AP WORLD HISTORY: MODERN

(SECONDARY)

SELECTIVE UNIT 3 (S03)

(Media Analysis in History)
(July 2019)

Unit Statement: A true understanding of a historical period is developed through a thorough

examination of various forms of media of that time. Students of history, therefor, are obliged to
inspect popular culture to develop a strong sense of the social atmosphere of a people and place.
In this unit, the student will analyze the content, message (theme or thesis), mood and tone, and
overall effectiveness of various forms of media. Media can include historical or modern
propaganda posters, advertisements, motion feature films, documentaries, political cartoons, and
many other literary forms.

Essential Outcomes: (must be assessed for mastery)

1. The Student Will describe various forms of media; including physical features and
qualities.
2. TSW explain the message of the media by analyzing its content.
3. TSW describe the mood and tone of the media.
4. TSW describe the intended audience of various media based on the analysis of the
content.
5. TSW explain how the media illustrates the time period under investigation.

Practiced/Ongoing Outcomes: (not assessed for mastery)

1. The Student Will apply textual evidence to support arguments for ethos, pathos and logos
as well as the media’s message, mood and tone.
2. TSW apply SOAPSTONE to various forms of media introduced in the unit.

Key Terms and Concepts:

Propaganda Audience Tone
Mood Primary Source Secondary Source

Suggested Materials: (provided by school)

• Traditions and Encounters: A Global Perspective on the Past, publisher: McGraw Hill,
2007 by Jerry Bentley and Herbert Ziegler.

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AP WORLD HISTORY SEC S03
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 • 1200 Update Ways of the World, publisher: Bedford St. Martins 2019 by Robert W.
Strayer and Eric W. Nelson
Additional Resources:
AP Course Review Books:

• Cracking the AP World History: Modern Exam 2020 Edition (available in November
2019)
• AMSCO® Advanced Placement® World History: Modern. Perfection Learning Corp,
2019.

Suggested Activities:
• SOAPSTONE: This method is used to analyze documents. There are many teacher-
created worksheets available online or you can make your own. The pneumonic device
represents: Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Subject and Tone.
• Look for a Pattern: Students evaluate data or create visual representations to find a
trend, this would be especially valuable when examining various forms of media
representative of a certain period in history.

Technology Links:
• Destiny Discover (see Librarian) Use this search engine to find age-appropriate websites
that align with your unit.
• This site, Digital History, links to worksheets developed by the National Archives and
Library of Congress (both, of the United States) that are devoted to media analysis.
Consider using or adapting these worksheets as the class studies various media pieces for
analysis. Some worksheets are designed to analyze cartoons, movies, posters, sound
recordings, photos as well as cultural artifacts.
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/teachers/worksheets/worksheets.cfm
• World History Archive is filled with digital images to support multiple periods under
investigation in the AP World History course.
https://worldhistoryarchive.co.uk/
• Media History Digital Library offers free access to magazines, film clips, broadcasts and
posters that could supplement studies over the 20th century.
http://mediahistoryproject.org/

Suggested Assessment Tools and Strategies:

• Teachers should remember that even at the ‘B’ level, students are expected to be able
to produce work independently or display engagement with the material. Copying a
list or definition from a book should not be considered mastery of a TSW. To display
mastery at the ‘A’ level, the student is expected to exhibit higher order thinking skills.

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AP WORLD HISTORY SEC S03
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 The student must independently assess, evaluate, interpret, or infer, rather than repeat
a memorized response.
• Attached rubric or teacher-generated rubric that assesses ALL essential outcomes
(TSWs). An effective rubric is presented and discussed with the student at the
beginning of the unit, referred to throughout the unit, and used to assess at the end.
Students will collaborate with peers and the teacher to assess mastery of the
unit with final judgment by the teacher.
• The students can analyze wordless cartoons. There are many wordless cartoons that can
be found on YouTube. Discuss how tone and mood are affected by style, choice of music,
and other physical and features and qualities.
• Complete and compile a variety of analysis sheets provided on the Digital History
website outlined in the Technology Links section of this unit.
• After examining and analyzing media the students could create propaganda,
documentaries and/or songs to demonstrate understanding of a time period.

RUBRIC FOUND ON THE FOLLOWING PAGES…. …. …. …. ….

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 AP WORLD HISTORY: MODERN
Suggested Rubric S03: Media Analysis in History

Name______________________________ Class _____________Date______________________

• All TSWs must be mastered for a ‘B’.

• 2 of 3 ‘A’ level TSWs should be met to receive an ‘A’.

TSW- B level A level Comments

1) I can describe various forms
of media; including physical
features and qualities.
2) I can explain the message of My explanation of the message
the media by analyzing its provides an analysis of the media’s
content. content and supports it with
evidence.
3) I can describe the mood and My description of mood and tone
tone of the media. is supported by multiple pieces of
evidence from the source.
4) I can describe the intended
audience of various media
based on the analysis of the
content.
5) I can explain how the media My explanation draws support
illustrates the time period from multiple pieces of media and
under investigation. includes a detailed description of
how it illustrates the time period
under investigation.

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AP WORLD HISTORY SEC S03
Copyright © 1988-2019