Media Awareness III: Crossing the Finish Line
How do marketers develop an advertising strategy before a product goes to market?
In this 6-8 lesson, students will develop and market a new children’s product. They will apply advertising design strategies to market their product. This is the third lesson designed to accompany the media awareness unit.
Lesson Content
Learning Objectives
Students will:
Use critical thinking skills to further develop their understanding of advertising concepts.
Use elements and principles of art to create an advertisement of their own.
Analyze and discuss peer advertisements using key terms.
Work collaboratively in groups to develop a new kid-oriented product.
Create a marketing strategy for a new product.
Standards Alignment
Demonstrate openness in trying new ideas, materials, methods, and approaches in making works of art and design.
Demonstrate persistence in developing skills with various materials, methods, and approaches in creating works of art or design.
Demonstrate willingness to experiment, innovate, and take risks to pursue ideas, forms, and meanings that emerge in the process of artmaking or designing
Reflect on whether personal artwork conveys the intended meaning and revise accordingly
Reflect on and explain important information about personal artwork in an artist statement or another format.
Apply relevant criteria to examine, reflect on, and plan revisions for a work of art or design in progress.
Analyze ways that visual components and cultural associations suggested by images influence ideas, emotions, and actions.
Analyze multiple ways that images influence specific audiences.
Compare and contrast contexts and media in which viewers encounter images that influence ideas, emotions, and actions.
Interpret art by distinguishing between relevant and non-relevant contextual information and analyzing subject matter, characteristics of form and structure, and use of media to identify ideas and mood conveyed.
Interpret art by analyzing artmaking approaches, the characteristics of form and structure, relevant contextual information, subject matter, and use of media to identify ideas and mood conveyed.
Interpret art by analyzing how the interaction of subject matter, characteristics of form and structure, use of media, artmaking approaches, and relevant contextual information contributes to understanding messages or ideas and mood conveyed.
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.
Follow rules for collegial discussions, set specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.
Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.
Follow rules for collegial discussions, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.
Analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how the ideas clarify a topic, text, or issue under study.
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.
Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.
Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the motives (e.g., social, commercial, political) behind its presentation.
Recommended Student Materials
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Teacher Background
Teachers should use age-appropriate advertisements and kid-friendly products. Preview the details of the lesson to understand its connection to lessons one and two in the unit.
Provide preferential seating and captions for visual presentations. Give students the option to create an audio advertisement as opposed to a visual one.
Engage
Ask students to discuss their responses to the following question:How has the information you learned about marketing (target audience, purpose, elements of art) affected your own original advertisement for your favorite kid-friendly product? Explain.
Have students complete their advertisements. They should include color, text, and background/foreground space on the picture plane. Ask students to consider who their audience is (realistic or imaginative). Students should determine which parts of the ad they would like to highlight (i.e., price, place of purchase, the purpose of the toy, etc.) and brainstorm how to draw attention to those parts of the ad.
Have students share their original advertisements. Then, have students identify key elements of the advertisements (target audience, purpose, etc.).
Build
Review the key components of advertising and art. Refer to the handout and the resource.
Explain the roles of development and marketing. It is the responsibility of the development department to brainstorm a new product for kids. Once the development department has created the product, the marketing department must develop ways to advertise and market the toy. The marketing department must also devise strategies for product placement and targeting the right audience.
Apply
Have the students read and discuss the handout entitled .
Lead a discussion about the strategies advertising companies use and their effects on youth.
Tell students that they will be creating a new children’s product as well as a marketing strategy. Explain to students that they must imagine that they are all part of a kids-oriented manufacturing company. Divide students into pairs, telling one student that they are the “development” department and the other that they are the “marketing” department.
Allow students time to create and market products. Facilitate through groups to provide feedback and concept reinforcement.
Reflect
Have students come together for a critique of the project, assessing its potential for success, etc.
Assess students with the .
How did you use this lesson? Give us your feedback!
In this 6-8 lesson, students will examine the influence of advertising from past and present-day products. Students apply design principles to illustrate a product with background and foreground. This is the first lesson designed to accompany the media awareness unit.
In this 6-8 lesson, students will continue the exploration of advertising and media awareness. Students will examine the purpose, target audience, and value of advertisements. Students will then create original, hand-drawn advertisements. This is the second lesson designed to accompany the media awareness unit.
Audio, video, animation, photography, and technology. From Depression-era images that captured the attention of a nation, to student-produced videos on local artists, to how to make your own blood and guts special effects, explore the ever-changing world of media arts.
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Tiffany A. Bryant Manager, Operations and Audience Engagement
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