Reading Techniques of Propaganda and Persuasion

Teach the techniques behind critical thinking.

Techniques of Propaganda and Persuasion will teach your students the single most valuable skill they can have as readers: critical thinking.

As students work through this program, they will learn to question and analyze the logic behind the messages they’re exposed to every day in the form of print, television, advertisements, social media, movies, and even in the literature they read in English class.

Teaching your students to identify and analyze literary propaganda and persuasion will make them more informed readers—an essential trait needed in today’s media environment.

Analyze media messages with conventional techniques such as:

• Card Stacking
• Bandwagon
• The False Dilemma
• Pinpointing the Enemy
• And more!

Learn more about teaching with Techniques of Propaganda and Persuasion.

Which student grade level is this book best suited for?

Techniques of Propaganda and Persuasion was designed with 11th- and 12th-grade college prep and honors/AP* students in mind. But advanced 9th- and 10th-grade students can certainly benefit from this book.

How can I use Techniques of Propaganda and Persuasion in an English language arts and/or literature class?

Use Techniques of Propaganda and Persuasion on its own to teach critical thinking and sharpen literary analysis skills or as an addition to a curriculum that emphasizes media studies, media literacy, public speaking, persuasive writing, etc.

Techniques of Propaganda and Persuasion is also a valuable companion to works of literature that contain examples of propaganda or are themselves considered propaganda, including Animal Farm, 1984, All Quiet on the Western Front, The Grapes of Wrath, Catch-22, and Fahrenheit 451.

How is Techniques of Propaganda and Persuasion organized?

In the first half of the book, students study 11 popular techniques of propaganda. Each chapter covers one technique and contains verbal and visual examples of it in action, including famous posters, historical events, commercial advertisements, and literary references.

Chapters conclude with discussion topics that reinforce what students have learned. These topics can be treated as writing prompts or homework assignments.

The second half of the book discusses propaganda’s positive and negative uses. Cumulative exercises follow, including two activities that can be used as exams and a creative-project assignment.

How can I incorporate Techniques of Propaganda and Persuasion into my curriculum?

It’s entirely up to you! You can teach the entire book, chapter by chapter, or you can choose which topics you’d like to cover.

The chapters are short enough to explore in a class period or use as a homework assignment.

How does this book define propaganda?

In the context of Techniques of Propaganda and Persuasion, propaganda is any widespread persuasive message that represents the interests of a particular group by appealing to emotions and/or faulty logic.

Is propaganda presented in a positive or negative light?

That decision is left to the reader. Techniques of Propaganda and Persuasion includes instances of propaganda that could be considered positive (inspiring generosity, promoting civic responsibility, etc.) along with various examples that are clearly negative (promoting racism, genocide, etc.).

Does Techniques of Propaganda and Persuasion take a political stance?

While the book addresses some political topics, it’s not written from a politically-biased standpoint. It’s impartial in its scrutiny of all points on the political spectrum.

The Prestwick House Guarantee

When you buy a Prestwick House published book, we want you to be happy with your purchase. That’s why we offer teachers our 100% satisfaction guarantee on all books published by Prestwick House, including Techniques of Propaganda and Persuasion. Just return the books you’re unsatisfied with, in any condition, and we’ll issue you a full refund.

If you have any questions about our 100% satisfaction guarantee policy or need help placing an order for your department, school, or district, please contact our customer service team at info@prestwickhouse.com. We’re happy to help you!