Lesson Plan: All About Advertising Part 2: Plan Your Dandy Ad!

Lesson overview: The purpose of this lesson is to have students apply what they learned in the previous lesson about an advertisement’s ability to persuade someone to buy a particular product using images and persuasive phrases. The students will lay the groundwork for their own “dandy ad” by brainstorming ideas for an ad “campaign” promoting a healthy habit, positive message, or character building message and deciding upon the persuasive phrases and images they would like to include in their own ad.

Grade level: 9th

Paper, pencils, chalk or whiteboard marker

• The students will brainstorm a variety of ideas for an “ad campaign” targeting other students in their age group

• The students will evaluate these ideas and choose one for their own “dandy” ad

• The students will complete a worksheet in which they write down their ad’s message, the type of images they would like to include in their ad, and the persuasive phrases their ad will contain

• The students will present their ideas to their classmates in a group discussion

Begin the class by engaging the students in a group discussion in which they brainstorm a list of ideas for a dandy ad. Their ideas must fit the following guidelines: a) the ad must promote a positive message or healthy habit; and b) the ad must be appropriate for kids. Write down the students’ ideas on the blackboard or whiteboard, and encourage them to try to express their ideas in one short sentence or phrase, such as “eat more fruit,” “take care and share,” “play every day,” or “recycle your trash.”

Next, pass out a worksheet containing the following instructions: a) Write down your dandy ad’s message; b) Write down at least five persuasive phrases or words you will include in your dandy ad; c) Describe the images you will include in your dandy ad. Your description must be at least three sentences.

Give the students time to work. When all (or most) of the students have finished, engage them in a group activity where each student (or selected student volunteers) presents their plans for their dandy ad. An alternative to this would be to pair off the students and have each student present their partner’s plans for their dandy ad.

Formative assessment strategies:

The teacher will keep track of participation through eye contact made between the teacher and the students, and the students’ willingness to participate in the discussion. Also, the teacher will see if the students are paying attention to the presentation, as opposed to distracting each other by talking, teasing, and so on. The teacher will assess the quality of the students’ responses to see if they understand the material presented. The teacher will use their responses as a measurement of their level of knowledge and comprehension of the material presented: were their answers thoughtful and relevant to the subject at hand, or were they unresponsive and confused?

Summative assessment strategies:

The worksheet will be assessed according to the following criteria, on a 4-point scale (4=advanced, 3=good, 2=satisfactory, 1=novice): The student used correct spelling, grammar, punctuation and capitalization; the responses are clear and logical; the student used their time productively and well