Bias, Opinion, and Propaganda

Identify bias opinion and propaganda in political cartoons and artwork.

00:01:29
Which of the following shows the most BIAS?
- The food was green.
- He had a sketchy look in his eye that made him seem violent.
- There were 326 students at the school on Thursday.
- On Saturday, the DTA basketball team was much better than their opponents and they won 26-4.

00:01:49
Go to bit.ly/dtabartbias to watch Bart testify in court!

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00:01:50
How was Bart biased in his testimony?
- He said that it was a cloudy day.
- He made Burns seem like an evil old man who wanted to hurt him.
- He told the jury that there were only two people in the car that hit him.
- He admitted that he was riding recklessly on his skateboard.

00:02:06
Go to bit.ly/dtaburnsbias to see how Burns portrayed the same events!

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00:02:07
How did Burns' bias change his recollection of the events?
- He made Bart seem like a reckless kid.
- He made himself seem like a really nice guy who would never harm children.
- He showed how the weather changed the behavior of the children in the neighborhood.
- He was driving a different car.

00:03:15
Which of the following is the best interpretation of the cartoon? (what is it trying to get you to think?)
- The flag for the Democrats and Republicans is so similar they should just have one flag.
- The Democrats and Republicans are so divided they almost want different countries.
- Both the Democrats and Republicans have flags that look like the American flag.
- The United States is such a big country it should have two flags.

00:04:14
Look at the cartoon below. What is the cartoon trying to say about Ferguson, Missouri?
- Justice has always been dispensed by a white lady.
- The Justice system is protecting police officers and is unfair against African Americans.
- The court is Ferguson is tall and American, leading to a system that is unjust because it favors women.
- The American flag has no place in the court of law because it reveals a bias of the court system.

00:04:56
What are they trying to get you to think?
- Obama lied about being a hopeful person.
- Obama may say good things, but he is really a fraud.
- The lie is that Obama's nose is bigger than most pictures make it seem.

00:05:16
How is this an example of propaganda?
- They use symbols like the helicopter and guns to show that America is powerful.
- They use symbols like the Revolutionary War soldiers to show that America only fights for freedom.
- They show soldiers marching instead of shooting to show that we are a peaceful nation.
- They use three different wars to imply that America rarely fights wars but when we do we win them.

00:05:49
Who does the artist want you to think is the important character in this painting?
- The Native Americans bowing down before him.
- Christopher Columbus, standing tall in the middle.
- The man on the left showing his sword to the Native American.
- The Native American with his back turned.

00:05:58
What is the cross a symbol for in this painting?
- The wood was taken from their broken ships to show that they needed help.
- Christopher Columbus and the Europeans arrived to spread the Christian religion.
- The cross is a symbol for the weakness of the Christian religion compared to the Natives.
- It shows that everyone in the picture is a Christian.

00:06:37
What is the message of this painting as an example of propaganda?
- The Christian religion was going to stay in Europe.
- The Europeans were more powerful and deserved to conquer the New World.
- Diseases, such as smallpox, would soon kill millions of Native Americans.
- The ships and technologies of Europe would transform the New World into a thriving metropolis.

00:07:57
Some scholars describe this piece of artwork as 'racist propaganda.' What evidence could they use to support that position?
- Manifest Destiny means moving West.
- The white angel is bringing good things and progress while chasing out darkness.
- There are new forms of transportation, such as the railroads.
- It shows that dark skinned people, such as Native Americans, were always running away and never stood and fought.

00:08:43
What is the message of this cartoon?
- The US and China work too closely together to build new cars.
- The US uses too much gas and pays for it by borrowing money from China.
- The US loans money to China so they can buy gas from us.
- Most of the US population drives big, old cars.

00:09:04
What bias did the cartoonist have?
- HE thought that more people should vote for the Republican Party.
- He thought that African Americans were worth less than whites, so laws shouldn't be made to help them..
- He thought that people with big lips should run for office.
- He was under the impression that more blacks were going to vote democratic so he wanted them to change opinions.

00:09:39
What bias does Paul Revere show in this cartoon?
- He thinks the Americans are cowards for sunning away.
- He thinks the British are violent against innocent Americans.
- He thinks that there are only white people in Boston.
- He thinks that there should be more blood on the streets of Boston.

00:09:40
How is this an example of propaganda?
- He is trying to warn Americans not to stand up to the British.
- He is trying to get people to be angry with the British.
- He is saying that fewer Americans could do a better job fighting the British.
- He wants to British captain to go to jail.

00:09:56
How is this cartoon by Paul Revere an example of propaganda?
- He is trying to remind people how a coffin should look.
- He is trying to get people to think that the British are murderers.
- He wanted people to think about the names of the people who died.
- He is trying to make people scared of the British so they wouldn't protest.

00:10:25
go to bit.ly/dtarevere and answer the question!

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