Opening Activity: (20 minutes)

Open with a class discussion over Randolph Bourne’s famous line that “war is the health of the state.” Divide your students into pairs (Pair Share) to consider and answer the discussion questions.

Discussion Question:

• What do you think Bourne meant by this?

After discussing the quote, read an excerpt from Bourne’s writing on war and its importance to the state (link below) and consider the questions below.

1. Bourne never published this essay, it was found after his death. What, if anything, should that tell us about this essay? What reasons might someone have for not publishing their writing?
2. Disregarding any potential bias, focus purely on his message: making war is critical for governments to maintain power. Do you believe he is correct, partially correct, or wrong? Why?
3. What is propaganda? 
4. Once you have discussed the definition, attempt to think of two or three examples of propaganda. The following definition encompasses both the positive and negative aspects of propaganda as it relates to messaging.

prop·a·gan·da: the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of supporting or damaging an institution, a cause, or a person

5. What role does propaganda play in encouraging people to fight for their country and support their government during difficult times?

After covering the link between war and popular public opinion, examine the role of women in this process.

1. Throughout world history, men have been the primary warriors in most societies. Women have fought bravely in many wars and have even commanded armies, but men generally make up the majority of the combatants. Understanding this, how were (are) they portrayed differently in political information? propaganda posters?
2. How do you think attitudes and roles have changed over time?

Developmental Activity: (50 minutes)

Set up six stations around the room with one political poster or cartoon at each station. For each illustration, provide only the title, any caption, and date. No more information will be given at the outset of the activity. There will be six total images with two from the Spanish-American War, two from World War I, and two from World War II. The illustrations are linked below.

Image Links:

Spanish-American War:

1. Columbia’s New Easter Bonnet
2. Cuban Melodrama

World War I:

1. War Bonds Poster
2. Don’t Waste Bread

World War II:

1. Factory Recruitment Poster
2. Work Recruitment Poster

Procedures:

Divide students into six groups. Each group will assign a note taker who is responsible for completing an Observe, Reflect, and Question graphic organizer. The graphic organizer is linked below. 

1. Five observations: anything that they see in the image. No observation is too small or insignificant. They should list everything that they can. 
2. Three reflections. A reflection is an inference or hypothesis about what the students believe something means or the purpose behind it.
3. One question. A question can include anything that is unclear or requires additional information, three reflections, and one question at each station

Unpacking the Box Graphic Organizer

Working together, each group will analyze the six images and provide the outlined feedback for each poster.

Allow 5-6 minutes per image and rotate until each group has interpreted each image. 

Next, project each image, beginning with the Spanish-American War illustrations and continuing chronologically. Students can shout out, proceed group-by-group, or raise their hand to share their observations and reflections. Use the students’ questions and an exchange of ideas to examine the themes in depth. 

In closing, answer the following questions:

1. How were women portrayed during the Spanish-American War? In what ways did that image help convince Americans to go to war?
2. How were women portrayed during World War I? In what ways did that image help convince Americans to go to war?
3. How were women portrayed during World War II? In what ways did that image help convince Americans to go to war?
4. Overall, how did propaganda in regard to women change between 1898 and 1945?

Curating an Exhibit Activity: 95 minutes (1 class period)

First, as a class, consider the following question:

Women’s history scholar, Doris Weatherford stated that “War holds many ironies, and among them is its liberating effect on women.”  

1. What did Doris Weatherford mean?
2. What can this tell us about war and its effect on women?

Working together, each group of three or four will search for World War II posters that depict women. World War II era posters they believe illustrate the diverse roles and opportunities provided women in World War II. After the students have had time to look through the political posters, discuss with the students how these posters can be compared with art.

Posters as Art Discussion Points:

1. How effective was the poster’s artist in creating images that emotionally impacted the viewing audience?
2. How did the artist attempt to capture “urgency” and create support?
3. Are any of the posters they selected in museums and private collections today?
4. How can art and history be linked together?

Purpose Discussion:

1. After looking at the posters, each group should pick out one poster and be prepared to discuss the main point of that propaganda poster.

After concluding the discussion, the students should set about selecting their posters, defining the purpose behind them, and analyzing their effect. The final outcome will be a technology-based presentation (on essentially any platform) and the requirements are enumerated below.

Curated Exhibition Requirements:

1. Create an exhibit using some type of technology platform
   1. Power Point (or Google Slides) Presentation
   2. Blog
   3. Adobe Spark
   4. Any Other Technology Platform
2. A Minimum of 4 Key Goals for the Political Propaganda
3. An Example of Each Goal
   1. The selection of a specific poster that visually addresses that goal
4. Labeling Each Piece in their Exhibit
   1. Date (if known)
   2. Artist (if known)
5. Brief Explanation of Each Poster
   1. How does the poster represent women in the war effort?
   2. Were their contributions essential?
   3. How do posters shape that perception?
6. An introduction (or headnote) or conclusion that examines the importance of World War II as a turning point for women.
   1. Can be placed at the beginning or end of the exhibit, but must:
      1. Describe why or why not World War II was a turning point, socially and economically, for women.
      2. Explain the overall change (or lack thereof) that came about as a result of World War II.