1. society
2. unrest and war

LEARNING
ACTIVITY
Teacher material
How does propaganda work?
Activity Plan
Introduction
TEACHER NOTE 1
The Oxford English Dictionary
defines propaganda as “The
systematic dissemination of
doctrine, rumour or selected
information to propagate or
promote a particular doctrine, view,
practice etc.”
TEACHER NOTE 2
These can be given to students on
one sheet, or reproduced several
times and cut up so that they can be
attached to the posters if working
offline.
TEACHER NOTE 3
Give students the definition of propaganda and ask them to brainstorm
occasions when propaganda is most likely to be produced. TEACHER NOTE 1
Analysing World War 1 propaganda posters
Either online or in hardcopy, students work in pairs and carefully study the World
War 1 propaganda selection from Historiana and categorise the purpose of each
as either recruitment, or security, or raising money. With a list of the techniques
of propaganda (see Student Material), they then decide which techniques are
being deployed in the posters. TEACHER NOTE 2
Discuss as a class the techniques deployed. Which are deployed most
frequently? Are some of the techniques scarcely deployed? Question students to
draw out their thoughts about the intended audience for each piece of
propaganda used and the techniques used. What are their observations? How
are the techniques deployed?
You might want to provide students
with some modern examples, or you Identifying modern propaganda
might want students to research
these for themselves, either in class  Students use their understanding of the definition and techniques of
propaganda to identify modern examples and to compare these to the World
time, or as an out of class activity,
War 1 posters, holding in mind the definition and the techniques.
which they then bring to the next
 Discuss as a class the similarities and differences and hypothesise why
lesson.
these might exist. TEACHER NOTE 3
TEACHER NOTE 4
This guide could be presented in a
variety of formats, from an online
app to a paper leaflet. In it students
should demonstrate their
understanding by clearly explaining
to younger students how
propaganda works and illustrating
their explanation using a variety of
examples.
Assessment task

Students produce a short guide about propaganda to present to younger
students to help them to understand it and identify it. TEACHER NOTE 4
Sources:
1. Extract from: Marc Ferro, The Great War, 1914-1918 [Translated as The
Great War] (Gallimard, 1969).
2. Extract from: Christopher Clark, The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to
War in 1914 (Allen Lane, 2013).
3. Europeana1914-1918.eu, Ref: 2761369, Zeichne die österreichische
fünfeinhalb prozentige steuerfreie Kriegsanleihe vom Jahre, 1917 by Vernay,
Johann N.
www.historiana.eu
How does propaganda work? | Helen Snelson | Page 1 of 3
LEARNING
ACTIVITY
4. Library of Congress, Ref: LC-USZC4-10915, Women of Britain say - "Go!",
1915, by E.[P.?] Kealey.
5. IWM Collection, Ref: Art.IWM PST 0424, Zeichnet Vierte Kriegsanleihe
[Subscribe to the Fourth War Loan], 1916, by Lefler Heinrich.
6. IWM Collection, Ref: Art.IWM PST 5110, The Empire needs men, March
1915, by Wardle Athur.
7. IWM Collection, Ref: Art.IWM PST 0948, Why Britain is at War, December
1914.
8. IWM Collection, Ref: Art.IWM PST 13640, Ireland War Map, by Department
of Recruiting Ireland.
9. IWM Collection, Ref: Q 80141, First World War Propaganda Poster, Part of
Imperial War Museum Poster Collection, 1918.
10. National Library of France via Gallica-Bibliothèque numérique,
Journée des régions libérées. Que votre aide à nos frères malheureux soit
généreuse !, 1919, by ? Steinlen.
11. Library of Congress, Ref: LC-USZC2-3905, 2me Emprunt de la Défense
Nationale, 1916, by A. Alcide.
12. IWM Collection, Ref: Art.IWM PST 7517, Germany and its Enemies at the
End of the Third Year of the War, 1917, by Oppenheim Louis .
13. National Library of France via Gallica-Bibliothèque numérique,
On ne passe pas ! 1914-1918. Par deux fois j'ai tenu et vaincu sur la Marne...,
1917, Maurice Neumont.
14. Library of Congress, Ref: LC-USZC4-13223, Dein Vaterland ist in
Gefahr, melde dich! [You Fatherland is in danger, Register!], 1918, by L.
Zabel.
15. Library of Congress, Ref: LC-USZC4-11520, Tretet ein in den
Grenzschutz Ost! Schütz die Heimat gegen Bolschewismus!, 1919, by
Bernhard Lucien.
16. Instituto Centrale per il catalogo unico, Ref: RML0199001, L'offensiva
austriaca e la raccolta... del grano in Italia, 1918, A. Scorzon.
17. Instituto Centrale per il catalogo unico, Ref: RML0193269, Comitato
romano per l'organizzazione civile durante la guerra, 1915, by S. Galimberti.
www.historiana.eu
How does propaganda work? | Helen Snelson | Page 2 of 3
LEARNING
ACTIVITY
18. Instituto Centrale per il catalogo unico, Ref: IEI0328033, La pace tedesca,
1918, by S. Canevari.
19. Instituto Centrale per il catalogo unico, Ref: IEI0326548, Attenti! il
serpente tedesco è preso! : bisogna ora strappargli i denti del veleno!, 1916.
by /. Ramo.
20. Library of Congress, Ref: LC-USZC4-12705, Voennyǐ zaëm, 1916.
21. Library of Congress, Ref: LC-USZC4-12697, Podpishites' na 5 1/2%
voennyǐ zaëm. Prodolzhite put' k pobiedie, 1916.
22. Library of Congress, Ref: LC-USZC4-10131, Knights of Colombus, 1917,
by Ker, William Balfour.
23. Library of Congress, Ref: LC-USZC4-12688, Zaëm svobody. Voǐna do
pobedy, 1917, by P. Buchkin.
24. Library of Congress, Ref: LC-USZC4-9056, Wanted! 500 bakers for the
U.S. Army, 1917, by / Dewey.
25. Library of Congress, Ref: LC-USZC4-1960, It's up to you--Protect the
nation's honor, enlist now, 191?, / Schneck.
26. Library of Congress, Ref: LC-USZC4-9877, The new education "There's
the world before you, young man! Do you want to see it?, 1918, by Winsor
McCay.
www.historiana.eu
How does propaganda work? | Helen Snelson | Page 3 of 3