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Introductory Activity: 30-minutes
Learning Activity: 60-minutes
Culminating Activity: 60-minutes
When people think of politics in the United States, not including the
Boot State (Louisiana), they probably think of the Democrat and the
Republican political parties. When people think of politics in the
Boot State more likely they think of “No Limits;” no
limits in becoming a public official with decision-making power.
From the early 1900s to the 21st Century, extreme and sometimes-outrageous
tactics were used to win political offices in the Boot State. Louisiana
has been noted using the political arena as a form of pastime entertainment.
Propaganda is found in messages on television commercials, news programs,
magazine ads and more. These messages are purposefully designed to
influence our opinions, emotions, attitudes and behavior. Their intent
is to persuade us to believe in something or to do something because
of an agenda or issue. These messages have been designed to benefit
someone, and that someone may not be you! Even if the message states
that it will benefit you.
The activities in this lesson are designed to enhance students’ writing/
communication skills and to understand propaganda as it relates to
political campaigning. In this lesson, students’ attention will
be focused on a few important basic concepts they will need to understand
the functions and use propaganda effectively through different kinds
of assignments. Propaganda techniques such as, advertising to persuade
or convince someone by the use of name calling, card stacking- which
means a ploy or having the goods on someone or something, strategic
planning and/or designing glittery & alluring commercials.
This lesson will concentrate on propaganda techniques and communication
skills while studying politics in the Boot State. Students will use
the video entitled Louisiana Boys: Raised on Politics as one of major
resource component to obtain information on Louisiana politics campaigning
strategies.
American Government, LA History,
Civic/Social Studies
The learner will:
• Connect speaking, listening, reading, writing, and viewing, and tie the
connection to numerous research and inquiry activities, while developing and
enhancing their communication skills.
• Define propaganda as information that is used to promote or persuade someone
of an idea or cause.
• Recognize the various campaign strategies used by many candidates to win public
office.
• Create campaign signs and present their sign to the class as advertising for
a political candidate.
• Use propaganda techniques in writing assignments and/or preparing some form of
advertising.
US Education National Standards for English and United States
History
http://www.education-world.com/standards/national/index.shtml
English
NL-ENG.K-12.4: Communication Skills
Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language
(e.g., communications, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively
with variety of audience and for different purpose.
NL-ENG.K-12.5: Communication Strategies
Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and
use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate
with different audience for a variety of purposes.
NL-ENG.K-12.8: Developing Research Skills
Students use a variety of technological and information research
(e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather
and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
EL-ENG.K.12: Applying Language Skills
Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish
their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion,
and the exchange of information).
United State History
From the state of Louisiana Standards Language Arts, and Benchmarks
Statements, Across Grades for 9-12 can be found online at http://www.doe.state.la.us.
Standard 1: Students will read, comprehend and respond to a range
of materials, using a variety of strategies for different purposes.
ELA-1-H1: Using knowledge of words meaning and extending basic
and technical vocabulary, employing a variety of strategies (e.g.,
context clues, affixes, dictionary the thesaurus)
Standard 3: Students communicate using Standard English grammar,
usage, sentence structure, punctuation, capitalization, spelling,
and handwriting.
ELA-3H3: Spelling accurately using strategies and resources (e.g.,
glossary, dictionary, thesaurus, spell check) when necessary.
Standard 4: Students will demonstrate competence in speaking
and listening as tools for learning and communicating.
ELA-4H5: Listening and responding to a wide variety of media
(e.g., music, TV, film, speech, CD-rom)
ELA- 4H6: participating in a variety of roles in group discussion
(e.g.) active listener contributes discussion, leader, facilitator,
recording, & mediation.
Standard 5: Language ArtsStudents will locate, select and synthesize
information from a variety of text, media, references, and technological
sources to acquire and communicate knowledge.
ELA-5-HE-2: Locating and evaluating information sources (e.g.)
print materials, databases, CD-ROM references, internet information,
electronics references works, community and government data,
television and radio resources, audio and visual materials.
ELA-5-H3: Accessing information and conducting research using graphic organizers,
outlining, note-taking, summarizing, interviewing and surveying
to produce documented text and graphics.
Louisiana Social Studies Content Standards & Benchmarks
for Grades 9-12
Students develop an understanding of the structure and purposes
of government, the foundations of the American democratic system,
and the role of the United States in the world, while learning
about the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
Civics: Citizenship and Government
B. Foundations of the American Political System
C-1B-H5: Evaluating the roles of political parties, campaigns,
elections in American Politics.
H-1A-H1: Applying key concepts, such as chronology conflict,
to explain and analyze patterns of historical change continually.
H-1A-H2: Explaining and analyzing events, ideals, and issues
within a historical content.
H-11A-H3: Interpreting, evaluating historical evidence in primary
and secondary sources.
From the State of Louisiana History Content standards & Benchmarks
for Grade 8
H-1D-M1: Describing the contributions of people, events, movements,
and ideals that have been significant in the history of Louisiana.
H-1D-M2: Tracing the development of the various governments that
have been established in Louisiana throughout its history.
H-1D-M6: Examine and recognizing how folklores and other cultural
elements have contributed to our local, state and national heritage.
• List of Political Officials
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