Download Thinking Critically About Advertising

Day 1
Thinking Critically About Advertising
Objectives:
 Students will be able to list five strategies that advertisers use to sell their
products.
 Students will be able to identify the use of these strategies in advertisements.
 Students will realize and understand the prevalence of advertising in their daily
lives.
 Students will compare and contrast advertising strategies used by the corporations
in Feed with the strategies used in today’s society.
Rationale:
 1.2.11 A: Differentiate fact from opinion across a variety of texts by using
complete and accurate information, coherent arguments and points of view.
Distinguish between essential and nonessential information across a variety of
sources, identifying the use of proper references or authorities and propaganda
techniques where present.
 1.6.11 A: Ask clarifying questions. Contribute to discussions.
 1.6.11 E: Participate in small and large group discussions and presentations.
Materials:
 Handout: How Are You Affected By Advertising?
 “With These Words I Can Sell You Anything” by William Lutz
 YouTube video: The Truth in Advertising
Activities:
 Students will have class discussion about Lutz’s article, which they were required
to read for homework. Students will be encouraged to start and maintain their own
discussion, but the following questions will also be posed:
o Do you think you are affected by advertising, specifically the strategies
Lutz discusses in his article? Why or why not?
o Think of a product you recently bought. Why did you buy it? Do you think
the advertising strategy had anything to do with your decision?
o Can you think of any products that use these strategies in commercials or
magazine ads?
 Handout: How Are You Affected By Advertising?
o This worksheet is a fun activity that will effectively demonstrate to
students the impact advertising has on their daily lives without them
realizing it, as well as connecting the main idea of the reading to ads they
see every day.
o Students will identify the advertising techniques described in the reading
in the slogans from the handout.
o Students will be asked to name some of the advertisements they see every
day, and how many ads they believe they are exposed to every day, then
told how many they actually see or read.


You Tube video: The Truth of Advertising
http://youtube.com/watch?v=5pEyLIp1caw
o Students will watch a short clip (42 seconds) that applies the advertising
strategies already discussed to a generic product. This video will
demonstrate to the students why they need to think critically about
advertisements.
Discussion about advertising and Feed.
o Introduce Feed through advertising. Discuss the feed and relate the
constant advertising students receive to the advertisements characters
receive in the novel.
Closure:
 Briefly reiterate the ideas that advertising is omnipresent in our lives as well why
we need to think critically about advertisements. Ask students to recall some of
the advertising strategies discussed in the reading and in the class discussion.
Homework:
 Bring in an editorial from a newspaper or magazine.
Assessment:
 Participation in class discussion.
How Are You Affected by Advertising?
Every day we encounter thousands of advertisements without realizing it. Look
around the classroom. How many ads do you see? You are probably wearing at least three.
Advertising has become a big part of our everyday lives, and it is important that we realize
how much it affects us. Listed below are 20 advertising slogans. Next to each slogan, write
the company who uses it.
1. Just Do It
_______________________________
2. Have It Your Way
_______________________________
3. What’s in your wallet?
_______________________________
4. Live Your Life
_______________________________
5. Can you hear me now?
_______________________________
6. You are now free to move about the country.
_______________________________
7. Expect great things.
_______________________________
8. Every kiss begins with Kay.
_______________________________
9. Good to the last drop.
_______________________________
10. Taste the rainbow.
_______________________________
11. Obey your thirst.
_______________________________
12. When you’re here, you’re family.
_______________________________
13. Always low price. Always.
_______________________________
14. It’s everywhere you want to be.
_______________________________
15. Because so much is riding on your tires.
_______________________________
16. What can Brown do for you?
_______________________________
17. You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers.
_______________________________
18. Get your own box.
_______________________________
19. Good taste is easy to recognize.
_______________________________
20. Feel better.
_____________________________