School and Teacher Programs Classroom Activities Over There! Posters from World War I Producing a Persuasive Poster (Grades 6-12)

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1 School and Teacher Programs Classroom Activities Over There! Posters from World War I Producing a Persuasive Poster (Grades 6-12) 1 Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for English Language Arts: Grades 6-12 College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading Craft and Structure 4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone. Integration of Knowledge and Ideas 7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and media, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words. 8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence. Grades 6-12 College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Writing Text Types and Purposes 1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. Production and Distribution of Writing 4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. This activity will involve working with four examples of WWI posters featured in the MFA Boston exhibit Over There! Posters from World War I, and ultimately the creation of one, or more, posters, that is meant to persuade the viewer to a certain idea, cause, or argument. In the following pages, students will be asked to carefully study each of the four examples from the MFA exhibit, and answer the accompanying questions for each example. After analyzing each of these posters, students will have the opportunity to create their own graphic and slogan for a persuasive poster of their own.

2 2 1. What objects are presented in this image? Are they made to look benign, or threatening? 2. Are the objects meant to be associated with a given nationality/country from the time of WWI? What visual clues may indicate such a nationality/country? 3. What action does the poster implore the viewer to do in order to keep these [objects] off the United States? What would this action involve on the part of the viewer?

3 3 1. What image is presented with this poster? Where is the location? What is the object that the viewer is meant to focus on? Is it meant to symbolize a nationality/country from the time of WWI? Which one? 2. What scenario is discussed in the writing? What action does the poster implore the viewer to take? What is that action meant to prevent? Do you agree with the poster s logic? Would you follow its decree?

4 4 1. What objects are shown in this poster? Is any one object emphasized over the other ones? Is this emphasis intentional? 2. What is the relationship between the poster s slogan and the arrangement of objects? What is the poster attempting to make the viewer think about? Ultimately what action might be taken by the viewer if he is persuaded by the message?

5 5 1. What scene is presented here? Who is the viewer meant to relate to or, rather, aspire to be like? What clues may indicate this? 2. What act, or acts, is the girl engaged in? What visual clues indicate her actions? How about the boy? What visual clues indicate his actions? Are the acts of the children meant to be related to a contemporary event? How and why?

6 3. What is the relationship between the scene of the poster, and the slogan? Is the slogan meant to be attributed to one of the characters in the scene, if so which one? What action might the viewer take if persuaded by the poster s content? 6 In the space provided on the following page, produce a poster with a graphic and a persuasive slogan that may bring a viewer to your given idea, cause, argument, product, etc. This poster can be World War I-themed like the examples in this activity, or it can be a unique example; just make sure that the graphic and slogan of your poster are persuasive and not just descriptive or explanatory! Afterwards please answer the followup questions to help explain your creation. The remainder of this page can be used for brainstorming and drafting your idea of a persuasive poster.

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8 1. What is your poster attempting to persuade a viewer to do or not do? Why is the message of your poster important enough for others to consider? 8 2. What kinds of images and words does your poster use in its persuasive function? What is the relationship between the graphic (images) and slogan (words) of your poster? Why do you believe these components can be used persuasively towards a viewer?