Making Cereal Commercials -
Propaganda
Social Studies, Language
Arts, Art, Technology
Objectives:
-
Students will correctly define the 5 types
of propaganda techniques used in commercials.
-
Students will identify which of the 5
types of propaganda is used in several different commercial.
-
Students will create a commercial for
their own product (cereal) using one of the five techniques.
Focus/Set Induction:
Show the students a cereal commercial
and talk about why companies make commercials.
Rationale:
This lesson helps students to understand
how companies use commercials to sell products. By making their own commercial
students will be able to use the information they have gathered before
about nutrition, prizes, jingles, etc. into a final product.
Materials:
Activities:
Instructional Input:
-
Present PowerPoint presentation to give
students the definitions of the propaganda techniques:
-
Bandwagon - persuading people to buy or
do something because "everyone else is doing it"
-
Testimonial (spokesperson) - using the
words of a person to persuade you
-
Transfer - using the name or picture of
a famous person
-
Repetition - using the name of the product
at least four times
-
Emotional words - using words that make
you feel strongly about someone or something ("New and Improved", "Helps
fight heart disease")
-
Show the students different print adds
and point out characteristics that show which technique it uses. These
can be found on the bulletin board as well as in the PowerPoint presentation.
-
Remind students that a combination of
techniques can be used in one ad. If possible show an example.
Guided Practice:
-
Show students several commercials.
-
Have students decide which propaganda
technique(s) is used in each commercial.
Independent Practice:
-
Break students into groups of 4-5 students.
-
Assign each person in the group a job:
-
Producer - responsible for all communication
inside and outside the group. This student is the only student that may
ask the teacher questions.
-
Director - responsible for keeping the
group on task.
-
Associate Director (if 5 are in the group)
- observes and assists in keeping group on task.
-
Art Director - Responsible for all supplies
and artwork (he or she can ask for help from anyone else in the group with
this part).
-
Scriptwriter - Responsible for writing
down ideas and script for commercial
-
Each group decides which technique they
want to use to promote their cereal.
-
Students should use some of the promotion
techniques that we have talked about in previous classes: jingles, prizes,
nutrition, and/or price.
-
Students produce and role-play an advertisement
for their product using their chosen technique.
Evaluation:
Students will be assessed on their
commercial having the defined characteristics of their chosen technique
as well as on inclusion of promotional ideas form previous lessons. A rubric
will be set up for grading. Group members will receive an individual grade
by assessing themselves using the provided
form to describe their contribution
to the project.
Closure:
After each group presents their commercial,
have the remaining students identify which technique is used and name the
characteristics in the commercial that made them think that.
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1998 - Amanda Thompson amandakaye@yahoo.com
