Impressions of war: Activity 2

Enrol today

The activity in this section encourages students to look closely at adverts that persuade men to enlist because it is their duty.

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Adverts, such as these, were printed in newspapers during wartime as a form of propaganda. Both these adverts push the concept of duty. The Absentees from the Army advertisement has a message that claims it is everyone's duty to join the army and to let the government know the whereabouts of those who haven't joined. The Enrol Today advertisement encourages everyone to do their bit for the war effort.

Introduction

Discuss both adverts. Look at the imagery in the illustration and the message it is trying to convey.

Click here to look at the transcript of the Enrol Today advert.

Read the text. Discuss the persuasive argument that is used. Would it make you enrol? What tense is used?

Look at the Absentees from the Army advert. Is it morally right to make people look out for men who have not yet joined the army?

Task 1

As a class, make a list of the criteria that they think the designers used when they made the adverts.

Using this criteria ask the students to design an advert that tries to persuade either men to join the army or people to join an after school club.

Display them in a school newspaper, on the school notice board or in a general classroom display.

Task 2

Click here to download a question sheet and a part transcription of the Enrol Today advert in Microsoft Word format.

Using the question sheet as a guide, ask the pupils to find out who can join the army and what they have to do.

Then ask them to write a formal letter that is set out appropriately to one of the people listed in the Absentees from the Army advert persuading them why they should enlist and what they have to do to enlist.