Students will examine how propaganda and persuasion are used in nonfiction texts, as well as the distinction between opinion and fact. At the end of this lesson, students are going to:
- Distinguish between written assertions, reasonable arguments, facts, and viewpoints in texts.
- Examine how propaganda and emotional appeal are used.
- Cite textual evidence to support your claims, conclusions, and inferences about the impact of word choice in nonfiction writing.

- How can readers decide which information from what they hear, read, and see to believe? 
- How do literary and informational texts become meaningful to strategic readers? 
- How does interaction with text elicit thought and response? 
- How can one improve and expand their vocabulary? 
- What exactly is the topic of this text?

- Author’s Purpose: The author’s intent either to inform or teach about something, to entertain people, or to persuade or convince the audience to do or not do something.
- Inference: A judgment based on reasoning rather than on a direct or explicit statement. A conclusion based on facts or circumstances; understanding gained by “reading between the lines.”
- Claim: A statement put forth as true; in an argument, a statement of position on an issue.
- Propaganda Techniques and Persuasive Tactics:Propaganda techniques and persuasive tactics are used to influence people to believe, buy, or do something.
+ An emotional appeal tries to persuade the reader by using words that appeal to the reader’s emotions instead of to logic or reason.

- Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. This speech was chosen as a powerful example of persuasive tactics in support of a positive cause, one that allows students to identify Lincoln’s purpose as well as the methods he used to attempt to convince his audience to see things his way. Sources include the following: 
+ Gettysburg Address. The Avalon Project. Yale Law School. http://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/gettyb.asp 
+ YouTube reading of the Gettysburg Address by Jeff Daniels https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4bM9geY0do 
+ Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech could be substituted. Teachers may substitute other texts to provide a range of reading levels and complexity. 
advertisements that offer examples of propaganda techniques, such as the following: 
+ http://www.purina.com/products/dogs.aspx This animal food site influences consumers to purchase this product. 
 http://www.hillspet.com/hillspet/minisite/naturesBest/naturesBestHome.hjsp This animal food site influences consumers to purchase this type of pet food.

- Maintain the focus of the lesson on word choices that assist students in identifying facts, opinions, propaganda, and emotional appeal. Identify the students who require extra assistance based on the advertisements they made and their involvement in class. 
- Utilize the subsequent standards to evaluate comprehension:
+ the capacity to distinguish between sound arguments, facts, opinions, and declared claims in texts.
+ the capacity to evaluate the use of propaganda and emotional appeal.
+ the capacity to support claims, conclusions, and inferences about the impact of word choice in nonfiction writings with citations to relevant texts.

Explicit instruction, modeling, scaffolding, and active engagement 
W: Assist students in examining how propaganda is used and determining how word choices evoke strong feelings. 
H: Involve students by drawing on their past understanding of how word choices aid in the distinction between facts and opinions. 
E: Assist students in examining instances of propaganda and persuasion strategies to uncover the impact of word choice. 
R: Give students the chance to present their work to the broader group for discussion. Students should be encouraged to either modify or defend their opinions. 
E: Watch students to gauge their comprehension of propaganda and persuasion strategies, and provide a chance for them to share what they have learned. 
T: Provide resources at conceptual levels so that every student can demonstrate their understanding of the impact of word choice in nonfiction texts. 
O: This lesson's learning exercises include large-group instruction and discussion, small-group inquiry, partner work, and individual application of the material. 

Main Question: What are the characteristics of persuasive language?

Reviewing how words convey opinions and facts in texts can help students become more engaged. Ask a student to define a fact, which is an assertion that can be verified, and an opinion, which is a subjective belief that cannot be determined.

Make a worksheet with a list of facts and viewpoints, then give it to the students. You can apply the following examples: Ask students to write an F for fact or an O for opinion next to each item. As you read each statement aloud, have a student provide the answer and identify word choices that indicate fact or opinion.

1. Bats appear vicious and frightful. ( O)
2. The United States holds its presidential elections in November. (F)
3. Fall is, in my opinion, the ideal season. ( O)
4. There is only one moon on Earth. (F)
5. The greatest president the US has ever had is Abraham Lincoln. ( O)
6. The first American president was George Washington. (F)
7. More amiable than cats are dogs. ( O)
8. Mammals include whales. (F)
9. The Earth completes one orbit of the sun every 365 days. (F)
10. In the state, our school is the best. (O)

Part 1

Say, "We often take language for granted. We constantly utilize it. But since language has such a strong hold over us, we ought to think carefully about it. In two minutes and less than 300 words, Abraham Lincoln captured the spirit of the Gettysburg Address and the greater cause for which the soldiers gave their lives. His inspirational remarks have been repeated time and time to rally the nation and serve as a constant reminder of the power of unity. Words have the power to influence our thoughts, feelings, and behavior. It's critical to consider persuasive texts carefully. For instance, we must weigh the differences between opinion and fact, logic and emotion."

Ask students to read the Gettysburg Address aloud and highlight any terms that are unclear or require clarification. Before moving on to the remainder of the lesson, discuss these words to make sure the students understand the speech.

Ask students to identify facts in the speech after they have read it again or heard it read aloud. Draw attention to the fact that the first four sentences are facts. After that, Lincoln talks about opinion and appeals to emotions. Next, have students identify Lincoln's thesis—that the Union must be maintained—and his motivation for composing the speech—that is, to persuade the audience to support the Union's preservation.

Ask, "What justification did Lincoln offer to persuade the audience to back him?" (He emphasized that many people had sacrificed their lives to uphold the Union, and he urged his audience to continue so that the deceased "shall not have died in vain.") Explain how Lincoln acknowledged humanity's terrible destruction while simultaneously making a strong emotional appeal with his statements, "We cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground," and "they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced."

Say, "With this speech, Lincoln aimed to convince listeners that their commitment to the Union's survival was a way to honor those who had lost their lives at Gettysburg and elsewhere during the war. Lincoln gives the facts in his argument, then draws support for his assertion that the Union must endure from his audience. This speech serves as an example of the potent influence words have over our thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Others always use language as a tool to persuade us of something. We must carefully consider the information we read and hear."

Part 2

Say, "It's crucial to evaluate persuasive texts. Not every text is written with the same fundamental "good" intentions as the Gettysburg Address. We must scrutinize the intent behind the persuasion and remain cognizant of the strategies being employed in an attempt to persuade us. Some authors attempt to sway readers' or listeners' opinions by using propaganda in addition to facts and logic."

Ask, "Do you know what propaganda is? When you have a definition for it, raise your hand." (Those attempting to mislead you by employing flawed logic or to coerce you into believing something)

Look for instances of commercials that aim to sway a buyer's decision. Consider advertisements for cleaning supplies, pet food, insurance, and hair products. The two websites about animal feed that are mentioned in the Materials might be useful to you; they make an effort to persuade a pet owner to purchase a specific brand. Ask students to identify the claim made in the advertisement (e.g., "Our dog food meets dogs' nutritional needs") and the supporting details it provides. Assist students in recognizing word choices that convey propaganda tactics (this dog food is the most nutritious, dogs who eat this dog food are healthier) and emotional appeals (pets make everybody happier, puppies are adorable, etc.). Additionally, assist students in recognizing any facts—like the nutritional value—that are used in the advertisement and how those facts are shown in the text.

Say, "You'll get an advertisement ready. You have the option of selecting your product and what you say about it. First, let's make a list of potential products." Ask students to consider recent purchases they or their parents have made, such as fast food, magazines, bread, cereal, and appliances. Make a list of roughly 20 things.

"Consider how you can entice others to purchase your product after you've made your selection. The visual part of the ad can be drawn or taken from a magazine or newspaper, but the focus should be on the text. Keep in mind that you are using language to persuade people to purchase your goods.", you say. Encourage your students to use emotional appeal in their advertisements.

Ask students to present their advertisements to the class, and then invite others to point out word choices that play on feelings or employ disinformation tactics to promote the product. Talk about how knowledgeable shoppers can steer clear of purchasing items that merely appeal to their emotions. Ask, "What informational sources could offer accurate details about a product?"

Extension:

For students who are prepared to go beyond the required reading, "Best Soup Ever? Suits Over Ads Demand Proof” is available in the "related resources" session. Make particular reference to the issues businesses are facing with their advertising and supporting documentation for their claims. Recognize the propaganda strategy employed in these two advertisements as a broad generalization, which is an oversimplified assertion based on scant data. Next, assign students to locate more instances of persuasive text or advertisements that employ this strategy.
If students require more practice, go over the definitions of opinion and fact. Subsequently, provide them with a set of five statements to classify as facts or opinions. Ask them to clarify which words in the statements indicate which facts or opinions. To strengthen comprehension of emotional appeal, and talk about a well-known ice cream or fast-food commercial. Identify how the advertisement links the product to positive emotions like contentment, safety, or well-being. Ask students to point out the phrases or images that evoke strong feelings. (For instance, the product is being used by someone who is physically fit and active, or everyone using it is grinning or laughing.)