Lesson Plan:
Alcohol Advertisements Influence on Youth
'If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything!'
Objectives:
Assessment:
Discussion and inquiry of each topic, checklist of expectations (excellent behavior, work habits, and maturity of camera use, care and pride in work, and creativity in representation of identity in a final photograph), group collaboration, and personal journaling answers to each question.
Day One:
1. In small groups, create a list of advertisements that come to mind.
2. Share, compile, and discuss the lists and why students remember them.
3. Using the Smart Board and internet, watch and discuss the ads students recall.
4. Questions to ask: What is propaganda and how do advertisements use propaganda to sell their product? What advertisements stand out the most to you? Why? What is that particular company advertising or selling? Would you buy the product? Why or why not? Are you old enough to buy the product? What are things the company does to make the product look pleasing?
Day Two:
Day Three:
Day Four:
Day Five:
- Students will recognize propaganda in advertising
- Students will identify the audience of alcohol advertisements
- Students will express individual opinions of alcohol ads through discussion,
- Through creating a unique piece of art, students will take a stand against underage drinking.
Assessment:
Discussion and inquiry of each topic, checklist of expectations (excellent behavior, work habits, and maturity of camera use, care and pride in work, and creativity in representation of identity in a final photograph), group collaboration, and personal journaling answers to each question.
Day One:
1. In small groups, create a list of advertisements that come to mind.
2. Share, compile, and discuss the lists and why students remember them.
3. Using the Smart Board and internet, watch and discuss the ads students recall.
4. Questions to ask: What is propaganda and how do advertisements use propaganda to sell their product? What advertisements stand out the most to you? Why? What is that particular company advertising or selling? Would you buy the product? Why or why not? Are you old enough to buy the product? What are things the company does to make the product look pleasing?
Day Two:
- Students search through magazines and tear out alcohol ads.
- Group discussion and critique of the magazine ads.
- Using the Smart Board and internet, watch and discuss alcohol advertisements.
- Discuss underage drinking and the effects of alcohol using pamphlets and other resources
- Questions to ask: What is the message in alcohol ads? What is the legal drinking age? Why? What are the risks of drinking? What are the consequences of underage drinking? Why do alcohol companies display appealing images in their ads? Why do they use young people and/or cutesy characters? What do you like about alcohol ads? What do you not like about them?
Day Three:
- Discuss and give students the writing prompt of “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.” Have students journal their opinions and experience with advertisements (especially noting alcohol ads).
- After allowing writing time, allow students to share, read each others papers, and discuss a plan of action to educate and inform their peers.
- Possible action plans might include submitting their articles to the school and/or community newspaper as well as display an art project of their choice.
- Questions to ask: What does it mean: If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything? How do you feel about your findings with alcohol and advertisements promoting alcohol to youth? What would you say to the person(s) developing these ads? What will you do when you are offered alcohol before you are 21? What will you do if you find it in your refrigerator? What can you do to protect yourself against these advertisements? How can you take a stand against underage drinking?
Day Four:
- Provide the opportunity for students to continue brainstorming their action plan of how to educate their peers on alcohol marketing and advertising as well as underage drinking.
- Artwork by Barbara Krueger, Andy Warhol, and Cindy Sherman will be displayed and discussed.
- Students will implement their plan of action. If no plan is ready or possible, the teacher will make suggestions. Suggestions might include: a list of exciting, fun, and enjoyable, yet appropriate activities they can do instead of drinking alcohol.
- Students will be provided props and use prior photography knowledge to photograph each other doing these positive activities.
Day Five:
- Students will continue to implement a critical intervention of using art to educate their peers against the influence of alcohol advertising.
- If using photography and the style of Warhol, Krueger, and/or Sherman, students will be given the opportunity to work in the computer lab to edit their photos into posters.
- Posters will be placed on display on the school website, within the school building, and throughout the community. Students will be given the opportunity to hang their own posters where they chose.