eighth grade

The Magazine Publishers of America tell us:

    Today's teenagers reflect a diverse and complicated cross-section of attitudes,
    ethnicities, and perspectives. They are being bombarded by more information
    from more media sources than any group of teens in history. Because they are
    exposed to constant advertising their entire lives, today's teens really form brand
opinions that will continue to influence their purchase decisions into their adults
years

Besides representing a new baby-boom, today's teenagers have an income that enables discretionary spending. But that's not all. According to Teen People, teenagers' influence on purchases made by other people - such as parents and grandparents - represents an even larger amount of spending than is their own.*

The purpose of this class is to look at media literacy and how it affects teens. Students will look at marketing and marketing techniques and then use them to design their own products and packaging promotions. Hopefully they will become more conscientious consumers as they grow into adults.

*Paxson, Peyton. Media Literacy: Thinking Critically about Advertising. Portland, MA: J. Weston Walch Pub., 2002

Introduction
Product Quiz

Marketing - What Is It

Marketing Strategies / "Scrapbook"

Promotional Pens

Marketing Fair

Marketing Selection (Rough draft of survey questions)

Putting Together Survey for General Product

Correlate Survey Results & Write Paper
                   Indicating Final Product Results

Decide on Company Name, Logo and
              Slogan; Draw Package Design

Complete the Actual Package

Review Design Principles

Create and Print a Business Card for Your Company

Create a Commercial and Brochure for Your Product

View Commercials

Course Content

During this class you will be studying advertising as a means of teaching critical thinking skills and, hopefully, have some fun along the way. Young people spend most of their income on heavily advertised consumer goods and services and, therefore, are especially attractive to advertisers. Teenagers begin to develop life-long habits and brand loyalties and so are carefully studied by advertisers. We will look at various marketing techniques with the intent to make you more informed consumers.

All assignments are expected to be turned in on time. For the major advertising project you will be working in teams. I expect both, or all, partners to do his/her fair share of the work. The major paper is an individual assignment.

The paper is a 5 paged, typed, homework format, work summarizing what you have done and learned in class. It should cover the following: what do we mean by media literacy; the basics of marketing; marketing strategies and how they work; how these strategies were incorporated into your project; what did you learn about how advertising affects you; do you think you will be a more conscientious consumer in the future?