Title – Understanding Political Advertising

By – Kathryne McKissock

Primary Subject – Language Arts

Secondary Subjects – Social Studies

Grade Level – 9-12

Subject:

Political Ads – The Power of Word and Image

Concept / Topic To Teach:

Persuasive techniques commonly used in political advertising.

Standards Addressed:

North Carolina Standard Course of Study – English I
• Competency Goal 4 – The learner will create and use standards to critique communication.
  
• Competency Goal 3 – The learner will examine argumentation and develop informed opinions.

General Goal(s):

• Students will learn to recognized common techniques used in political advertising to become more critically aware viewers/citizens.
• These activities encourage critical thinking and analysis skills as well as employing creativity, teamwork, public speaking, and persuasive writing.

Specific Objectives:

1. The student will be able to explain various techniques used in political advertising.
   
2. The student will be able to analyze the target audience, techniques, and message used in real ads.
   
3. The student will be able to work cooperatively and produce a persuasive ad using verbal and non-verbal techniques.

Required Materials:

• handout – List of political ad techniques with explanations. This material was created by Esther Thorson and titled “Ad-Watcher’s Toolkit” and was previously published on the following PBS websites:
  
  www.pbs.org/pov/ad/ads/toolkit_list.html
  
  
  
  www.pbs.org/pov/pov1996/takingonthekennedys/dissect.html
  
• laptop cart
  
• handout – planning sheet for group ad
  
• data projector with sound and Internet access
  
• video camera (optional)

Anticipatory Set (Lead-In):

• Students will view the Lyndon Johnson 1968 “Daisy” ad.
  
• The teacher will solicit responses concerning effectiveness and speculation on why they believe the ad was censored.

Step-By-Step Procedures:

1. Class will discuss the power of advertising to influence voter opinion.
   • We will compare/contrast commercial ads to political ads.
   • The class will discuss ads they remember from the recent 2008 presidential election.
   • We will discuss what is meant by “negative advertising” and our opinions of its legitimacy and effectiveness.
   • We will then collectively brainstorm a list of the different tools of persuasion available in a television ad (spoken and written words, images, music, sound, symbols, psychological techniques, etc).
   • We will discuss why knowledge of these techniques is beneficial.

2. Class will go over the techniques on the handout sheet and discuss each. These include:
   • candidate mythologies
     
   • background locations
     
   • props
     
   • clothing
     
   • sound/music
     
   • editing/ camera use
     
   • facial shots
     
   • emotional appeals
     
   • depicted actions
     
   • supers, code words, loaded language

3. With the data projector, class will visit
   
   www.livingroomcandidate.org
   
   to see and discuss several famous political ads from the past. Ads shared with class include:
   • Johnson -
     
     The Daisy Ad
     
     
   • Carter -
     
     Southerner
     
     
   • McCain -
     
     Dr. No
     
     
   • McCain -
     
     Service To America
     
     
   • Obama -
     
     The Low Road
     
     
   • Obama -
     
     Country I Love
     

4. Class will divide into pairs and use laptops to find specific examples of each technique listed on the sheet. The class will come back together to share one specific example for each technique. We will rate the effectiveness of the ads we watch.

5. For independent practice as homework, each student will select one ad to analyze in its entirety. The student will write a one-page analysis of the techniques used. This should also include an evaluation of the ad’s persuasiveness.

6. Students will form small groups to plan a political ad for president of the student body. They will work to incorporate techniques to create an original and persuasive ad around one central theme. If time permits, students may be allowed to prepare their ad for videotaping or presentation. If this is the case, special effects in the plan will have to be kept to a minimum.

7. Groups may present their plan or their video ads to the class.

Closure (Reflect Anticipatory Set):

Class will write a half-page response to the prompt: “

What every voter should know about political advertising

.”

Assessment Based On Objectives:

• Students will take a quiz in which they will explain each of the elements we have studied concerning political ads. This can be structured as a more challenging short answer test or as a matching test.
  
• Both tests should include a free response question in which students evaluate a political ad chosen at random.

Adaptations (For Students With Learning Disabilities):

• Much of this unit is done in whole-class, paired, or small group instruction. Students with learning disabilities can be paired with a helpful partner.
  
• The independent ad analysis can be altered to be question/answer format instead of essay. These students may be assigned an ad that has been previously discussed in class instead of having them work with a new one.

Extensions (For Gifted Students):

These students may be assigned to research what new advertising trends emerged in the 2008 campaign and the possible effects it had on voter turnout and results.

Possible Connections To Other Subjects:

This unit may be taught as part of English, civics, public speaking, or media studies. It makes an excellent unit to be used with team teaching.

E-Mail

Kathryne McKissock

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