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History

Persuasion in History

Overview

Students examine historical examples of persuasion — posters, speeches, symbols — and identify the techniques used to influence people.

Learning Objective
Students understand how propaganda and persuasion have been used throughout history and can identify persuasive techniques in historical materials.

Resources needed

  • Description or drawing of a historical propaganda poster, OR a short extract from a persuasive historical speech

Lesson stages

0 / 7 done
  1. 1 Ask: how do people try to persuade you to think or act in a certain way today?
  2. 2 Introduce: governments and movements throughout history have used propaganda — deliberately persuasive information.
  3. 3 Show or describe a historical example: a wartime recruitment poster, a revolutionary slogan, an independence movement image.
  4. 4 Ask: what message is it trying to send? Who created it? Who was the audience?
  5. 5 Identify techniques: strong images, simple slogans, emotional language, fear or pride.
  6. 6 Discuss: is propaganda always wrong? Can it be used for good purposes?
  7. 7 Ask: how can you recognise propaganda when you encounter it today?

Tap a step to mark it as done.

Variations

  • Students create their own propaganda poster for a historical cause.
  • Compare propaganda from two sides of the same conflict.
  • Analyse a modern advertisement using the same persuasion techniques.
More information

Teach: propaganda, persuade, slogan, audience, technique, message, influence. The analytical framework — message, creator, audience, technique — can be applied to any persuasive source.

Provide a simple analysis grid: what does it show? What does it want you to feel? What does it want you to do?

Can students identify at least two persuasive techniques in the example? Can they explain who the intended audience was and why?

Describe a historical poster orally rather than showing one. Students draw what they imagine based on the description — this itself reveals understanding.

Students think propaganda is always obvious. Teach that effective propaganda often feels like truth — critical awareness of all persuasive messages is the key skill.

Understanding propaganda is one of the most transferable skills in history education. It builds media literacy and critical thinking that students need every day.

Activity details
Primary Medium 25 minutes 5 minutes prep Pairs, Small Group Indoor & Outdoor
Topics
Propaganda Persuasion Historical Sources