Cereal Advertising and the Internet
Language Arts, Social Studies, Technology
 

Objectives:

    1. Students will demonstrate how the Internet works using the Web Game.
    2. Students will define several Internet-related vocabulary words.
    3. Students will find several cereal-related Internet sights using a search engine.
    4. Students will evaluate Web sites on their content and use as advertisement.
Focus/Set Induction: Have students stand in a large circle. Give a large ball of yarn to the first person. Tell them that they can throw the ball of yarn to anyone else in the circle, but they must first ask permission and the other person must accept. (They hold on to the end of the yarn as they throw.) Continue until the yarn connects everyone. Make a diagram of how students are linked. Tell students to think about what this might represent. Rationale: Recently, the Internet has become very important as an advertising tool for companies. Understanding how the Internet works and being able to access sites helps students to find out information they want or need. Evaluating sites helps students to become more informed consumers. Materials:

                    Large ball of yarn
                    Computer with Internet access
                    Netscape or Internet Explorer
                    Clues for Internet Scavenger Hunt/Evaluation form

 

Activities:

Instructional Input:

    1. Ask students to think about the activity they just did. They may ask you "Yes or No" questions to find out what the activity represents. (The Internet or the World Wide Web) each person represents a computer and the yarn represents the connections between each computer
    2. After they find the correct answer each person represents a computer and the yarn represents the connections between each computer.
    3. Ask: Why did they have to ask permission to "connect" to another person? (The Internet has certain rules or protocols that must be followed. Computers must "ask" for access to another computer in order to look at a site.)
    4. Define the following terms:
Internet - a network of computers all over the world

Web browser - software such as Netscape that you use to look at Web sites

Web site address - where a Web site can be found (ex. http://www.kelloggs.com)

search engine - Web sites such as Yahooligans (http://www.yahooligans.com) that help people find specific information

hyperlink - underlined or colored words on a Web site that take you to another site when you click on them with the mouse

 Guided Practice:
    1. Demonstrate using Netscape and Yahooligans to find a Web site using the example clue:
Have a blast with Mr. Kellogg at Cereal City this summer!
    1. Tell students that each clue has key words that they can type in to the search engine to help them find a specific Web site. Type the key words (in this case "Cereal City" and "Kellogg") into the search box at www.yahooligans.com
    2. Show them where to find the Web site address in the browser and write it down on the overhead.
    3. Browse through the site and come up with words to describe it. Do students think it is a good way to advertise for Kellogg’s? *Some sites may include games. Tell them that right now they cannot play the games until they are done with the scavenger hunt. Also, some games may not work on the computer because it does not have the right software. Most require the Shockwave plug-in.
Independent Practice: Give each student the Scavenger Hunt clues. They can work on this assignment as part of a center or workstation that should be completed by the end of the week (or whatever time period is appropriate for your classroom).

Challenge:

Have students design a Web site describing the Cereally Speaking unit. They can take pictures and write text reporting the activities that they do each week, including final products.

For those who need help:

Some students may have trouble locating the key words in the clues. Have these students work with a partner and/or highlight the key words for them. Have students make their evaluations orally if needed.

 Evaluation: Students will be evaluated on completing the scavenger hunt and finding the correct Web site addresses. Closure: Have students discuss some of the Web sites they found. Which one was their favorite? Which one did the best job of advertising a product or company? What features made them feel that way?

 

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1998 - Amanda Thompson  amandakaye@yahoo.com

 
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