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Propaganda & Media Literacy Webquest – Animal Farm

Part 1: Understanding Propaganda

OBJECTIVE-This WebQuest will help you to understandPROPAGANDA, as it exists in our current world and how it exists in Orwell'sAnimal Farm. Follow the directions below to complete this activity.
INTRODUCTION -
What are you reading, watching on television, or listening to on the radio? Are you always being given the facts, or are people trying to convince you of their opinions? This is a question that plagues consumers across the globe, and one that is addressed in Orwell'sAnimal Farm. As we progress further into the text, you will notice how the animals on Animal Farm are being manipulated by the farm's leaders, specifically Napoleon and Squealer. To better help you understand how and why their manipulation is effective, you will begin to research some common types of propaganda.

What is propaganda?

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Why think about propaganda?

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Research different types of propaganda techniques.

List and describe six different propaganda techniques you discovered. In addition, describe a modern-day example of propaganda that demonstrates each technique.

Part 2: Analyzing Propaganda

The word “propaganda” has existed since the 17th century and can be used to refer to the spreading of a faith, seeds, or ideas. Propaganda can be positive or negative, and the context in which it appears is very important. How we view certain elements of propaganda today may be different from how they were viewed in the 1920’s, 30’s, or ‘40’s. Information can be accurate or inaccurate but, because we are humans, it cannot be unbiased. There is always a point of view. Use the media literacy questions to guide your analysis of propaganda.

Choose two Soviet propaganda posters and analyze them using the media literacy questions.

Part 3: Evaluating Bias in News Stories

Research a top news story of the day from two different media outlets (CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, ABC, etc.). Fill out the outline below to analyze the news stories that you chose:

What is the main idea of this story?
What biases, if any, do you bring to this subject? (political, religious, moral, or other life experiences that color your perception)
Which two news sources were used? / Source 1: / Source 2:
What similarities exist in how the stories are reported? What main facts are the same? What conclusions are the same?
What differences exist in how the stories are reported? Different facts or opinions presented?

Which source do you believe is more credible? Why?

Part 4: Language in Animal Farm