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#2172. How do commercials influence kids?

Social Studies, level: all
Posted Fri Mar 9 17:50:08 PST 2001 by Sandy Scarborough (smazz_29205@yahoo.com).
Brennen Elementary, Columbia, SC
Materials Required: videotape, vcr
Activity Time: approximately 30 minutes
Concepts Taught: needs and wants, consumers and producers, influential ads

Record a short videotape of several TV ads aimed at children. During a study of consumerism, play the tape in class. Have the students identify ways the advertisers try to influence kids to want their products.(enthusiastic announcers, catchy music, animation, action, humor). Ask students if they've ever been influenced to buy products,only to be disappointed that the ads were misleading or the product isn't as exciting as it seemed in the ad. List some of the promotional tactics used. As a follow-up, divide the class into small groups. Give them an item to use in their own ads. Allow the students time to work together to create a short skit to act out for the class, using some of the tactics used in the commercials they'd seen. My second grade kids had the best time doing this!