Students will launch the inquiry by analyzing persuasive and misleading messages from World War II and today, learn core media-literacy tools for identifying audience, purpose, tone, imagery, color, and credibility, and gather early user-centered insights about what confuses or convinces real viewers. They will leave Phase 1 with annotated evidence, comparison notes across source types, and an empathy-based question set that prepares them to define a focused design challenge.

Students will synthesize early source analysis and user insights into a clear, evidence-based design challenge for their Then and Now poster station. They will sort patterns across WWII propaganda and modern media examples, test assumptions against sources and real audience responses, and write a problem statement plus a How Might We statement that will guide idea generation in the next phase.

Students will generate multiple evidence-based concepts for their Then and Now poster station, test early ideas against user needs and source evidence, and choose a promising direction for drafting through structured brainstorming, peer critique, and revision.

Students will turn their research and problem statements into first-draft Then and Now poster station components by studying effective captioning and layout moves, building quick prototypes, using structured peer critique, revising with evidence, and completing a draft milestone that prepares them for user testing.

Students will test their Then and Now poster station drafts with peers and outside users, gather evidence-based feedback on clarity, accuracy, and audience impact, and use that feedback to revise captions, visuals, and evidence-hunt questions before the next critique phase.

Students will use structured critique protocols to strengthen their Then and Now Expo poster station, compare feedback against source evidence, and revise captions, visuals, and evidence-hunt questions so each design choice is accurate, clear, and responsive to user needs.

Students will present their Then and Now Expo poster stations, use visitor and peer feedback to notice patterns in how persuasive techniques are interpreted, and document how their research, revisions, and responsibility as media consumers and creators changed across the project.