Materials: Pens/pencils, Paper; Optional: Black-board/whiteboard/flipchart, Poster board, Colored markers/pens/pencils
Activities (Detailed step-By-step Instructions):
1) Divide the class into groups of three or four.
2) Give each group paper and a pen (or poster board).
3) Have each group plan one day’s menu for a family member.
4) Have them consider the steps of making a good decision in their decision making about the menu.
5) Here are example steps:
What is the problem?
What are some solutions?
Where can we get information?
What are our choices?
What will each choice cost us (in time, money, energy)?
What are our limitations (time, effort, personal resources)?
What will the consequences of each choice be?
What will you do?
How will you do it?
Was it a good decision? Why? Why not?
7) Have each group present their menus to the class.
8) Discuss the following:
What foods were chosen?
Are there foods chosen from each food group?
Why did you choose these foods?
Are here a variety of colors, textures?
How much might it cost?
Was it a good decision? Why or why not?
9) You can also have the students illustrate their menus if you have the time and resources.
suggested Follow-up Discussion topics:
What other things can you use the same decision making steps on in your daily life?
HeALtH ADVeRtIseMents
Topic: Consumer Awareness/Health
Purpose of Activity (What should the students gain from this activity?): To analyze health advertise-ments to determine how they attract buyers and what students should be aware of.
Number of Students: 10-30 Age Range of Students: 13-17 Time Required: 1 hr
Materials: Several health ads for magazines or news-papers, Questions worksheet, Pencils, Chalkboard/
whiteboard/flip chart
Activities (Detailed step-By-step Instructions):
1) Talk about different methods advertisers use to get people to buy their product (creating a need/
desire, working on different emotions).
2) Divide into groups of three or four.
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3) Give each group several advertisements and each student a question worksheet.
4) Explain that they must look at each add and fill out the work sheet (answer the questions) 5) After everyone is done have them present their
advertisements and results to the class.
6) Have the class discuss what they found if they have any opinions that differ and/or are the same.
7) Ask students how this changes their ideas of ad-vertisements they see and what they gained from the lesson.
suggested Follow-up Discussion topics:
Ask students how they would advertise such prod-ucts, if they would change anything etc.
student worksheet
Questions to Evaluate Consumer Health Advertisements
1. What product is being sold? ...
...
2. What is the purpose of the ad? ...
...
3. Who should buy this product? ...
...
4. What psychological approach is used to increase sales of this product, i.e., heighten emotions like fear or love, satisfy present needs, promise quick cure or results, create a need or desire? ...
...
5. How reliable is the source of the ad for health information? ...
...
6. Which statements about the product are true? ...
...
7. What important information is missing? ...
...
8. What are the product ingredients? ...
...
9. What are the health benefits of the product, if any? ...
...
10. Are there any negative or side effects for consumers to consider? ...
...
11. What is the credibility of the product manufacturer? ...
...
12. How were the product’s features enhanced to improve its appeal to you (e.g., use of an attractive spokes-person or athlete, make-up, food styling, special photographic techniques)? ...
...
13. How would you change the advertisement to benefit consumers? ...
...
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ADVeRtIseMent MetHoDs
Topic: Consumer Health/Awareness
Purpose of Activity (What should the students gain from this activity?): To make students aware of meth-ods used by advertisements.
Number of Students: 10-30 Age Range of Students: 13-17 Time Required: 1hr
Materials: Magazine ads (at least two for each group), Worksheet, Pens/pencils, Blackboard/whiteboard/
flipchart, Example ad; Optional: Flipchart paper, Markers
Activities (Detailed step-By-step Instructions):
1) Students are given a vocabulary of relevant terms - basic message, visual image, medium, catchy words, testimonial, bandwagon, positive appeal, negative appeal, product character, product slo-gan, product comparison, and repetition.
2) Make sure they understand the terms (use an ex-ample ad and as a class point out the techniques use).
3) Divide class into groups of three or four.
4) Give each group several magazine advertise-ments.
5) Have the group talk about the advertisements and fill out the work sheet about the advertise-ment.
6) Have each group present their findings to the class.
Brand Name and Product: ...
Medium: ...
Basic Message: ...
Visual Image: ...
Catchy Words: ...
Technique Used and Why: ...
Technique Used and Why: ...
Technique Used and Why: ...
Persuasion Rating (1 - 5): ...
(1 = Yawn. 5 = I’m sold on this product!)
suggested Follow-up Discussion topics:
Talk about the negative and positive effects of these types of approaches to advertising. Dis-cuss television commercials and apply the same terms.
Number of Students: 5-30
Age Range of Students: 15 and under Time Required: 45 minutes – 1 hour
Materials: Large cardboard box, Wire coat hanger and/or tinfoil, Scissors, Markers; Optional: Paint, Blackboard/whiteboard/flipchart, Chalk/markers
Activities (Detailed step-By-step Instructions):
1) Before class or with your class on another day, make a fake TV set with a cardboard box and coat hangers and/or tinfoil. You can paint it if you want.
2) Make sure that the front and the back is cut out.
3) During class, ask students to come up with a list of healthy products.
4) Write them on the board if you have one avail-able.
5) Tell the students to divide into pairs.
6) Ask the pairs to choose on of the healthy products thought of by the class.
7) They must create a small commercial advertising that healthy product.
8) In the commercial they must cover the following:
What is the product?
What kind of product is it?
What do you use it for?
Why is it a healthy product?
Why would someone want to buy this product?
9) Give the pairs at least 10 – 15 minutes to create their commercial.
10) After everyone is finished, have each pair come to the
“TV” and perform their commercial to the class.
11) After each commercial, ask the class the same questions the commercial was supposed to answer.
suggested Follow-up Discussion topics:
How often do you see commercials for healthy products? Why do you think that is?
wARnInG! DAnGeRous PRoDuCts!
Topic: Decision Making, Substance Abuse
Purpose of Activity (What should the students gain from this activity?): To look at warning labels on dan-gerous products.
Number of Students: 5-30
Age Range of Students: 15 and under
Time Required: 30 – 35 minutes in class, several days out of class
Materials: Poster board/large paper for each group + one, Markers, Notebook, Pen/pencil, Blackboard/
whiteboard/flipchart, Chalk/markers; Optional:
Magazines, Scissors, Glue, Paper
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Activities (Detailed step-By-step Instructions):
1) Previous to this activity, ask students to find three “warning labels” on household products.
Have them write down what the labels say and bring them to class.
2) Warning labels can be found on cigarettes, alco-hol, cleaning supplies, medicine etc.
3) Before class make a poster with the word “WARN-ING” in large letters.
4) Ask the students to read their warning labels.
5) Write examples of warning labels on the board.
6) Ask the class why these products have warning labels.
7) Ask the class if warning labels are a good idea. Why or why not? Write down their reason on the board.
8) Ask the class if there are any other products that don’t have warning labels that should have them (be creative!).
9) Split the class into groups of 4 or 5.
10) Give each group poster board/large paper and markers.
11) Tell the students they must now think of a prod-uct that needs a warning label and make a warn-ing label for that product (cannot be a product that already has a warning label).
12) Give them 10 – 15 minutes.
13) Have the groups present their warning labels to the class.
suggested Follow-up Discussion topics:
Do you think warning labels say enough? Why or why not?
What products do you think need the most warn-ing labels? Why?