Overview:
Children see and hear advertisements constantly. Television shows, radio stations, websites, even most streets and sidewalks are peppered with advertisements. Children need to be explicitly taught about these media messages . It is important for children to develop vocabulary and critical reading skills that allow them to talk and think about the role advertising plays in their lives, so that they can make increasingly conscious and conscientious choices about how they will respond.
Objectives
Activities will help students:
- define the meaning, purpose and influence of
advertising.
- think about advertising as something that can be read
and interpreted, like other written and visual texts.
- activate and communicate prior knowledge about the
role advertising plays in their daily lives.
Essential Questions
- What is advertising?
- What role does advertising play in our lives?
- How does advertising influence the choices our
families and we make?
Introduction
Children see and hear
advertisements constantly. Television shows, radio stations, websites, even
most streets and sidewalks are peppered with advertisements. Children need to
be explicitly taught about these media messages. It is important for children
to develop vocabulary and critical reading skills that allow them to talk and
think about the role advertising plays in their lives, so that they can make
increasingly conscious and conscientious choices about how they will respond.
Activities
- Write
the following two questions on the board or chart paper: “What is an
advertisement? What is the purpose of
advertising?” Ask the students to brainstorm as many responses as they can to
each question. If the conversation stalls, prompt them with the question, “Where
do you see advertising in your daily life?” Create a comprehensive list of the
students’ answers on chart paper; you may end up referring back to this list
later in the series. At the end of the conversation, offer students this definition:
an advertisement is a public
announcement used to convince people to buy or participate in something.
- Break
students into small, diverse groups and ask them to complete the handout
showing times and places they are most likely to see or hear advertisements. For
pre-literate students you may need to write for them or do the activity as a
whole group. Circulate and make note of themes that come up as students talk.
Prompt them with questions such as, “What was the purpose of that
advertisement?” and “How did the advertisement make you think or feel?” Gather the group together to share results
from their discussion. LINK: Link to PDF of handout.
- Ask
students to think of one time an advertisement strongly influenced them. The
advertisement may have influenced a behavior, a desire, a request or a plan. Ask
the students to go around the circle and share their examples. Make sure
students are using active listening. At the end, ask students to discuss which themes
arose repeatedly and how advertising influences our choices.
Reflection
After this lesson,
students will be aware that advertising surrounding them. Instruct them to pay
attention to the places and times they see advertising when they outside of the
class. Tell them to think about the purpose of the advertisements, how the
advertisements make them think or feel, and how the advertisements might be
influencing their choices. Allow them to share briefly the next day.
