WEGO AP English: Poli(tricks)

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Poli(tricks)

How trained is your eye? Can you sniff out poor reasoning? Can you hear the dog whistle appeals embedded in careful word choice? Detecting modes of political propaganda is a skill that requires you to be aware of every possible front of persuasion. This project is your visual guide to counter-act political persuasion. Your source material for analysis can only come from the following links or current candidate websites and supporter websites. You will scour through various propaganda and expose both the visual and written persuasion. A photograph may be so loaded that you comment upon several of its characteristics. Each observation must be unique from each sample. For example: an observation that explains how the flag is a transfer device for patriotism can not be used twice. There is plenty to find!

Using Google Presentation:

1. Photobombs- Through political photography, find examples of how the candidate is targeting specific political themes/audiences (5) (job creation, education, security, etc)

2. Identify the following that appear in each picture

A) Propaganda Technique (See PDF posted on Classroom)

B) VALS Technique

C) Basic Appeal(s)

3. Choose one photo and write a rhetorical analysis of the persuasion at play. Be sure to establish the audience (their political needs/wants). Next you will discuss the positional/symbols and how it will benefit the perception of the politician in the eyes of his target voter.

(Use Blank Slide posted in Assignments in Classroom-in saves automatically)

Click here to screen capture and paste your photo.

Create in Google Presentations- Use arrows, highlights, etc to draw attention to the persuasion technique.

Romney Flickr Stream

Obama Flickr Stream

George W. Bush White House Photo Archive