Advertising Lesson Plan

Lesson: Magazine Ads and You, the Teenager
By: Rebecca K. Duffy
Primary Subject: Language Arts
Grade Level: Middle School

OVERVIEW/PURPOSE: Advertising is often aimed directly at young people. Not only do they spend $70 billion a year, but they influence their parents' purchase also. Youth are hit by certain appeals - appeals to be like everybody else, sex appeal, even negative appeal. This activity is to increase student awareness of persuasion tactics as seen in magazine advertising.

OBJECTIVE(S): The students will be able to:

1. Identify the persuasive techniques used in magazine advertising.
2. Explore the effects of magazine advertising.

MATERIALS:

1. Vocabulary of relevant terms
2. Enough magazine ads times 4 for each student
3. Bulletin board with advertising techniques pointed out in magazine ads
   
4. Enough worksheets for students to analyze ads
5. Materials to make magazine ads (i.e. paper, colored pens, pencils, crayons, etc.)
   

ACTIVITIES & PROCEDURES:

1. Students are given a vocabulary of relevant terms - basic message, visual image, medium, catchy words, testimonial, bandwagon, positive appeal, negative appeal, product character, product slogan, product comparison, and repetition.
   
2. Students and teacher look at various magazine ads making sure the students understand the terms and techniques. The class works through the attached work sheet together using one of the ads.
3. Students are given three ads to analyze using the work sheet below.
4. Students are divided into groups of three or four. Each group must invent a product and design a magazine ad using 3 of the advertising techniques.
   

MAGAZINE AD HANDOUT:

BRAND NAME & PRODUCT:
_____________________________________________

MEDIUM:
_____________________________________________

BASIC MESSAGE:
_____________________________________________

VISUAL IMAGE:
_____________________________________________

CATCHY WORDS:
_____________________________________________

TECHNIQUE USED AND WHY:
_____________________________________________

TECHNIQUE USED AND WHY:
_____________________________________________

TECHNIQUE USED AND WHY:
_____________________________________________

PERSUASION RATING (1 - 5):
_____________________________________________
                   (1 = Yawn.  5 = I'm sold on this product!)

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This is such an interesting way to teach students about advertising.

What was GOOD about Duffey's lesson?

• Duffey begins the lesson by giving students a real-world application; she shows her students why it is important to know and understand advertising techniques.
  
• Duffey is allowing her students to use a preferred method of learning -- looking at magazines! :)
  
• Before students work on in groups, Duffey gives them an example of exactly what to do; therefore, students know what is expected of them.
  

What would I do to IMPROVE Duffey's lesson?

• Instead of only using magazine advertisements and to incorporate technology into the lesson, I would display the following advertisements. Individually or in groups, students could analyze these advertisements.