Advertising Analysis

As a 7th-grade English teacher, I had an opportunity to craft a curriculum that emphasized not only creative writing (poetry and short stories) and literature study, but also media literacy.  We took apart display advertisments in magazines and television commercials, discovering how they use psychological techniques to redefine the products being marketed.  Students then created their own products, brands, packaging, and advertising campaigns.   On Open School Night, I ran the same  TV Commercial analysis activity with parents that their students engaged in, and they were horrified at ways their children were being manipulated.  These things are out in front of us, but until we learn to think analytically, we may not notice.