War Poster Art
Look at the seven posters by clicking on the left-hand buttons. How is a poster's message made easy to understand, memorable and dramatic? Consider both the visual and the verbal elements.
Divide the class into small groups, each with a poster to analyse. Allow about 10–15 minutes for discussing the poster and answering the following questions.
Is the poster's message mainly visual or verbal or both? | |
Who is the intended audience
and how are they expected to react? | |
If the poster uses a symbol, how easy is it to understand?
How appropriate is it? How effective is it? | |
The most effective posters use symbols that are striking, simple and direct. Is this an effective poster?
| |
Ask a volunteer from each group to describe the content of their poster for the class and how it attempts to motivate its intended audience. A PowerPoint presentation may be considered.
Whole-class discussion might reflect on similarities and differences between the posters and the emotional responses they seek to generate.
Follow up
Compare and contrast Great War poster art with some posters from the Second World War (see posters numbered UK8 – UK1766 and UK1794 – 3748A respectively:
www-hoover.stanford.edu/hila/exhibits_prev/Stansky/thm3.htm)
Pupils may also be encouraged to create their own war posters, or posters to illustrate any issue about which they feel strongly.
