Symbolizing American Strength and Freedom: The Capitol Story
In 1814, British troops marched on Washington, DC, intent on striking a blow against the capital city during the War of 1812. The first public building they encountered was the unfinished Capitol. A feature of eight videos on the US Capitol’s website describes what the Capitol looked like at that time, how the British attempted to destroy it, and how their actions shaped the future of the building. Among the eight videos is one that describes how the British advanced on the Capitol. Two other videos describe the House Chamber before and after the war, and a third describes how the room known today as National Statuary Hall was rebuilt after the fire.
Plus: Teachers can bring the United States Capitol to their classroom by scheduling a live Zoom program with US Capitol Visitor Center staff. During the program, students will spend 15 to 20 minutes with an educator from the US Capitol’s Visitor Center in a live Q&A about the function, history, architecture, and art of the Capitol building.
In this ReadWriteThink lesson, students read or view a literary text, and then identify and discuss examples of propaganda techniques in the text. Students then explore the use of propaganda in popular culture by looking at examples in the media.
PBS affiliate WETA has made available a list of propaganda techniques that make false connections (such as the techniques of “transfer” and “testimonial”), or constitute special appeals (such as “bandwagon” and “fear”), or are types of logical fallacy (for example, “unwarranted extrapolation”).
The Mind Over Media web platform gives students aged 13 and up an opportunity to explore the subject of contemporary propaganda by hosting thousands of examples of 21st-century propaganda from around the world.