High school social studies teachers are always struggling to "cover the content" while addressing an ever-expanding set of additional demands. The Common Core expects literacy instruction to be incorporated into social studies. NCSS's new C3 Framework emphasizes teaching students to ask questions, evaluate sources, and communicate conclusions, in addition to applying the skills and knowledge of various social science disciplines. To fit it all in, many teachers react with counterproductive strategies (like speaking faster and handing out more readings). What they need are new classroom methodologies that integrate twenty-first century literacy with student-centered pedagogy. They need to engage all of their students with rich social studies content while they are developing the skills and desire to continually read their world. Constructivist media decoding integrates popular culture with Common Core and C3 literacy instruction and rigorous content knowledge. The study of World War I can provide an excellent opportunity for integrating media analysis into the curriculum through the decoding of propaganda posters. The governments of Europe made unprecedented use of mass media to spread jingoistic propaganda to the often illiterate peoples living within the fault lines of competing nation states. These visually compelling and content-rich posters can be used to teach both historical knowledge and critical thinking skills through constructivist media decoding.