Lesson Plan: Recognizing Propaganda in Political Speeches & Advertisements

In this lesson, students will learn about different types of propaganda by examining examples presented in the media. Students will then apply that knowledge to past and current presidential campaign speeches and advertisements. The lesson is divided into three sections. Section one introduces students to ten types of propaganda; section two asks students to watch C-SPAN video clips of past speeches and identify the types of propaganda utilized, and section three has students apply their new knowledge to the current election cycle using candidates’ speeches on C-SPAN. The lesson offers flexibility so any section can be revised to meet specific classroom needs and address teacher concerns.