• NTTI Home
• Master Teachers
• Lesson Plans
• National NTTI

---

South Carolina ETV
1101 George Rogers Boulevard
Columbia, SC 29201-4761
Phone: 803-737-3545

Who Pays for My Favorite Television Program? (Grade 8)

Master Teacher

Doug Smith

Time Allotment

 Three 45-minute lessons

Overview

In this electronic age, our students are bombarded with media messages in all areas of their lives. Whether it's television or the Internet at home, brand name clothing and logos at school and play, or product placement all around them; they are constantly exposed to marketing in all of its forms. Are our students making informed decisions about what they buy or are they influenced in ways they do not understand?

Learning the techniques used to produce these ads and the methods used to promote the product will allow our students to see beyond the manipulation and make informed decisions in the market place. This lesson will be one step in the process of giving our students the tools they need to become media literate citizens and informed consumers.

Subject Matter

Language Arts/Social Studies

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

• Recognize that the primary purpose of television programming is to deliver commercial messages to viewers;
• Identify techniques in television commercials that appeal to the senses;
• Identify techniques in television commercials that appeal to the emotions;
• Analyze these elements in an ad.

South Carolina Standards

Visit SC Standards Web site

English

C1. The student will use speaking skills to participate in large and small groups in both formal and informal situations.

C3. The student will comprehend and analyze information he or she receives from nonprint sources.

Media Components

Video

TV Planet: Discover the Secrets of Television, Lesson 1: "Brought to you By (Who pays for Television?)" is the first program in a four-part television series that demonstrates media literacy concepts.

Taped television commercials.

Materials

• Activity Sheet 1: Analyzing Television Commercials
• Transparency of Activity Sheet 1
• Activity Sheet 2: Evaluating Student Presentations

Equipment

• television
• VCR
• overhead projector

Prep for Teachers

• Prior to the start of this lesson, preview the entire episode, "Brought to you By (Who pays for Television?)" so that you know where to start and stop the tape.
  
• Review the two Activity Sheets so you are familiar with the content and make copies for each student.
  
• Tape a couple of hours of television programming. (This can be from any commercial or cable channel that shows commercials). Review the tape and choose a commercial for the entire class to analyze.
  
• Analyze the commercial, using the Activity Sheet 1 as a guide. You will be guiding students through this activity during class.

Introductory Activity

(Length: About 15 minutes)

Step 1: Begin the instruction by asking, "How do you think television networks make money?"

Encourage your students to discuss this topic. Some questions that might be asked are:

0 Can you think of some of the ways they might make money?

0 Do you think they make money from the sale of tickets to a studio audience?

0 If so, how much?

0 Do you think that is enough to make a profit?

Step 2: Insert videotape into VCR and provide students with a Focus for Media Interaction by asking them to look for how television networks make money.

Step 3: FAST FORWARD the tape until you see the program logo, "TV Planet" and then PLAY the tape until the scene where the three kids say: "So advertisers pay to have their commercials shown on TV so people will see them and want to buy things. Looks like there are lots of differences between the world of television and the world of real life?" STOP tape after that. (Approximately 3minutes and 35 seconds)

Step 4: Lead the discussion so that students make the connection that television networks make money by selling commercial time and providing viewers to their advertisers.

Learning Activity (Days 1 & 2)

Lesson 1

Step 1: Pass out Activity Sheet 1: Analyzing Television Commercials. The questions on this sheet serve as the students' Focus for Media Interaction.

Step 2: Review the elements on the activity sheet.

Step 3: Show one of the commercials you have taped. (Note to Teacher: Try to use one with a lifestyle or image appeal. Many automobile commercials use this approach.)

Step 4: Work with the students to analyze the commercial using the handout. (Note to Teacher: Review commercial if necessary.)

Step 5: Reflection Journal Questions: What have I learned? How do I feel about what I have learned?

Lesson 2

Step 1: Divide your class into groups of 4.

Step 2: Have your students choose another one of the commercials on the tape.

(Note to Teacher: Draw straws or use another method to determine the order for this activity. Make sure each group uses a different commercial.)

Step 3: Have them analyze the commercial, again using Activity Sheet 1, which serves as their Focus for Media Interaction.

(Note to Teacher: This process may take a day or two letting each group view the tape while the rest of the class is otherwise occupied.)

Step 4: Have the students write up their findings for a presentation to the class. Hand out Activity Sheet 2 so they know what you will be evaluating them on.

Step 5: Reflection Journal Questions: What have I learned? How do I feel about what I have learned?

Cross-Curricular Extensions

Health/PE: Analyze food commercials, looking at body image in print and television ads.

Math: Have students keep a log of television commercials and create a spreadsheet by product type.

Community Connections

• Invite someone from a local advertising agency to come in and discuss commercial production with the class.
• Produce public service announcements for school event.

Activity Sheets (PDF)

• Activity Sheet 1
• Activity Sheet 2