Third+Grade+Lesson-Media+Literacy

= **Third Grade Lesson- Media Literacy** = Producers are the people that create products that we buy. They know that they can do things to make us choose their product over someone else’s. This lesson will show students some of the ways that producers and advertisers try to catch our attention to encourage us to choose their products.

Objectives
Students will become more aware of how:

Students will begin:
 * products are advertised to attract buyers, and
 * personally they are affected by advertising techniques.
 * to understand how some products may be similar in regardless of differences in packaging.

3rd Grade Social Studies Standard 4
==== Students will explain how people in the community make choices about using goods, services, and productive resources, how they engage in trade to satisfy their economic wants, how they use a variety of sources to gather and apply information about economic changes in the community, and how they compare costs and benefits in economic decision-making. 3.4.8 Illustrate how people compare benefits and costs when making choices and decision as consumers and producers. ====

Information Literacy Standards
Information Literacy Standard 2 : The student who is information literate evaluates information critically and competently. Information Literacy Standard 3: The student who is information literate uses information accurately and creatively.

Materials
Examples of food advertisements from magazines, newspapers, websites, coupons Resources for creating ads – computers, drawing paper and drawing supplies

Begin by holding up an advertisement that all can see. Ask why we have advertisements. Clarify answers if necessary with “Advertisements are one way to get a customer’s attention.” Packaging may be another. People who make products, known as producers, know that there are certain ways to get you to choose their product. These ways include ·  improve quality, taste or function ·  make package look more interesting or fun with color, graphics, games ·  Give an incentive like a toy or a lower price through a coupon. Ask a series of questions. For example: Pass out the Advertising Strategies worksheet. Review the worksheet. Explain that advertisements are a way to get customers’ attention. Have the students look at the ads and list what types of strategies they observe. Bring the class back together to discuss student findings. Ask students what they think the message the ad is trying to get across. Explain that by understanding how an why advertisers do what they do, we as customers can make better choices for what we need and want. We can base our decisions on what we know, rather than just by accepting what is advertised. This excercise should help students see that media does not reflect real life. Rather media is carefully constructed. Some students may come to understand that media does influence what we see, experience and then build personal understanding. Advertising Strategies Worksheet Introduce Activity 1 by asking them to imagine themselves as a food product on a grocery shelf. They need to get the customer’s attention. Ask them “What would they do to get the customer to choose them and not another product on the shelf?” Give the students time to think and ask for answers. Now ask if where they are located may make a difference.
 * What makes food interesting or appealing to you?
 * How important is it to have food that looks good to eat?
 * Do certain name brands make a difference?
 * What would make you choose a product?
 * Are you influenced by ads from TV, newspapers or magazines in making food choices?
 * Name characters, games, or coupons that would influence your choices. Make a list on the board.

Accommodations
Students with special needs may require more individualized attention to complete activities. Read the instructions aloud and provide specialized tools as required.

Activity 1
Have students imagine themselves as a product on a grocery shelf and that they need to get the customers’ attention. How will they make the customer choose them instead of another product on the shelf?

Activity 2
Have students create an advertisement for a food product. Consider the packaging, display, where and how the product will be advertised. The Advertisement must use at least three strategies from the list of Advertising Strategies. For example, an ad may include color/graphics, music, and a feel good story. Explain the classroom tools available, computer, drawing paper, drawing supplies, to help them create their project. Explain the assessment by reading through the rubric.

Assessment
Students will be assessed on their advertisement using the following rubric. Third Grade Rubric

Extensions
Consider for whom the advertisement is directed. Have the students keep a Food Commercial log that includes the strategies used by advertisers as well as the target audience. Don’t Buy It. http://pbskids.org/dontbuyit/buyingsmart/costofcool.html Students can explore how marketers use “cool” to sell clothes, making students more aware of their attitudes about what is “cool”.

Media Awareness Network [|http://www.media-awareness.ca] Lots of information on media literacy, as well as lesson plans. EconoEdLink http://www.econedlink.org/lessons Look for the “Clipping Coupons” lesson, as well as other economics lesson plans.

Media Literacy Clearinghouse http://www.frankwbaker.com/default.htm Good information on evaluating media, including lesson plans.

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