Teaching about TV advertisements – A

project on healthy snacks

Ms Fiona Wong, Ms Zita Cheng, Mr Sam Ho

NLSI Lui Kwok Pat Fong College

School background

CMI school Students are creative and talented but….. their achievement in English doesn’t

match that in other subjects, so….. enriching the English environment is a

high priority for the school and….. infusing language arts into the junior

secondary curriculum is one way in which this is being done

Why this project in S3?

began two years ago students had to do a cross-curricular

project teachers wanted to combine Home Ec

and English textbook had Healthy Eating chapter TV ads a new idea – students can learn

some Language Arts features of jingles, slogans and packaging, as well as some advertising strategies

presentation more interesting for inter-class competition

Extra curricular programme

Project work

Classroom teachingLessons on features of TV

advertising

Group project and class competition

Inter-class competition for

English Week

Poems and SongsKnowledge Different types of poems (eg

haiku, acrostic, shape poem, sonnet) Poetic features (eg rhyme,

rhythm, simile, metaphor, alliteration)

Skills Appreciating, responding, Creating, performing

Popular CultureKnowledge Pop culture text types (movies,

advertisements, comic strips) Features of those text types

(language, style, format , target audience, use of images)

Skills Responding, creating Presentation skills

DramaKnowledge Features of a drama script or

screenplay Drama vocabulary (audience,

stage, costumes)Skills Acting skills:- showing feeling

with voice, gesture, movement Team interaction Writing a script or screenplay

Fiction / Short StoriesKnowledge Story elements (eg plot,

characters) Major features (openings,

closings, dialogue, creating mood) Skills Analysing and appreciating

stories Storytelling Writing stories or completing a

given beginning or outline Character analysis

Tasks Language Arts skills and

knowledge

Target language

Students learn about healthy eating in the Home Economics class and design a healthy snack

Vocabulary for ingredients

In English lessons, they learn about the features of slogans, jingles and TV advertisements

rhymealliterationrepetitionAdvertising strategies in TV advertisementsCreating impact with images and wordsBasic drama skills

Vocabulary related to marketingPersuasive languageThey design a slogan,

jingle and TV advertisement for their product

Overview

Features of packaging The colour, design and wording

should attract the target consumers of the product and suggest something about the product’s “selling point”

The name and packaging may contain special features, eg alliteration or play on words (pun)

This is quite common in advertising, but difficult for students to replicate

Jingles and slogans

Should be short and memorable

May contain rhyming words puns alliteration

Be ________. Do it ________.Obey traffic lights.

right

bright

TV Advertising strategies Using humour Using an image which shocks or

surprises, but is memorable Using famous people Using “science” to scare/reassure Suggesting the product will solve a

problem – and also make life better in general

Using images of beautiful, rich people in glamorous settings

Using references to current events, “hot topics” etc.

Integration into the teaching schedule

Number of lessons Textbook teaching (Healthy lifestyles)

8 lessons Project 18 single lessons – 2 cycles

(may take longer according to the class)

1. Introduction

Students….. watch a clip from “Jamie’s school

dinners” in which children refuse to eat healthy food.

discuss good ways to persuade children to eat more healthily.

raise the idea of marketing healthy snacks

2. Packaging

Students….. identify features of packaging. evaluate examples of packaging of

snacks (candies, chocolate bars, cookies, etc.) which they have collected

work in pairs/groups to make a name, ingredients and design a package for their product

Features of packaging

Evaluating packaging

3. Advertising strategies

Students…… watch a TV commercial as an

introduction to highlight the different features, slogan, jingle, advertising strategy, etc.

read a passage about the techniques used in TV commercials and answer comprehension questions

watch and evaluate a selection of TV advertisements

TV Advertisements

4. Slogans and jingles

Students…. listen to/read some jingles. identify examples of rhyme,

rhythm and alliteration. (Word plays are also used sometimes)

work on a slogan and/or jingle for their own product

Slogans and jingles

Language

features

5. Storyboard

Students watch an example of a student

product (advertisement) look at an example of a storyboard

of the same advertisement draft storyboards for their own

advertisements.

Students’ response to the teaching part

Benefits Students can get

ideas about types of strategies to use

They learn some English jingles and slogans

They learn the features of these

Difficulties Not familiar with

vocab about healthy lifestyle (eg vitamins, fibre etc)

Time constraint Drama skills Getting suitable

advertisements for showing in class

Changes for this year

Add drama skills for one or two lessons Find more up-to-date advertisements! Change of timing to include CNY holiday

– students have more time to work on their videos

Worksheets compiled as a booklet, so students can keep it for their reference

Students present their products and advertisements in class

Peer evaluation is conducted The best presentations and

advertisements are chosen for the inter-class competition in English Week.

From project to performance

Preparation for performance

Benefits Students are very

motivated to perform well

Enables them to use their IT skills in the context of English

The only time they want to speak English in front of others

Difficulties Some students

have stage fright Lack of basic drama

skills Students like to

make last minute changes

For weaker classes, coaching in pronunciation is needed

Holding the competition (Learning from painful experience!)

First time difficulties No hall rehearsal Timing was a problem Technical problems

Second time improvements Rehearsal time allocated Improvement in technical aspects

Third time?

Students’ products

Ham: protein, calcium ,

Ham: protein, calcium ,

phosphorous, iron and fat

phosphorous, iron and fat

Iceberg lettuce :Iceberg lettuce :Vitamins and fibreVitamins and fibre

Corn: carbohydrate ,

Corn: carbohydrate ,

protein,protein,fibre, vitamins

fibre, vitamins

Space Pudding

2006

Honey Tofu

S3 students’ work

“No Sweat” storyboard

2007

Power JellyPower Jelly

Students’ responses

What did they enjoy most?

What was difficult?

Feelings about the teaching materials

Choice of presentation – live action or video?

Impact on students

Motivates them to produce something in English

Motivating for boys – can use IT skills

Can draw the attention of students in other year groups if they see the performances

Students gain confidence in presenting their ideas

Project assessment

Assessment of project work by teacher using rubric

Teacher’s feedback in project booklet

Self and peer evaluation Competition adjudicators’

scoresheet and “audience award”

S3 project assessment rubric

The packaging is attractiveand carefully done. The designis suitable for the target audience.The packaging gives additionalinformation about the product

peer assessment

project booklet

audience awards

ResourcesMaterials from this project available on our website: http://cd1.edb.hkedcity.net/cd/languagesupport/res

ource/English/26_healthy_snacks/index.htmMaterials about TV ads http://www.teachit.co.uk/index.asp?CurrMenu

=132&T=411#411Other websites with TV commercials: www.youtube.com www.thebesttvcommercials.com (mainly US) www.visit4info.com (mainly UK) www.funnyplace.org (international)