Video Link

Google doc: Video subtitles with citations

PDF: Video subtitles with citations

Write-up

Explanation:

The stage of Piaget that this is based around is the formal operational stage, which is the final stage of the Cognitive Development Theory. This formal operational stage is the highest level of adult reasoning/thinking according to Piaget, and in this stage they are able to understand abstract concepts, have deductive reasoning, a concept of justice, and are able to do hypothesis testing (Cognitive Development, 1995). This activity is appropriate for this age group, because they are able to think creatively and critically about how to make an advertisement to showcase their product. A child in the formal operational stage would be able to internalize my explanation because I gave a lot of relatable examples to the concepts and didn't use complex language that would make it hard to understand. Not only this, but I think hearing/learning about this from someone that isn't necessarily seen as an "adult" will encourage them to want to listen or learn more about the topic.

Activity Idea:

This activity was found and borrowed from the site "Teachers Pay Teachers" by Addie Williams, and was recommended for children in 6th-8th grade. I thought this was a perfect activity, because this is exactly the age range that we are aiming to teach and I'm not going to questions the professionals! Also, this would activity is a good way for the children to think about the construction of media messages and the different building blocks that can be used.

Foreseeable Issues:

The only foreseeable difficulty that I could see children having grasping the concepts presented in the video is that the examples I give may not be relatable to everyone. Just because Tiktok is popular for this age group, doesn't mean that everyone has one or has access to one. So this is why whoever is helping the child with this activity, needs to follow up after the assessment portion to really make sure that they are grasping the learning objectives. Also the activity is pretty lengthy, and in a school setting I think would be done over the course of 1-2 days. So this may be hard for the child to come up with a product and an ad all in a short amount of time. Also, I recorded this video outside so there may be background noise that could be a little distracting.

Lesson Plans

Learning Objectives:

• To understand that all media messages are "constructed" (Center for Media Literacy, 2005).

• Being creative in creating their own persuasive-styled media messages through making an ad.

• Learning more about the author can help you understand the motivation behind the creation of a media message.

• To learn about different advertising techniques, and applying them to "real life" examples.

• When in doubt, ask questions and think critically about the media messages you encounter.

Project Materials:

Here is a downloadable link to the activity we will be doing:

Google doc: Create your own ad (Williams, n.d.).

PDF: Create your own ad (Williams, n.d.).

If you are not able to print it out, all you would need is paper (lined, construction, plain white or any kind of paper works) and a pen/pencil to follow along with the activity! It is optional to have a smart-phone on hand to get creative as to how you are going to make your advertisement, but it is not mandatory!

Activity Procedure:

All the detailed instructions are in the link above, but for your activity you will be creating your own advertisement!

First you will need to invent a new product you want to sell; this could be a new app, gadget, a unique food, a clothing brand, etc.

Next you will construct and design your ad; whether is be a newspaper article, a Tiktok ad, or an Instagram post! And just a reminder that you don't actually have to post anything online, this is just to get your creative mind working! But you also need to think about how you will create this ad to cater to the audience you want, and use two of the advertising techniques listed in the activity!

Then you will provide a written explanation answering questions like why you invented that particular product, who your target audience was, and why you chose certain advertising techniques. This is just a brief explanation, but if you need more details they are all in the activity (Williams, n.d.).

Assessment:

The assessment portion of the activity will be the written explanation where they will be answering questions about their ad. Have an open discussion if there is some confusion over this core concept, and talk about relatable media messages you encounter on a daily basis (advertisements and social media are good examples). And that learning more about how media messages are constructed can give you a better understanding of why they were created. If they grasp this concept, then you know they learned something new! No answer key needed!

Takeaway:

Down below is a QR code that summarizes the main points of this concept, that you can scan on your phone through your camera app. And if you aren't able, here are viewable links that you can download or print out!

Google doc: Link to the takeaways (Center for Media Literacy, 2005).

PDF: Link to the takeaways (Center for Media Literacy, 2005).

If for some reason the links above do not work, they are inserted below in order of which they appeared on the page!