Diane's+Lesson+Plan+6-C-1

Grade: 6th grade Unit: World War II Materials: [] [] [] [] Essential Questions: How did propaganda play an important role in World War II
 * Newsreels**

Hook: What does the quote "//History is a story//" mean to you? A whole group discussion will be held. History is full of stories told from different perspectives. How might the perspective affect the story?

1. We will watch one of the newsreels as a whole group and discuss the following: What factual information did you discover in this newsreel? What do you think the purpose of this newsreel was? What did you notice about the way information was presented? How does this newsreel qualify as propoganda?

2. Students will work in partners to analyze another one of the newreels. They will start by using the SEA worksheet and then continue by answering the questions from #1 above about their particular newsreel.

3. How might German journalists described the same event that you just heard from the American perspective? Partners will come up with a draft.

4. Groups will share their information with the class as a whole.

Extension ideas: Students will research a person or event discussed in one of the newsreels and compare/contrast the information they find with what the newsreel states.

Students will research the role of the Press Corps in the coverage of World War II.

Critical thinking occurs when students try to retell the story from a different perspective as well as identifying the writing techniques that skew the newsreel toward propaganda rather than fact.