Giulia Eugster

Massey High School

Lesson Plan 5 (Year 10 Social Studies)
World War I Posters, the Original Memes
Lesson Objectives:
• WALT: interpret and evaluate historical sources (context: WWI propaganda posters)
• WALT: consider and explain the similarities and differences between historical and
contemporary (present-day) forms of communication (context: WWI propaganda
posters and memes)
Success Criteria:
S.C.1: I will be able to define and give examples of propaganda.
S.C.2: I will be able to identify and explain similarities and differences between
present-day and historical forms of propaganda.
S.C.3: I will be able to evaluate historical sources using the 5 W’s & 1 H strategy.
Timing Activities Connection to Inquiry
L.O.s & S.C.
5 – 8 mins Do Now/Hei Mahi:
Interpreting meme’s

Students will need to describe a Connection to L.O.1 Providing an

set of memes. Consider their & 2. S.C.1 & 2. example that is more
similarities and their purpose. applicable to
Begins to get students’ context.
They will share their responses students thinking Memes highly
with the rest of the class and about aspects that relevant to students.
consider how it compares to will be further Enables them to
historical forms of propaganda. developed better consider
throughout the historical examples
lesson. of propaganda that
they are perhaps not
as familiar with.
5 mins 5 w’s, 1 h Strategy

Introduce students to a source

interpretation strategy.
Identify the importance in
history of questioning sources.
Especially for bias.

Go through the different

questions.
8 mins Modelling the strategy with
one WWI poster

Using a WWI poster that is

familiar to students – we will
go through an example of what
students will be doing (stations
activity). The content of the
WWI poster is conscription
placed on Maori (the topic was
covered in the previous
lesson). This will therefore
allow students to use their prior
knowledge – recap their
knowledge etc.
10 mins Stations Activity

Students will be grouped into L.O.1, S.C.1 & 3.

small groups of 2 – 3 people.
Each group will annotate a
WWI propaganda poster
according to the 5 w’s and 1 h
strategy. Each group will have
2 mins to annotate the poster.
After the two minutes they
move to a different poster
(where again they have a
different poster to annotate).
Students have 5 posters to
annotate. They are not allowed
to repeat an idea that has
already been written. Poster
are all to do with
conscription/recruitment
during WWI (recaps important
concepts students already have
some knowledge of – enables
them to apply this knowledge
in a new context).
Students will apply
the strategy they
were introduced to.
Stations activity is a
co-operative
learning activity
where students learn
from each other to
annotate the poster.
(Because students
are not allowed to
repeat ideas already
on the poster they
will not only read
and learn from
others but also be
pushed into deeper
cognitive thinking).

During this time, I will move

between groups and facilitating
where necessary.
5 mins Sharing of Ideas
10 mins Comparing and Contrasting Provides students
Memes and WWI Posters with graphic
organisers that are
Students choose between two useful for comparing
tasks. 1 is a comparison using and contrasting. It
a venn diagram or table also build their
 (similarities differences) of knowledge of “the
memes and wwi posters. The extent to which”
second is more challenging which is a phrase
and requires students to students often
determine the extent to which encounter in social
they agree with the following studies or history –
statement: “WWI but is often difficult
propaganda posters are the to comprehend. The
original memes”. They mark continuum provides
their decision on a continuum. a way for students to
They must provide at least position themselves.
three reasons for their
position.
5 mins Recap/Going through
answers
Ask students to share their
understanding (depending on
which task they chose).
Provides an opportunity to
clear up any
misunderstandings and check
comprehension.