This document provides instructions for students to create a propaganda poster for their dystopian novel. Students are asked to choose a theme or social issue from their novel and address it with a slogan and persuasive images/symbols. The poster should be produced from the perspective of the novel's controlling government to promote or cover up some aspect of society, such as forcing sacrifices on people or making harmful policies seem acceptable. Examples from popular dystopian novels like Matched, Divergent, and The Hunger Games are given to illustrate the type of propaganda messaging the assignment aims to emulate. Students will be graded on addressing a theme through a compelling slogan and images that argue persuasively from the government's point of view.
11. What would be
your propaganda
poster for your
novel’s dystopian
society?
12.
13.
14. Based on our analysis of propaganda advertisements, use your
dystopian society novel to create a propaganda advertisement
produced by the “government/power.”
What message does the “government” in your novel want to get
across to the people. What are they covering up? What are
they controlling? What sacrifices are the people forced to face?
How can the they put a positive spin on things?
For example: How can the government, in Matched make
people believe it’s ok to kill the elderly? How can the
government, in Divergent, make people choose one fraction or
another? In Hunger Games, why is it ok for the districts to send
two kids to fight to the death? These are just a few obvious
examples from a few of the books.
15. Dystopian Propaganda Poster Assignment:
You will be graded on the quality of the following ideas:
1. Theme- Determine the theme or central idea of the text, and analyze its
development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the
characters, setting, and plot.
Have you chosen a theme that reflects a social issue in the novel?
2. Slogan- Your slogan needs to creatively address a social issue as well as persuade
us that it’s “best” for the people.
3. Images and symbols- Images and symbols are used to represent the theme of
the novel. Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused,
coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound reasoning, and well-chosen
details. Use images to connect to your novel.
4. Persuasive qualities- Images and words should persuade, through argument,
national loyalty, interest, or emotional quality.
