By M.Buie (FSWC Educator)

B2.3 Assess the credibility of sources and information relevant to their investigations (i.e., by considering the perspective, bias, accuracy, authenticity, purpose and/or context of the source and the values and/or expertise of its author)

The month of March recognizes International Women’s Day and International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. These incredibly important days bring recognition to the achievements of significant individuals of history and highlight the obstacles many had to overcome.

A valuable skill for students to develop is assessing bias within sources. It’s importance is directly connected to the prolific amount of racial and sexist propaganda distributed throughout history, which helped taint people’s perception of women and different races.

As defined by Britannica, propaganda is the systematic effort to manipulate people’s beliefs, attitudes or actions by means of symbols. It’s often marked by half-truths or complete fabrications. Commonly spread by posters with a bold image and simple text message, propaganda can also take the form of speeches, films, art pieces, gestures and even designs on coins.

Education is critical in the fight against propaganda. Through education, students should be encouraged to think critically about the source of information, and how other sources compare. By identifying the motivation behind the creation of a piece of media and the background of its creator, one can begin to identify its hidden motives and biases at play.

An easy introduction to this skill is to have students view the posters below and then use this lesson plan provided by the Canadian War Museum to analyze these posters. For extra practice, see additional posters in the lesson plan . By analyzing propaganda through a critical lens, students will be better able to identify misinformation in today’s media.