AmyMath
← History – Grade 9
CLASS 9 · LEARNING KNOWLEDGE

Propaganda, source criticism and memory – basic principles

How it works

Propaganda is the targeted influence on opinions and attitudes through media and other means of communication. Source criticism is the methodical examination of historical sources for origin, purpose, credibility and evidential value. Culture of remembrance refers to society’s handling of the past, especially how historical events are remembered, evaluated and presented. Historians analyze sources in order to distinguish between facts, opinions and targeted influence. They pay attention to the time of origin, author, intention and context of transmission in order to assess a source’s reliability.

Note
When analyzing historical sources, it is necessary to check who wrote the source, when and for what purpose it was created, what perspective it represents and how credible it is. Propaganda can be recognized by one-sided presentation, emotional language and the attempt to influence opinions in a targeted way.

An example

What is a typical characteristic of propaganda in historical sources?

A typical characteristic is one-sided presentation, which is intended to intensify certain opinions or feelings in a targeted way.

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50 Exercises

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Own explanation and own practice exercises by AmyMath. Subject reference framework: History. The topic assignment may vary by federal state.