Media (newspapers, magazine articles, videos) often has a bias or agenda behind it’s message. Being able to analyze content to determine its angle is key to staying informed. Some material is designed to inform and will try to represent all sides of an issue accurately and fairly, but other types, like propaganda, are deliberately biased or misleading and created to promote a particular point of view. Two examples of propaganda include the Uncle Sam army recruitment posters from World War I or the Rosie the Riveter poster from World War II. Both examples use symbols to represent strength and a sense of urgency as they encourage United States citizens to join the war effort.

Use these resource to teach your students about bias, symbolism, and propaganda.