Media Literacy: Thinking Critically
A good place to start teaching critical thinking skills about media is to have your students look at print or television advertisements. All advertisements work in this way:
- First, the ad grabs your attention with techniques like bright colors, big text, a catchy tune, or a celebrity appearance.
- Next, the ad makes you feel like you lack something, usually the lifestyle that they are showing such as a warm, sunny beach or a carefree relationship.
- Then, the ad sells you their product since you can't buy the lifestyle itself. If you see a woman in jeans riding a horse and laughing, you probably can't buy a horse or find the free time to ride it, but you can buy the jeans.
Pass out magazines or bring in a series of TV commercials that you can rewind. For younger students, use these questions to guide discussion:
- Who created this ad?
- What grabs your attention?
- What lifestyle are they selling you?
- Will buying the product really get you that lifestyle?
For older students, use the AD IT UP© method to start a discussion:
A uthor: Who created this message?
D irected toward: Who is the audience for the ad?
I deas: What ideas or emotions does this image connect to the product?
T echniques: What techniques are used to attract your attention?
U nspoken: What is not said in this ad?
P roduction: If you were the advertiser for this product, how would you advertise it?
© AD IT UP method established by Brian Primack, MD, EdM
Next: Knowing how media is created
See Media Literacy Lesson Plans
Return to Teachers' Homepage
 CMCH resources for parents and teachers are made possible
by a grant from the American Legion Child Welfare Foundation.
|
