Home›Lesson Plans›English Language Arts›Media Literacy · Grade 11

Propaganda: Then & Now

Eleventh graders study propaganda across history — from wartime posters that rallied nations to today’s bots and viral posts. Propaganda uses biased or misleading information to promote a cause, and recognizing it is a civic skill.

Grade 11Propaganda Then & Now55 minutes1 class periodMedia Literacy · CCSSExplicit teaching4 StandardsCCSS / NAMLE
Start the Lesson
Assign or share this lesson
Share to Google Classroom Share to Microsoft Teams

Copy link works with Canvas, Schoology, Moodle and any other LMS — paste it in as a resource or assignment.

Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Define propaganda.
  • ✓See it then and now.
  • ✓Recognize modern forms.
  • ✓Resist manipulation.
Essential Question

Propaganda is as old as media — and it has never spread faster. What is it, and how has it changed?

0
Lesson Phases
0
Vocabulary Terms
0
Standards Aligned
0
Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

Propaganda: Then & Now Check

Project each item and have students answer about propaganda across history.

📣 Understand propaganda: then & nowTry it
Answer each question about propaganda across history.
The Lesson · Literacy Flow (Hook · Explore · Practice · Apply · Reflect)

55 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Hook — Old Trick, New Speed

6 min

Propaganda is as old as media and never spread faster — what is it?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show a wartime poster.
  • Ask what it wanted.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Look.
  • Wonder.
  • Get ready.
2

Explore — Propaganda

13 min

Students explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to the Check.
  • Note the historical use.
  • Note modern forms.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Answer.
  • Note it.
  • Note it.
3

Practice — Practice

15 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Define propaganda.
  • Give a historical example.
  • Give a modern one.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Define.
  • Give it.
  • Give it.
4

Apply — Apply

15 min

Students apply.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Analyze a propaganda piece.
  • Name its techniques.
  • Share your analysis.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Analyze.
  • Name it.
  • Share.
5

Reflect — Reflect

6 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Define propaganda.
  • Name a modern form.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say it.
  • Name it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the Common Core ELA Standards (informational literacy) & NAMLE media-literacy competencies.

CCSS
RI.11-12.8

Evaluate reasoning & rhetoric.

CCSS
SL.11-12.3

Evaluate a speaker’s use of evidence.

NAMLE
Analyze

Recognize propaganda.

CCSS
RI.11-12.6

Analyze point of view & purpose.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Propaganda cards.
  • Sentence frame: “This wants me to ___.”
  • Use examples.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with a clear poster.
  • Use one example.
  • Discuss one idea.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Compare a poster & a viral post.
  • Explain a technique.
  • Design a counter-message.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 📣Propaganda examples
  • 💻Propaganda: Then & Now Check
  • 🗓️Historical sources
  • ✏️Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

propagandabiased info promoting a causebiasa leaningcausea goal being promotedpostera classic propaganda formbotan automated fake accountviralspreading rapidlypersuasionconvincing peoplepublic opinionshared views
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What is propaganda?
Information, often biased or misleading, used to promote a cause or point of view.
QUESTION 2
How was propaganda used historically?
In posters to rally support during wars and shape public opinion.
QUESTION 3
How does propaganda spread today?
Through social media, bots, and misleading viral posts.

Reflect: propaganda.

Have students compare a historical propaganda poster with a modern viral post and name a shared technique. A printable propaganda sheet is in the ELA library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Propaganda: Then and NowFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
0

Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Propaganda: Then and NowQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
0%

Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Propaganda: Then and NowPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: bias, bot, cause, persuasion, poster, propaganda, public opinion, viral
  1. spreading rapidly
  2. a leaning
  3. shared views
  4. biased info promoting a cause
  5. a classic propaganda form
  6. convincing people
  7. a goal being promoted
  8. an automated fake account

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is propaganda?
  2. How was propaganda used historically?
  3. How does propaganda spread today?
Answer key — Part A: 1) viral · 2) bias · 3) public opinion · 4) propaganda · 5) poster · 6) persuasion · 7) cause · 8) bot
Part B: 1) Information, often biased or misleading, used to promote a cause or point of view. 2) In posters to rally support during wars and shape public opinion. 3) Through social media, bots, and misleading viral posts.