Media Literacy: Grades 3 - 5
Objective - To understand what advertisements are trying to do and how they do it Duration 45 minutes Materials . . .
- To understand what advertisements are trying to do and how they do it
MaterialsAdvertisements from magazines
PreparationCut out several ads (including tobacco and alcohol ads) from magazines and newspapers.
- Show the selected ads, one at a time, to the children and ask: What is being sold? How does the advertiser make the product look attractive? Who is the ad trying to sell to?
- Discuss different marketing angles and list them on the board: It's quick. It's healthy. It's low-fat. It's cheap. It comes in a big quantity. It's new. It's cool.
- Discuss these quesitons: Are people under the age of 18 influenced by advertisements for products that are illegal for their age group (cigarettes and alcohol)? What images are being presented encourage the children to to buy products? Which of the ads that you see here attract kids? Teens? Young adults? Adults? Older adults? What is the bottom line, or ultimate goal, of ads?