PwC Financial Literacy
Evaluating Financial Information
Advertising is all around us. Sometimes those advertisements are directed at young people, so it's important for youngsters to recognize false advertising and fraud when they see it. That's what this instructional activity is all about....
Curated OER
Advertising in the Contemporary World: An Introduction to Persuasive Texts
Beginning a persuasive writing unit with your middle schoolers? Approach it through something that persuades us all: advertising! Through studying video and print advertisement, your class will practice Common Core skills for reading...
Curated OER
Springfield Digital Storytelling Project #6: Grapes Commercial
Here is a fabulous lesson that should have your class very excited! They utilize the GRAPES formula in order to produce a commercial like ones we see on TV. Working in pairs, they must come up with a script, take video, provide music,...
US Institute of Peace
Organizations Working for Peace
We're all in this together! Show young scholars that peace is a process and having the support of like-minded people can make it happen. 13th in a series of 15 peace building activities, groups conduct research on a peace organization,...
Scholastic
Presenting Persuasively (Grades 6-8)
Teens and pre-teens are a prime target for advertisers, so how are they doing it? An interactive instructional activity highlights the strategies used by advertisers, such as visual imagery and verbal clues. Then, a short writing...
Museum of the Moving Image
AdMaker, Obama vs. McCain, “Fundamentals” (2008)
Truth is often left on the cutting room floor when political ads are produced. After viewing the 2012 backfire ad, "Fundamentals" that takes John McCain's comments on the US economy out of context, class groups edit the audio and video...
Museum of the Moving Image
AdMaker, Nixon vs. Humphrey, “Convention” (1968)
After viewing the infamous 1968 Presidential campaign ad, "Convention," groups use AdMaker to create their own 30 second ad that features Richard Nixon rather than Hubert Humphrey.
Museum of the Moving Image
Playing on Emotions: Focus on Political Ads Featuring Children
Political ads are designed to play on viewers' emotions. The focus of this resource is on ads that feature children, either to establish the candidate as family friendly, or to create fear for children in the minds of viewers. Groups...
National Council for the Social Studies
Analyzing a Product or Political Advertisement
How do advertisements evoke specific thoughts and feelings? Class members find out through the exploration of the Internet, videos, television, magazines, radio, and posters. Learners investigate commercial advertisements, political...
ReadWriteThink
Critical Media Literacy: Commercial Advertising
Commercial advertising—we can't get away from it, but do we realize just how often we are being advertised to? With this lesson, scholars analyze mass media to identify how its techniques influence our daily lives. Learners browse...
Practical Money Skills
Protecting Your Money
How can you tell if a commercial or salesperson is being misleading? Encourage your learners to protect themselves and their money with a lesson about consumer rights. They review laws that keep consumers safe from faulty claims and...
Media Smarts
Who's on First? Alcohol Advertising and Sports
Middle schoolers examine how alcohol companies use sponsorship of sports to promote their products. They complete a survey, analyze the results, and research the sports sponsorship portfolios of five beer companies.
Curated OER
You've Gotta Have a Gimmick!: A Lesson in Junk Food Advertising
Students examine marketing techniques used in television and magazine snack food ads. They analyze and discuss Internet kids clubs, complete various handouts that examine ads for food, and create a commercial for a food product.
Curated OER
Team Up for Sports Marketing
Students choose a sport and promote a real or imaginary team by creating press releases, business cards, and ads or commercials.
Curated OER
Persuasive Writing
Use a quick bell-ringer to interest your class in the art of persuasion. They brainstorm where they find examples of persuasion in their lives and identify who is trying to persuade them. Then they either fish through magazines or look...
Curated OER
Marketing to Teens: Introduction
An introductory activity shows learners how pervasive and influential advertising is in our culture; particularly, how teenagers are actively targeted by advertisers. As teenagers, your students already have all the information they need...
Media Smarts
Selling Tobacco
Take a look at tobacco advertising techniques through the decades. Students analyze the differences in strategies, and write an essay on the advertising history of one brand of tobacco, how tobacco advertising has changed over time, or...
Curated OER
Short Story Commercials
Learners read short story selections, and work with classmates to produce commercials using digital video equipment.
Curated OER
The Price of Happiness: On Advertising, Image, and Self Esteem
Are your young scholars aware of the effect advertising can have on their self-image, self-esteem, and happiness? This lesson from the Media Awareness Network is aimed at increasing that awareness and mitigating any negative effects it...
Curated OER
Commercials...What Are They Saying?
Students identify how culture and experiences influence people's perceptions of places and regions. They list and apply the generalizations pulled from these observations.
Curated OER
Superbowl XXXVII Ads: Who Wins Here?
Students research what experts and viewers thought about the commercials shown during Super Bowl XXXVII, paying special attention to the reason ads very popular or not. Students prepare a notebook or a PowerPoint presentation on the Best...
Curated OER
Values and Images Reflected in TV Commercials
Pupils view commercials from American and Latin American cultures and discuss the values and selling strategies used in each commercial.
Curated OER
Words That Sell
Explore words, definitions, their connotations and associations with brand names. Middle and high schoolers identify words used in commercials and determine their effect upon the consumer population. They explore how meanings are...
Curated OER
Get Dramatic: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Students explain reducing, recycling and reusing. In this science/ arts instructional activity, students create a commercial and display a backdrop made out of recycled goods. Additionally, students write written responses to writing...