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Lesson Plan

A Smarter Consumer from Admongo.gov by Federal Trade Commission


Subject

English Language Arts (2005)

Grade Levels

Intermediate, 5th Grade, 6th Grade


Description

Everywhere you look, you see advertisements - not just on TV and online, but on buses, buildings, and scoreboards. Many ads target kids ages 8 to 12. Do your students have the critical thinking skills to understand ads, what they're saying, and what they want kids to do? This lesson from Admongo.gov asks students to reflect on how understanding ads helps them make better buying decisions and be smarter consumers.

Website(s)

Admongo.gov
Admongo: A Smarter Consumer
Federal Trade Commission

Objective

  • Students will test their ad literacy skills and see how understanding ads can help them make smarter buying decisions.

Materials

Prior to the Lesson

Admongo.gov teaches kids to apply critical thinking skills through a series of fun and challenging interactive games. The site is the foundation of the entire program. As a result, have your students explore it before you use the curriculum in your classroom. For a quick overview of the site, visit the text version here.

Lesson

  1. Review with students what they have learned about advertising. If needed, use the glossary to review key terms.

  2. Ask students to talk about how they might look at ads differently now. Invite students to share how they might respond differently when they see an ad (e.g., they might decide they don't agree with what the advertiser says).

  3. Instruct students to think about some of the questions they may ask themselves about an ad before they decide to buy or ask for a product. If students are stuck, ask them to think about the following questions:

    • How much do they know about the actual product?
    • What do other people who used the product think of it?
    • Does the product fit in their budget?
    • Where else can they find information about the product?

  4. Encourage students to keep these and other questions in mind when they are looking at an ad. It will help them make smarter buying decisions.

Wrap-up

  • Test your students' ad literacy skills with the Ad Literacy Quiz.
  • Answers:
    • 1. B
    • 2. C
    • 3. A
    • 4. B
    • 5. D
    • 6. C
    • 7. A
    • 8. Ads help pay for free TV shows, radio stations, and websites;
    • 9. To sell their products and services;
    • 10. Answers will vary, but may include: it is important to educate people about advertising in order to make them smarter consumers.

Content Provider

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, has launched a campaign to teach kids about advertising. The campaign has four components: a game-based website, Admongo.gov; sample ads that can be used in the classroom; a free curriculum, developed with the assistance of Scholastic, Inc.; and teacher training videos.

The focus of the program is to equip students in grades 5 and 6 with the critical thinking skills they need to be smarter consumers. The critical thinking skills taught while analyzing commercial messages will help them evaluate non-commercial messages, including editorial content and literature.


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