Making a Commercial
Overview
Commercials are attempts by producers to persuade you to buy
their products. In this lesson, students create a commercial
and identify the persuasive techniques they are using.
Objectives
Students will be able to successfully apply persuasive techniques
to the creation of a commercial.
Standards Addressed
Language Arts — Writing
Communications: Oral and Visual,
Listening and Viewing, Benchmark B
Grade 8
02. Identify and analyze the persuasive
techniques (e.g., bandwagon, testimonial glittering generalities,
emotional word repetition and bait and switch) used in
presentations and media messages.
Grade 9
02. Identify types of arguments used
b the speaker, such as authority and appeals to emotion.
03. Analyze the credibility of the
speaker (e.g., hidden agendas, slanted or biased material)
and recognize fallacies of reasoning used in presentations
and media messages.
Communications: Oral and Visual,
Listening and Viewing, Benchmark F
Grade 8
04. Identify the speaker’s choice
of language and delivery styles (e.g., repetition, appeal
to emotion, eye contact) and explain how they contribute
to meaning.
10. Deliver persuasive presentations
that:
- Establish and develop a logical
and controlled argument.
Communications: Oral and Visual,
Speaking Skills and Strategies, Benchmark F
Grades 8, 9 and 10
10. Deliver persuasive presentations
that:
-
Establish and develop a logical
and controlled argument.
-
Include relevant evidence, differentiating
between evidence and opinion, to support a position
and to address counter-arguments or listener bias.
-
Use persuasive strategies, such
as rhetorical devices, anecdotes and appeals to emotion,
authority and reason.
-
Use common organizational structures
as appropriate (e.g., cause-effect, compare-contrast,
problem-solution); and.
-
Use speaking techniques (e.g.,
reasoning, emotional appeal, cast studies or analogies).
Communications: Oral and Visual,
Listening and Viewing, Benchmarks B, F and G
Grade 10
02. Interpret types of arguments used
by the speaker such as authority and appeals to audience.
03. Evaluate the credibility of the
speaker (e.g., hidden agendas, slanted or biased material)
and recognize fallacies of reasoning used in presentations
and media messages.
04. Identify how language choice and
delivery styles (e.g., repetition, appeal to emotion,
eye contact) contribute to meaning.
10. Deliver persuasive presentations
that:
-
Establish and develop a logical and controlled argument.
-
Include relevant evidence, differentiating between
evidence and opinion, to support a position and to
address counter-arguments or listener bias.
-
Use persuasive strategies, such as rhetorical devices,
anecdotes and appeals to emotion, authority and reason.
-
Consistently use common organizational structures
as appropriate (e.g., cause-effect, compare-contrast,
problem-solution).
-
Use speaking techniques (e.g., reasoning, emotional
appeal, cast studies or analogies).
Materials
Video Projects:
-
Camera
-
LPD projector
-
Film
Oral Presentations:
-
Colored markers
-
Poster board
Procedure
-
As a class, go back to the commercials used in the Logical
Fallacies section and review the types of persuasive techniques
that were found in those commercials.
-
Divide the class into pairs or groups of three.
-
Have each group decide on a category or situation about
which to create a commercial: politics, celebrities, beauty
pageant, sports, public service announcement, etc.
-
For the commercial, have the groups create a product
or use a product that is already on the market. (This
works best when students create the product they are going
to advertise.)
-
Students should write a script, noting in the script
where the persuasive techniques are. They should use at
least five persuasive techniques in their work.
-
Encourage the groups to follow the same “frame”
at the end that they used in the beginning, and to make
their commercials one to five minutes in length.
-
The commercial can be videotaped or can be given as an
oral presentation.
Each team will be given a group grade from zero to 100
points. The total score will then be multiplied by the
number of people in the group.
-
The group can then divide the total score in whatever
way they would like. For example, if a group of three
people gets 86 points for the total project, they will
multiply 86 by three for a total of 258 points. The group
should decide, for example if each person gets 86 points
or if one person who worked very hard should get 100 points
and the other two, 79 points each. The group can divide
their total points in any way they like, as long as the
total is 258 points. There must be consensus among the
group members.
Evaluation
Rubric for Commercial
| |
5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
| Creativity |
Extremely Creative |
Creative |
Unoriginal |
Predictable |
Not creative |
| Seriousness / Credibility |
Actors all took project serious and remained focused. |
Some moments were unproductive; general focus was kept. |
Group did not work well together; there was a loss of
focus throughout. |
Little seriousness was given to the project. Focus was
lost at the beginning and never regained. |
There was no focus. The group members did not get along
well with each other. |
| Distribution of Work |
Each group member had an equal workload. |
Group members distributed the work; however, one did
more than the others. |
The workload was divided on paper; two group members
did not pull their weight. |
The workload was not divided evenly. All members did
not appear in the video. |
One person did the majority of the work. Lacked commitment
from other members. |
| Length |
Video was between one and five minutes in length. |
Video was too long (five or six minutes) or too short
45 to 59 seconds). |
Video was more than seven minutes in length or was less
than 30 seconds long. |
Video was nine to 10 minutes in length or was less than
15 seconds in length. |
Video was more than 10 minutes in length. |
| Organization of Presentation |
Project had above-average organization. |
Project was well-organized. |
Project was organized. |
The project had little organization. |
The project had little to no organization. |
| Script: Fluency. Spelling, etc. |
All materials were to expectations. |
Materials were fluid and there were few spelling errors. |
Project met average expectations. |
Materials were divided among the group, but not completed. |
Little to no effort was put forth on the script; there
was no fluency. |
| Use of Persuasive Techniques |
Video effectively used more than six techniques. |
Video effectively used six techniques. |
Video used four to five techniques. |
Video used two to three techniques. |
Video used one technique. |
|
