act2_prop= aganda_updated

Propaganda=20 and Censorship in World War I[1]

=93The=20 world must be made save for democracy=94
Woodrow Wilson, April 2,=20 1917

Propaganda=20 Posters

Censored=20 Photographs

Learning = Objective: To consider the positive and = negative=20 roles of censorship and propaganda during = wartime.

Historical = Context:
When Woodrow Wilson asked = Congress for=20 a Declaration of War on Germany in April 1917, many Americans were = against the=20 war. As a matter of act, the police had barricades at the Capital = building to=20 keep the war protesters at a distance.

Nonetheless, Congress agreed and = the=20 United States joined England and France in the war against Germany, = Austria and=20 the Ottoman Empire. Wilson effectively argued that the United States=92=20 participation in that war was necessary to =93make the world safe for = democracy.=94=20 As you have learned from your textbook, Wilson also established the = Committee on=20 Public Information, an agency that =93sold=94 the war to the American = public through=20 censorship and propaganda (see Recovering the Past =96 Government = Propaganda; pgs.=20 660-661).

Section One of this activity will ask = that you=20 consider the use of censorship of images during World War I. For this, = you=20 will view a video clip from the History of American Photography and = additional=20 photographs and paintings of trench warfare. =

Section Two of this activity will ask = that you=20 consider the use of propaganda during World War I. For this, you will = be asked=20 to learn more about the basic concepts and practices of propaganda. = Then, you=20 will be asked to examine propaganda posters generated by the federal=20 government during World War I.

Process: Due=20 Dates: Discussion active from July 5 =96 July=20 15

Assessment:=20

=B7 =20 The=20 online discussion is worth 30 points (15 points for each=20 section).

=B7 =20 The=20 information and discussion in this activity will be used as an exam = essay for=20 Learning Module 1.

=B7 =20 Be=20 sure to read through the entire activity and contact Susan Oliver (soliver@cerritos.edu) with=20 questions.

Assignment=20 to Prepare for Online Discussion:

Section One: Censorship =

Step=20 One:

View = the video,=20 World War I which is located in TalonNet. = Feel free=20 to read along in the transcript.=20 [Note: ignore the short portion at the end of the video clip on = Tabloids.]=20 Review the photographs and paintings on trench warfare in World War I. = See =93Images of = War.=94 As you = review=20 these two sources, make notes on why photographs were censored by the=20 Committee on Public Information (agency of US government) during = WWI. In the = discussion=20 address the following question: =93Do you think that the US government = was right=20 to censor certain photographs of the war?=94 Why or why not? Be sure = to provide=20 one or two specific examples that support your = answer.=20

Step Two:

Review = your notes=20 and/or review the video clip and =93Images of War.=94 This time think = about how=20 media (newspapers, magazines, and television) publish visual images of = conflicts in the Middle East, Afghanistan, or Africa (Darfur). Are = these=20 images censored? If not, should they be? In the = discussion,=20 answer the following question: =93Do you think that the federal = government=20 should use censorship to keep the more brutal images from being = published? Why=20 or why not?=94 Be sure to provide one or two specific examples that = support your=20 opinion.

Section Two:=20 Propaganda

Step One: Overview = - Why=20 Study Propaganda?

To=20 better understand the concept and use of propaganda, review the summary = pages on=20 the following website. These pages explain the uses and methods of = propaganda,=20 which, in turn, you can use to interpret the propaganda=20 posters.

Resource: Propaganda: = Relevant=20 Sections for this activity: Introduction, Common Techniques, World War = I=20 propaganda.
In = Chapter 20 of=20 the textbook, reread =93A Patriotic Crusade=94 (656- 658). Be = prepared to=20 discuss what you learned about propaganda. =

Step Two: World = War I=20 Posters

Review = the posters=20 on =93Fighting=20 for Freedom =96 Propaganda in World War I=94 Select = one poster=20 that you find most interesting.
Answer = the=20 following questions about this poster.

1. =20 Imagine you lived in 1917 =96 = 1918. What=20 would be your reaction to this poster? What do you think that this = poster tells=20 you about America=92s commitment in the war? How does this =93message=94 = make you=20 feel?

2. =20 Now=20 look at the poster again, this time more critically. Analyze the image = (s), the=20 colors, and the presentation. What kinds of people are depicted? What = event=20 might the poster refer to? Who is the target audience for this poster = and what=20 is the poster asking that audience to do?

3. =20 Be=20 prepared to offer your analysis of the poster in the class discussion=20 board.

Step Three: The = discussion.

The = following=20 discussion threads will be posted in the online=20 discussion.

Topic One: Censorship: = This section of the discussion = asks that=20 you address two topics.

Question 1: After you viewed the video = clip, you were=20 asked to think about the following question: =93Do you think that the US = government was right to censor certain photographs of the war?=94 Why or = why=20 not?

Question 2: Do you think that the federal = government=20 should use censorship to keep the more brutal images from being = published? Why=20 or why not?

Post your answers in the = discussion and be=20 clear on why you reached your conclusions on censorship in World War I = and in=20 today=92s images in the Middle East, Africa, and/or Afganistan.=20

Topic Two: = Propaganda

In the activity, = you were=20 asked to review the concepts of propaganda on the website, Propaganda = and in its=20 use in World War I, as noted in chapter 20 of the textbook. Share with = your=20 classmates what you learned about propaganda. Based on your brief study = of=20 propaganda, do you believe that propaganda is essential to unifying the = nation=20 during a war?

Thread Three: = World War I=20 Posters

In the activity = you were=20 asked to review a sample of the posters from World War I. You were then = asked to=20 select one poster and think about the following questions: Imagine you lived in 1917 =96 = 1918. What=20 would be your reaction to this poster? What do you think that this = poster tells=20 you about America=92s commitment in the war?

Then you were asked to examine = the poster=20 more critically, looking at its colors, presentations, and subject = matter. From=20 this you were answer the following questions: What kinds of people are = depicted?=20 What event might the poster refer to? Who is the target audience for = this poster=20 and what is the poster asking that audience to do?

Offer your=20 observations in the discussion. Be sure to describe or name the poster = that you=20 selected.