Students will study strategies for propaganda used in advertisements in this lesson. At the end of the lesson, students are going to: 
- Recognize typical propaganda strategies used in commercials.
- Examine the efficacy of propaganda strategies.

- In what ways does text interaction encourage thought and action?

- Bias: A judgment based on a personal point of view. 
- Propaganda Techniques and Persuasive Tactics: Propaganda techniques and persuasive tactics are used to influence people to believe, buy, or do something. Students should be able to identify and comprehend the propaganda techniques and persuasive tactics listed below. 
1. Name-calling is an attack on a person instead of an issue. 
2. A bandwagon appeal tries to persuade the reader to do, think, or buy something because it is popular or because “everyone” is doing it. 
3. A red herring is an attempt to distract the reader with details not relevant to the argument. 
4. An emotional appeal tries to persuade the reader by using words that appeal to the reader’s emotions instead of logic or reason. 
5. A testimonial attempts to persuade the reader by using a famous person to endorse a product or idea (for instance, a celebrity endorsement). 
6. Repetition attempts to persuade the reader by repeating a message over and over again. 
7. A sweeping generalization (stereotyping) makes an oversimplified statement about a group based on limited information. 
8. A circular argument states a conclusion as part of the proof of the argument. 

- Ad*Access: John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising, and Marketing History. Duke University Library. http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/adaccess/ 
- Propaganda in Advertising handout (L-L-8-2_Propaganda in Advertising)

- Call on pairs and individual students during the discussion to gauge their understanding of the material. As students work through the study guide questions, circulate to offer assistance.
- For further practice, offer reteaching and extra resources as needed.
- Give students comments on their examination of magazine advertising strategies and allow them to make edits to their work for the unit assessment portfolio.

Explicit instruction, modeling, scaffolding, and active engagement
W: Lead students in an analysis of propaganda strategies and their potency.
H: Hold a competition to see who can memorize the most commercial taglines to get students interested. You can also show them how advertising has changed over time by showing them old commercials.
E: Provide hands-on learning opportunities to teach students about propaganda tactics, as well as time for independent research and in-depth analysis of current advertising and technique usage.
R: Assist students in revisiting or revising their understanding of propaganda by providing them with activities like analyzing and discussing sample ads, first through group-guided interaction and then individually.
E: Pay attention to how students contribute to group discussions, use of study time, and the unit assessment portfolio assignment to gauge their level of understanding.
T: Customize instruction by assigning pre-selected ads according to students' past knowledge, giving students who struggle with analysis prescribed questions to help with it, and utilizing flexible grouping to give students practice with analysis.
O: Arrange learning activities in a step-by-step manner, beginning with awareness, reading important concepts in-depth, and doing guided analysis of advertisements.

Focus Question: How does propaganda appear in the media?

Ask students to identify the brand or business that goes along with each of their slogans, like: "I'm lovin' it,” (McDonald’s)

“Have it your way.” (Burger King)
“The quicker picker upper.” (Bounty paper towels)
“Reach out and touch someone.” (AT&T)
“The way business gets done.” (Nextel)
“Drivers wanted.” (Volkswagen)
“When you care enough to send the very best.” (Hallmark)
“Think outside the bun.” (Taco Bell)
“Fly the friendly skies.” (United Airlines)
“Be all you can be.” (U.S. Army)
“1000 songs in your pocket.” (iPod)
“Hold different.” (iPhone 4)
“Nothing runs like a Deere.” (John Deere)
“Just do it.” (Nike)

Part 1

Say, "Advertisers use slogans or taglines as one method of creating memorable product awareness. Advertisements in print, television, the Internet, and radio use similar persuasive techniques to sell ideas and products to consumers. To comprehend the subliminal influences you hear and see, you will be taught to identify different techniques." 

Hand out the Propaganda in Advertising handout (L-L-8-2_Propaganda in Advertising). Students should watch commercials with a partner and determine the persuasive strategies employed by the companies. You can utilize Ad*Access: Duke University Library, John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising, and Marketing History. Note: Use keywords like "soap," "cereal," "vacuum," "toys," and "automotive" to narrow your search.

Assign the worksheet to each pair of students after they have selected two ads. Collectively, go over the students' responses.

Part 2

Offer severable magazines, pamphlets, and newspapers. Ask students to look through the print materials for examples of advertisements that use propaganda tactics. Give the following instructions to your students: "To illustrate each of the ten propaganda strategies, find and examine magazine ads. Write a summary and analysis for each commercial that you compile. The paragraph should define the identified advertising technique. The unit assessment portfolio you create will include this assignment."

Allocate time in class for conducting research and analysis. Talk about how the more recent advertisements differ from the older ones. Instruct students to include their completed projects in their portfolios.

Extension:

Students who are willing to go above and beyond the norm should collect political campaign direct mailings and analyze the techniques used to gain support for a candidate. 

Provide extra opportunities for students to learn about particular advertisements by using the multiple-choice format of the technique options. Ask students to justify their decisions in writing, stating why each option is appropriate or inappropriate. You can find an additional source for advertisements in "Related Resources".