Links to the Foundation for the Atlantic Canada Arts Education Curriculum:
- Organizing Strands and General Curriculum Outcomes: Creating, Making and Presenting.
- Students will be expected to create and/or present, collaboratively and independently, expressive products in the arts for a range of audiences and purposes.
Brief Overview of the Lesson:
In groups the class will look at a variety of food ads and discuss how the company is trying to convince people to buy their product. Then each student will create a print ad promoting a new food product.
Estimated Time Required for Implementation:
One class period
Materials Needed:
Copies of the 8 food ads provided, white paper, coloured pencils, markers, oil pastels or paints
Suggested Implementation Strategy:
- Divide the class into groups of 4-6 and give each group one food ad.
- Ask the groups to think about how the company is trying to convince people to buy their product.
- Each group then shares their ideas about their food ad with the other groups.
- Ask them if they can think of any advertising that uses manipulative techniques to get people to buy things they really don’t need. How can you avoid being taken in by these kinds of ads?
- Tell the class that they have just been given a contract from a major food company to create a print ad for a new food product (e.g. a new cereal, a new fruit drink, a new dog food, etc.)
- Hand out the paper and other materials needed to complete their ad.
Evaluation:
- Assess the food ads by asking each group to explain the techniques they used in their ad to try to lure someone to buy their product.
Options for Consideration:
- The teacher may choose to combine this activity with Media Literacy Outcomes and ask the students to create the ad using a computer.
- The teacher may choose to rotate the food ads so each group sees every ad.
- The teacher may use a smart board to show the ads rather than make copies of them.
Extended Learning Opportunities:
- Students share their ads with the class during another period and discuss what techniques were used to convince people to buy this new product.
- The teacher may ask the class to bring in some food ads from magazines or food boxes to use for further discussions.
Articles: