Hooking the Audience: Persuasion in Print

Overview
Print advertisements and public service announcements (PSAs) are prevalent and powerful in our society. In this lesson, students create their own print advertisement or PSA that incorporates at least three different persuasive techniques.

Objective
Students will learn and review different persuasive techniques, identify examples of the different techniques and display their knowledge by successfully creating an advertisement or public service announcement.

Standards Addressed
Language Arts — Writing

Writing Applications, Benchmark E

Grades 8, 9 and 10

05. Write persuasive compositions that:

• Establish and develop a controlling idea.

• Support arguments with detailed evidence.

• Exclude irrelevant information.

• Cite sources of information.

 

Writing Process, Prewriting, Benchmark A

Grades 8, 9 and 10

01. Generate writing ideas through discussions with others and from printed material, and keep a list of writing ideas.

Materials

• Magazines and Sunday-edition newspapers

• Scissors

• Colored markers and pencils

• Folders

Procedure

Part 1

1. Well ahead of the day that you want to begin this lesson, ask the students to begin bringing in magazines and Sunday newspapers.

2. Have them read through the techniques and examples aloud.

3. Ask the class to contribute heir own examples of television commercials and PSA examples.

4. Place students in groups of three or four and distribute newspapers, magazines, scissors, markers and one folder and Persuasive Techniques Checklist to each group.

5. Direct students to clip advertisements and PSAs that utilize the various persuasive techniques on the checklist, label the techniques on the back with the marker and complete the checklist.

6. The group members should place all of their materials into the group folder.

Part 2

1. Once you have checked each group’s work for understanding and accuracy, distribute the Hooking the Audience: Directions handout for the student-created print advertisement or PSA. Read the directions aloud and emphasize that the advertisement/PSA must utilize at least three different persuasive techniques.

Lesson Plan Options
You may want to control the quantity and types of persuasive techniques that students focus on in their newspaper and magazine searches. Modify the checklist based upon teacher objectives.

You may want to limit students’ options and have them create either an advertisement or a PSA.

You may want to focus the student-created advertisement or PSA on subjects such as the following that are relevant to teens’ concerns:

• Product (existing or newly created): acne medication, ATV/automobile, clothing, electronic, food, game/gaming system, power drink, technological gadget

• Service: car wash, cell phone or gaming service, hair stylist, music site, post office, restaurant, ski resort, social services, social Web site (i.e., MySpace), study skills, travel agency

• PSA: abuse, bullying, “drama,” dropout rates, global warming, peer acceptance, peer pressure, pregnancy, social networking Web sites, school security/violence, substance use/abuse

Evaluation

Part 1

Group Activity

• Identifying persuasive techniques from magazine/newspaper advertisements/PSAs — assign one point for each persuasive technique clipped and identified correctly

• Option #1: Students must clip a separate advertisement/PSA for each persuasive technique

• Option #2: Students can use the same advertisement/PSA for multiple persuasive techniques

Total Points Available: 22 points

Part 2

Student-Created Advertisement/PSA

• Followed directions (project is 8 1⁄2” x 11” in size and includes all persuasive techniques)

1-10 points

• Mental stimulation (creative concept and strength of persuasive techniques)

1-20 points

• Visual stimulation (neat, legible and colorful)

1-10 points

• Conventions (correct punctuation, mechanics, usage/spelling and grammar)

1-10 points

Total Points Available: 50 points