High School In Focus - Unit 4
LESSON 4.6 - Highlighting Opportunities
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT:
Commercials are everywhere. On tv, of course, but even more so on your phone. Just about anything that you try to do, there’s someone there trying to tell you about some kind of great opportunity that’s waiting for you just one click away. These claims are often overblown at best, or outright scams at worst, but they’re still using the same techniques that have been used in putting together commercials since the tv hit the scene back in the ’30s.
Today, the students are going to begin by watching a selection of the most effective commercials from years past You may select these yourself, or there are three provided below:
After each commercial, talk with the students about what was effective in each commercial. What did they use to sell their product? What information were they trying to convey? What did they want you to think about their brand?
DIGGING IN:
Today, the students will begin creating their own commercial. This will be a multi-period project that the students will work on in small groups. The students’ commercials will be for a specific program offered at their high school: the local career center.
Student groups should be 3-4
depending on class size. Of course, multiple groups will be working on
commercials for the same program, but this is okay. Their commercials will all be different and commercial marketing space is quite competitive by nature anyway.
Explain that the goal of their commercials is to share information about these programs and that in doing so they need to consider six different components of an effective commercial:
1. Audience
Each group needs to consider who their message is for and tailor the ad for them. This does NOT need to be said IN the
commercial, but it is something that needs to be decided upon before creating it.
2. Engagement
Commercials are short by their very nature. You have to grab your audience’s attention quickly. Sometimes people do this with humor. Sometimes with action. With celebrities, cute animals, babies, etc. Student groups need to incorporate engagement into their commercial.
3. Style
Nobody wants to buy from or listen to a drab, monotone talking head. Commercials on tv use quick cuts and color to bring style into the mix. Students should think about how they can break up their ads and keep the audience on their toes with style.
4. Story
Human beings have a natural tendency to invest in a story. Advertisers use this to their benefit by making commercials that tell a story with a beginning, middle and end. Students should think about how they can incorporate story into their commercials.
5. Information
Information is why students are doing this project, so it should be a MAJOR part of their commercials. Still, students should be thinking about how best to organize and present the right information for their audience.
6. Action
Commercials often include an action step in their message, and students should consider this as well. It’s great for an audience to learn about a new product or service, but if at the end of it all they’re all thinking, “Now what?” it was all for naught.
INTO ACTION:
Pass out the Commercial Checklist sheet to all students. Divide the class into commercial groups and explain that student commercials should be two minutes long. They will be presented in front of the class, and all students in a group are responsible for participating in both the creation and presentation of the commercial.
The programs for which the students will be creating ads for are their local career center. Students can find information about each of these in their high school’s curriculum handbook. Additional information can be found on the internet on their local career center’s website or curriculum guide. Local examples might include:
​
Muncie Area Career
Website: https://macc.muncie.k12.in.us/
Course Guide: https://macc.muncie.k12.in.us/departments/cte/course-guide
​
Grant Regional Career Center
Website: https://grcc.marion.k12.in.us/
Course Guide: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sH-dG_LBH95bWBYnKhxcN22hMVh2F5Wj/view
The students should have ample time to begin developing a plan for their commercial and researching their program during this period. Research, writing and rehearsal can continue into the next day. Presentations can happen on the third day, or students can be afforded more time to finish their commercial project if necessary.