You are a writer who has been contacted by a major broadsheet, which is producing a special issue on "Independence and Individuality." Writers of various age brackets and walks of life have been contacted to write argumentative editorial articles expressing their thoughts on how people of their generation can hold on to the values of independence and individuality in a world that is filled with propaganda. Note that because this special issue contains articles from writers of various ages, your article and the others will be read by a wider audience and not just your peers. Your article must cite examples of propaganda in the world today, and must include personal examples of how your generation maintains its independence and individuality despite this. Your article must weigh both sides of the issue, why some agree to the propaganda or why some reject it. Defend the side you are on. Finally, your article must be supported by researched information, and as such must use proper in-text citations.

Media (newspapers, magazine articles, videos) often has a bias or agenda behind it’s message. Being able to analyze content to determine its angle is key to staying informed. Some material is designed to inform and will try to represent all sides of an issue accurately and fairly, but other types, like propaganda, are deliberately biased or misleading and created to promote a particular point of view. Two examples of propaganda include the Uncle Sam army recruitment posters from World War I or the Rosie the Riveter poster from World War II. Both examples use symbols to represent strength and a sense of urgency as they encourage United States citizens to join the war effort.

Use these resource to teach your students about bias, symbolism, and propaganda.