Lesson Plan

What's the message? An Advertising/Media Awareness Lesson

Objectives

You will discover how advertisers create ads that "appeal" to the intended audience using pictures and colors.

Time Required

30 min. to select ads and create posters, 20 min. to discuss results as a class.

Materials

Old magazines, cardboard or card stock, scissors, glue, lined paper, pencils

Introduction

This lesson is designed to complement the Slick Slogans Ad Agency activity on the Dig Deeper CD. Ads that have words often have an obvious message, but what about ads that don't seem to say anything? Looking at the content and arrangement of mainly pictoral ads, students will attempt to decipher the message of that ad with the help of their classmates.

Activity

Divide students into groups (from 2-4).
Have students look through magazines to find full page color advertisements with hardly any words or text on them.
Each group of students should cut out their favorite ad and glue it onto cardboard or cardstock.
Place all the ads in the front of the room, and ask the class to brainstorm together about what the ads are trying to say. (Use the questions below to start the discussion.)
Return the ads to their original groups.
Each group should write a paragraph describing the "message" of the ad, and explain how the ad conveys this message without using many words. Paste this description on the cardboard or card stock next to the ad.

Questions

What images caught your eye?
What emotions or ideas do you associate with the images?
What colors do you mainly see in the ad?
What emotions or ideas do you associate with these colors?
What do these emotions and ideas say about the intended audience of the ad?