The goal of this lesson is to introduce students to bias and exaggeration in both print and media advertisements.

• Observe students during the lesson and review their work to evaluate their ability to do the following:
  • understand the concepts of bias and exaggeration in advertisements
  • identify bias and exaggeration in advertisements
  • Provide feedback to students about their level of understanding of the concepts.

Focus Question: How are bias and exaggeration used in advertising?

Ask students to recall examples of popular commercials for a common product, such as cereal, athletic shoes, or technological equipment. Ask, “What do you remember about this commercial? What stands out the most?” Responses will vary depending on the commercials—there may be a celebrity, a funny story, a dramatic event, a song, etc. Ask, “What is the purpose of any commercial?” (to get consumers to buy the product). Help students see that while advertisers can use a variety of methods to make a commercial interesting, the goal is always the same: a sale.

Part 1

Define the terms exaggeration (an overstatement or stretching the truth) and bias (a judgment based on a personal point of view).

Tell students that you are going to show them a TV commercial and their job is to watch the commercial and see if they can find examples of exaggeration and bias.

Show students a cereal commercial, such as the one found at http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7Zqd/kelloggs-raisin-bran-dad

You may wish to show the commercial more than once. Have students discuss the commercial with a partner and then share their opinions with the entire class. Ask, “What examples of bias or exaggeration are in the commercial?” (Examples of bias: The daughter’s comment implies that Mom makes decisions about what family members eat. Example of exaggeration: Eating cereal protects heart health.)

Ask, “What does the maker of this commercial hope to achieve with the use of bias and exaggeration?” (to convince people to buy the cereal) Say, “In almost any commercial, the author’s purpose is to persuade. Exaggeration and bias are two methods the author can use to accomplish this purpose.”

Ask students to discuss some of the commercials they identified at the beginning of the lesson and recall any use of bias and exaggeration to sell the products.

Part 2

In preparation, choose a print ad targeted for kids (see suggested sources in the Materials section). Ads for foods, toys/games, and technology will work well. Mount the advertisement on chart paper. As an alternative, have students view an online version of the advertisement.

Place the students in small groups and give the groups an opportunity to study the advertisement. Then ask the groups to answer this question: “What examples of exaggeration and bias can you find in the ad? What else does the advertiser do to make you want to buy the product?” Have the groups write down what they discover.

After the groups have completed the task, discuss their responses as a class. As students identify examples of exaggeration and bias in the advertisement, draw lines to the examples and label them or create a list of examples on the chart paper. Make sure students explain why their example shows exaggeration or bias.

Students can identify additional ways the advertiser tries to make people buy the product. These can vary greatly, but may include the use of graphics and color, the use of emotional appeal (e.g., family togetherness, people smiling as they use the product), special offers (e.g., coupons), and facts or statistics (e.g., percentage of people who get results or how much of a vitamin or mineral is in the product).

Display the labeled advertisement or list of examples for students’ reference.

Part 3

Provide old magazines or photocopies of advertisements for students to use. Have them choose an advertisement and mount it on poster board. Then ask them to identify and label examples of exaggeration or bias. Have students discuss their work with a partner. Encourage them to make changes to their work at this time if they feel that it is necessary.

Ask students to display their work on their desk. Have students take a “Gallery Walk” around the classroom to view other students’ ads and review the examples of exaggeration and bias in the ads.

Bring students back together. Say, “As you can see, exaggeration and bias can take many forms and can be found in ads for a variety of products. We can see how these techniques are used and we know the purpose for using them. Why is it important for consumers to be aware of bias and exaggeration in advertising?” Give students time to respond. Guide students to conclude the following reasons:

• People shouldn’t buy a product just because the ad says it is great.
• People should find out the facts about a product before they buy it.
• Advertisements can be deceiving, and people should really think about what an ad is saying.

Say, “Knowing how bias and exaggeration work can help us make better decisions and understand an author’s true motives.”

Extension:

• Students who are ready to go beyond the standard may create an advertisement for a favorite product. Have students choose an item, such as a food, a game, or a tool. Challenge them to make two different advertisements for the product—one ad without any exaggeration or bias in it and another ad that uses exaggeration and bias. Allow students to choose to create either a TV commercial or print advertisement for their product.
• Students who need additional opportunities for learning can work with a partner or small group to examine a collection of advertisements that contain exaggeration or bias. Have students identify examples of each technique in the advertisements.