Link to Ontario Arts Curriculum:
- Creating and Presenting: Apply the creative process to produce art works in a variety of traditional two and three-dimensional forms, as well as multimedia art works, that communicate feelings, ideas, and understandings, using elements, principles, and techniques of visual arts as well as current media technologies.
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.
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: