Discussion
* What is propaganda?
* What are some examples of Oregon Trail propaganda?
* Why do you think the government put out so much propaganda?
* Do you think propaganda is a lie?
This question sparked some very interesting debate. We talked about the concept of exaggeration, and decided that there was a line, past which an exaggerated statement became so obviously an exaggeration that it was no longer really a lie. (No one was really expected to believe the streets were paved with gold--it was a metaphor.) But we also decided that the propagandists had often ulterior motives and were not necessarily honest or honorable.* Most propaganda took the form of posters, newspaper stories, and word of mouth. Why didn't they use television?
* If television had been invented, do you think the government would have used it to help get folks to move to Oregon? Why?
We had a lively and educational discussion about the merits and pitfalls of television advertising, about people who believe everything they see on television, and about why that's not a very good idea. We agreed that the propagandists would almost certainly have used television had it been available to them, and some of the students pointed out examples of television propaganda today.Back to top.
Activity
I divided the class into small groups (or three or four). Each
group, working independently, came up with a short "television commercial"
about the desirability of traveling to Oregon. They were allowed
to use objects in the room for props and set, etc. After a suitable
time for rehearsal, each group in turn performed their "commercial" for
the class, and we discussed them. What worked? What didn't?
Would this commercial make you want to go to Oregon?
This activity was a lot of fun, and my students really seemed to take it seriously, and to learn from it.