War II Posters on the American Home Front

At the teacher’s discretion you may choose to have the students do the lesson individually, as partners, or in small groups of no more than three or four students.

• Hand out "Every Citizen a Soldier: World War II Posters on the American Home Front," by William L. Bird Jr. and Harry Rubenstein.
• "Share read" the essay with the students. This is done by having the students follow along silently while the teacher begins reading aloud. The teacher models prosody, inflection, and punctuation. The teacher then asks the class to join in with the reading after a few sentences while the teacher continues to read along with the students, still serving as the model for the class. This technique will support struggling readers as well as English language learners (ELL).
• Hand out Graphic Organizer Lesson 1: Every Citizen a Soldier: World War II Posters on the American Home Front.
• Using the graphic organizer, the students analyze the secondary source document. This can be done as a whole-class activity with discussion, in small groups, with partners, or individually.
• Discuss different interpretations developed by the students or student groups.

In this lesson the students will carefully analyze ten primary source posters from World War II. These posters come from a variety of sources but all of them reflect the themes developed by the United States government and the Office of War Information (OWI). These themes were introduced in the essay used in lesson one. The students will determine which of the six themes recommended by the OWI the poster best represents. They will use the visual evidence as well as the textual evidence to analyze the theme presented in the poster. A poster analysis sheet will be used to demonstrate their understanding.

The development of posters to promote American patriotism during World War II is an example of propaganda. Propaganda is a form of communication that usually bypasses the intellect and motivates a target group by appealing to their emotions. The posters developed for the home front during World War II were designed to motivate American citizens and develop a sense of patriotism that would turn the United States into an unstoppable war machine. These posters called on all Americans to be part of the war effort, not just by carrying a gun into battle, but in many other important ways. Government programs such as metal and rubber drives may not have meant the difference between winning or losing the war, but the camaraderie and sense of unity generated by such drives was very important to the war effort.

• World War II Posters #1–#10
• Analyzing the Poster  (each student or group will need five copies)
• Hand out World War II Posters #1–#2 and Analyzing the Poster
• The students answer the questions on the Analyzing the Poster handouts for each poster. For the first two posters this will be done as a whole-class activity with discussion. After analyzing the first two posters with the class, hand out posters #3–#10. These posters will be analyzed by the students in small groups, with a partner, or individually.
• Discuss different interpretations developed by the students or student groups. Discuss the information in the introduction.

In this lesson the students will carefully analyze ten primary source posters from World War II. The students will determine which of the six themes recommended by the Office of War Information the poster best represents. The students will use the visual evidence, as well as the textual evidence, in order to analyze the theme presented in each poster. A poster analysis sheet will be used to demonstrate their understanding. In addition, the students will synthesize, analyze, and present an argument about what they have learned in a short essay.

In 1942 President Franklin Roosevelt created the Office of War Information to distribute and control pro-American propaganda during World War II. To accomplish this goal the Office of War Information recruited Hollywood movie studios, radio stations, and the print media. In a general sense, the goal of this effort was to promote hatred for the enemy, support for America’s allies, and a greater support for the war by the American public through increased production, victory gardens, scrap drives, and the buying of US War Bonds. Of all the propaganda produced during the war, the posters had the widest national reach, with more than 200,000 different types produced during the war.

• World War II Posters #11–#20
• World War II Posters and Propaganda Essay Form

At the teacher’s discretion you may choose to have the students do the lesson individually, as partners, or in small groups of no more than three or four students.  

• Hand out World War II Posters #11–#20 and Analyzing the Poster.
• The students analyze the posters and answer the questions on the worksheet.
• Discuss different interpretations developed by the students or student groups and the information in the introduction.
• Hand out the essay form. Students will answer the prompt in a short argumentative essay that uses what they have learned from their analysis of the posters. This assignment should be done individually.

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American Social History Project  ·    Center for Media and Learning

Propaganda and world war ii.

In this activity, students compare World War II propaganda posters from the United States, Great Britain, Nazi Germany, and the Soviet Union. Then students choose one of several creative or analytical writing assignments to demonstrate what they've learned.

Students will understand how waging a "total war" altered the nature of American society.

Students will read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and evaluation.

Students will understand the effects of World War II at home.

Instructions

Step 1: Poster Analysis

Before the lesson begins, the teacher should prepare packets of posters for each nation: United States, Great Britain, Nazi Germany, and Soviet Union. 

Divide students into small groups of 3-4 students. Assign each group one of the four nations and pass out the packets to the appropriate groups. Each student should choose one poster from the packet to analyze, using the Poster Analysis Worksheet. 

After individually analyzing posters, the groups should reconvene. Each group member should present their poster to their group members. After presentations, group members should discuss how they feel the posters work together: Is there a common theme? Are there common images? What aspects of the posters make them propaganda?

Step 2: Essay Writing

After the group discussion, students should individually write an essay about the posters. The teacher may choose one assignment from the list below or allow students to choose from among the options; the teacher may also differentiate the lesson by varying which assignment is given to each student:

Compare and contrast two or more posters

Visual essay: pull together different images to tell a story; text should bridge the posters together

Responsive essay: elaborate on the emotions (anger, sadness, pride, etc.) that the poster(s) evoke

Historial writing: Historically contextualize the poster: Is there a particular event or person the poster refers to? What makes this a World War II poster? (Requires additional research)

Point of view writing: Pretend you are a person in the poster; what story do you want to convey?

Fiction writing: Make up a narrative describing the events leading up to or following the scene depicted in the poster

Historical Context

Propaganda was one of many weapons used by many countries during World War II, and the United States was no exception. From posters to films and cartoons, the federal government used propaganda not only to buoy the spirit and patriotism of the home front, but also to promote enlistment in the military and labor force. Several government agencies were responsible for producing propaganda, with the largest being the Office of War Information (OWI), created in 1942. The OWI created posters, worked with Hollywood in producing pro-war films, wrote scripts for radio shows, and took thousands of photographs that documented the war effort. Worried by the increase in government sponsored propaganda, academics and journalists established the Institute for Propaganda Analysis. The Institute identified seven basic propaganda devices: Name-Calling, Glittering Generality, Transfer, Testimonial, Plain Folks, Card Stacking, and Band Wagon. [For more on the IPA and the seven devices, please see http://www.propagandacritic.com/] All of these devices were used during the war. In this activity, students will analyze World War II posters, examining the different techniques and themes used by the OWI and other branches of government.

Materials for this Activity

"I'm Proud... My Husband Wants Me To Do My Part"

"We Can Do It!"

"Pvt. Joe Louis Says - We're Going to do our part"

"United We Win"

"Someone Talked"

"Warning! Our Homes Are in Danger Now!"

A Black Candidate Runs on Civil Rights in 1940s New York

Up Housewives and At 'Em!

Dig for...Plenty

Keep Mum, She's Not So Dumb!

They Can't Get on Without Us

"Altpapiersammlung (Paper Drive)"

"Nicht spenden, Opfern (Don't give, Sacrifice)"

"We will ruthlessly defeat and destroy the enemy!"

"Du Bist Front (You Are the Front)"

"Death to the Fascist Reptile!"

"Der Jude (The Jew)"

"Red Army man, come to the rescue!"

"On the Joyous Day of Liberation from under the Yoke of the German Invaders"

Propaganda Poster Analysis Worksheet

Historical Era

Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945)

Group Work , Interdisciplinary , Lessons in Looking , Making Connections , World War II

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Resources: Discussions and Assignments

Module 10 assignment: wwii propaganda poster.

For this assignment, you will review WWII propaganda posters and create a poster of your own.

Step 1 : Review the WWII propaganda posters in the National Archives  and the FDR Presidential Library and Museum . Be sure to focus on those from World War II. Look for dates or other cues as to the time period. Look at the materials in light of our definition of propaganda from the American Historical Society as a work using words, images, music, or other forms of expression to acheive a desired result within a particular audience.

Step 2 : Revisit the sections of our reading on World War II and consider what ideas the government needed citizens to believe in or what actions it needed citizens to take in order to support the war effort.

Decide on a particular World War II-era audience to whom you will pitch an idea they should believe in or an action they should take to support the war effort.

Step 3 : Create your own propaganda poster. Locate a suitable image online that you can paste into the thread accompanied by no more than two lines of text.

You can search .gov archives and open-access Flickr, among other sources. (As always, keep anything you share in class somewhere near a PG-13 rating!). Any images used should be openly licensed or in the public domain (for example, listed as CC0, CC-BY, or CC-BY-SA). You can search for openly licensed images within Flickr or other platforms, but google also offers search tools to help you find images that allow for reuse. You can click “tools”, then the dropdown menu will come down and allow you to select “Creative Commons,” as shown in the screenshot below.

The combination of image and text should be persuasive, especially given that propaganda is often trying to get its intended audience to do something difficult or unconventional. Your image can be very simple—just copy/pasted, or, if you want to show off your photoshopping or meme-building skills, that works too. You can use a program of your choosing, such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Photoshop, or programs such as  Canva , Visme , Picktochart ,  Infogram ,  Easel.ly , Genially , Adobe Spark.

Step 4 : In a separate statement (200-250 words) that accompanies your poster (but isn’t framed within the image), explain in direct terms what result you were aiming for and at whom. What makes it propaganda? Where did you find a wartime need described in our reading that you could feature in your poster? Why did you think it was important for this need to be met?

• Module 10 Assignment: WWII Propaganda Poster. Authored by : Scott Barr for Lumen Learning. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution