Analyzing Ads

6th Grade English/Language Arts

Grade Level/Subject:

Standards Targeted: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.3

Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is
introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g.,
through examples or anecdotes).
Goal Statement:

Why is it important for students to learn this? The goal of

this lesson is to introduce students to the skill of reading
advertisements. The lesson allows students to learn how
and why advertisers choose certain techniques to reach a
certain target audience. When students can analyze
advertisements, they gain skill sets to help with their future
analysis of literary and informational texts.

Objectives:

The Learner Will:

Understand techniques used in advertisements.

Trace and evaluate a multimodal text for the
purposes of understanding an authors motivation
Discover the importance of the use of certain
techniques to entice or convince a reader.
Complete a graphic organizer to demonstrate
understanding of an authors motivations, and
development of ideas are expressed in an
advertisement.

Multimodal Text/Resource:

Materials Needed:

Buick Advertisement: YouTube Link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvVNY2YC5zI
Nintendo Wii Advertisement: YouTube Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQC5JyM4KHA
Samsung Galaxy Active Advertisement: YouTube link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrFypWKsHOo
McDonalds Working Together Advertisement:
YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=kZCbvpJ4O6c
Kings Island Advertisement: YouTube Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJcCMeDo-KA
Materials are listed:

Computer and projector for teachers to display five

advertisements from YouTube

Group sets of Ad Technique Cards

5 Commercial Sheets (one set for each group)
What Is an Ad Saying Worksheet
Large Envelopes (Put a set of Ad Technique Cards
and 5 commercial sheets in each envelope)
Magazines (Different Varieties)
Pens, Pencils, Markers, Colored Pencils
Notebooks for Journal Writing

Lesson Outline:
Introduction: Today we will be analyzing advertisements and their
purposes for the audience that reads them. What types of
advertisement do we see every day in our lives?
Procedures:
Part 1
1) Activate students prior knowledge allowing students to answer the
types of advertisement they see every day. (Commercials,
billboards, social media ads, etc.)
2) Connect to students understanding by informing them that when
they look at advertisements, they are actually reading. Also let
them know that the people who create the advertisements are like
authors because they want their audience to comprehend what they
are creating. Tell students that they can analyze and interpret
advertisements similar to the way that they analyze and interpret a
reading passage or story.
3) Place students into small groups. There should be no more than 5
students in each group.
4) Tell students that they will be looking at five different commercial
advertisements. Their job is to evaluate which ad techniques the
authors are using in the advertisement. Tell students that there may
be more than one technique that the authors are using to convince
their audience.
5) Before you begin the first commercial, pass out the Ad Technique
Cards and the Ad Commercial Sheets. These should be in the
large envelopes. There should be one for each group. Give students
5-10 minutes to read over each of the ad techniques in their groups.
6) Have groups lay out the 5 commercial sheets on their desks.
7) Play the first television commercial
8) Once the students have watched the ad 2-3 times, they should
place the ad technique card that fits the advertisement. There will
be more than one ad technique for each commercial. Not all ad
technique cards will be used.

9) Repeat the process for each of the commercials. Be sure to play

each commercial 2-3 times so that the groups can thoroughly
evaluate and discuss the commercial.
10) When all five commercials are watched and evaluated. Go
through each commercial with the groups to see what ad
techniques they labeled. Discuss with the groups what part of the
commercial made them conclude the ad techniques they chose.
Part 2
11) Place students in groups of 2.
12) Pass out magazines for each group and the What is an Ad
Saying Worksheet.
13) Students need to look through the magazines, and find examples
of ads for two different kinds of products. Label them Ad #1 and Ad
#2.
14) Pairs should cut the ads out of the magazine and attach it to the
What is an Ad Saying worksheet upon completion.
15) Check off the techniques used in each ad. (Be sure to display the
Ad Technique Cards on the board so students can refer to the
definitions of each type of technique.
16) When students are finished, they can share their newspaper ads
and techniques with the rest of the groups.
Part 3
17) Next, group pairs will complete a writing activity using the same
ads from part 2 of this lesson.
18) Look at the techniques used in both ads.
19) In their journal notebooks, students will write a short Compare
and Contrast essay about each ad and its techniques.
20) Students will used the following questions to help guide their
essays:
a. What is the ad for and what techniques does it use?
b. Why does the ad use these techniques?
c. Based on the techniques used, what does each ad want you to
think about the product? Is the ad successful?
d. How are the ads similar?
e. How are the ads different?
f. If you created each ad using different techniques, which
techniques would you use and why?
21) When students are finished, they should attach their essay, the
two ads and their charts, which can be collected and graded.

Differentiation/Modifications:
Students who may struggle can be placed in groups with
students be placed in heterogeneous groups with students who
excel. Also, Students with IEP/504 accommodations will work
closely in groups with the Intervention Specialist. The entire
lesson is differentiated with various instructional strategies
including, partner and group activities, discussions, guided
instruction, and the use of visual/multimedia experiences.

Assessment:

This is a performance task, and students will be assessed on

their ability to properly compare and contrast the ads and the
techniques of the authors. They will also be assessed on their
writing products and abilities to work with a partner to create the
final assignment.

Extensions:

An extension to this lesson can be a creative project

Part 4:
Students can be placed in groups and choose a product in the
classroom and create and 1-3 minute advertisement of the
product. They need to use at least 3 of the ad techniques they
learned about, and their advertisements must be appealing to
their audience. Groups can even record their advertisements if
they choose.