This is a media literacy lesson on advertising by Kelley Crouse.
Activity
Ideas
Links
Reflection
1.
Description of Intended Audience:
This
media literacy lesson will be taught to a class of second graders at Bethel
Elementary School. Bethel Elementary is in a rural environment in
the Appalchian mountains. The school has about 200 students enrolled.
These students are exposed to media through TV, internet, etc. like
most children in the United States. It is my impression that these
students do not have much experience in looking at media from a critical
standpoint yet.
2. Statement of Objectives:
A. Language Arts Curriculum:
3.01 Use personal experiences and knowledge to interpret written and oral messages.
4.04 Use oral communication to identify, organize, and analyze information.
4.05 Respond appropriately when participating in group discourse by adapting language and communication behaviors to the situation to accomplish a specific purpose.
4.08 Write structured, informative presentations and narratives when given help with organization.
4.09 Use media and technology to enhance the presentation of information to an audience for a specific purpose.
B. Information Skills Curriculum:
2.03 Recognize the diversity of ideas and thoughts by exploring a variety of resources (print, non-print, electronic) and formats (print, non-print, graphical, audio, video, multimedia, web-based).
2.05 Recognize the power of media to influence.
5.04 Collaborate with others, both in person and through technologies, to identify information problems and to design, develop and evaluate information products and solutions.
3. Detailed Description of the Activity Itself:
To open this lesson, I will show several print advertisements to the class from Crayola Kids Magazine. I will have two copies of the magazine for the students to look at. In a group disscussion, I will ask such questions as, "What product is being sold here?"; "Why do you think they made Blue hold Steve up on the couch?"; etc. Using class discussion, the students will get an idea of what advertisements are made of. The students will use their knowledge of their parents' interests, since most of the advertisements are focused on parents. We will talk about what in each advertisment makes the parents want to buy their product. Then the class will be divided into two groups, group one and group two. Theses two groups will be divided into two subgroups, Group A's and Group B's. The subgroups will be assigned a product to create. They have to create a name, taste, look, etc. for the product. The product that they invent must be geared for parents to buy. But the product must also be a product that the children would want. The two groups should be allowed to look at the magazine for ideas. Group A's will get candy bars and Group B's will get kid's cereals. Each subgroup will work together to create their product. After the product is created, the subgroups will write a letter to an advertising agency describing their product along with a picture of what it looks like. The letter must also tell the advertising agency who the product is being sold to. In the letter, the group will ask the agency to advertise their product. Then each subgroup will give their letters to the other subgroup and both subgroups will become advertising agencies. This way the creaters of the cereal is advertising the candy bar and the creaters of the candy bar is advertising the cereal. All agencies have to create a print ad to advertise the other subgroups' project. At the end, all agencies have to present their "Ad" to the class.
HERE ARE A FEW OF THE PICTURES THAT I WILL USE TO ANALYZE WITH THE CLASS:
Ideas
for this lesson
With
these advertisements I would point out that theses advertisements are geared
to parents because they are the ones that will be buying these products
for their children. Here are some example questions that I would
ask about these advertisements:
1.
Why do you think that Blue is holding Steve up on the chair?
2.
How do you think this girl feels about these breakfast Lunchables?
3.
Why do you think the Jolly Green Giant is saying that he is sweet?
Do you think that a lot of people like their corn to taste sweet?
Questions
for higher order thinking skills:
1.
What do advertisers do to make you buy their product?
2.
What do you think makes people buy certain products?
3.
Why should we buy a product, because we like the ad or because we like
the product?
4.
What about an advertiser's job would be most difficult?
5.
How you think that advertisers exaggerate the truth to get you to buy their
products? Can you think of any commercials from TV that exaggerate
the truth?
4. Links to Media Literacy Materials on the Web:
Center
for Media Literacy- This web site
is the National Advocacy for media literacy education. It is a great
resource for teachers.
Grow Smart Brains - This web site gives advice by Gloria DeGaetano on raising children in a world full of media. It is nice for teachers and parents.
Media
Literacy-What Is It and Why Teach It? - This web site is by the Media
Awareness Network. It contains definitions and articles for media
literacy by media education experts. It could be used by teachers
or parents.
5.
A reflection on how the activity went when I taught it:
Before
I taught the lesson, I decided that it needed a little bit of modification.
I decided to create my on porduct to model for the students. I created
a fruit drink named Juicy Juice. I made a model letter for the students
to use when writing to the advertisers. I made a transparency with
my sample letter then I made copies of the sample letter with blanks for
the students to insert their words describing their product. These
modifications made the lesson go much smoother.
The
students did a very good job discussing and creating their products.
They used great describing words to describe their product to the advertisers.
The children were confused the next day when I gave their group papers
they did not write. It took a minute before they understood that
they were going to read the other group's papers and advertise their product.
After they understood this, they were excited. The main problem I
had was that these children were not used to group work. When it
came time for them to plan and make the poster, I had a few misunderstandings
between the students. I believe the main reason for these disagreements
was that these students had not yet learned how to work in groups without
the teacher's direct assistance. After I came and helped each group
they all did a great job creating their posters. Each idea was creative
and unique. After the posters were completed, I had each group share
their poster. I told them that advertisers had to present their work
to the creaters of the products to show them what will be used to advertise
their product. The class really did a nice job on this lesson overall.
Back
to top
These advertisements came
from Crayola Kids Magazine
The background on this page was provided by The GildedLilyGraphics
Here is a link back to
the web-site for my class at Appalachian State University: Block
436