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Persuasive Writing
Commercial Style


Teacher Lesson

Subjects

  • Arts & Humanities
    Language Arts

Grades

3-5, 6-8

Brief Description

Students create persuasive TV commercials for common products.

Objectives

Students

  • work in cooperative groups (optional).
  • brainstorm product features and identify the most marketable uses.
  • write TV commercials to persuade consumers to buy products.
  • dramatize the commercials for videotaping.

Keywords

Advertise, advertisement, persuade, persuasive, essay, writing, TV, commercial, media, marketing, consumer, store, shop

Materials Needed

  • a list of commonly used products
  • video camera

Lesson Plan

Discuss with students the concept and purpose of persuasive writing. Discuss -- and watch, if possible -- TV commercials that are particularly persuasive. Ask: What aspect of each commercial, such as words, images, creative dialogue, or spokesperson, is most effective in persuading consumers?

Invite students to work on their own, or organize them into groups of four or five. Provide each student or group with the name of a commonly used household item, such as soap, shampoo, or toothpaste. Allow students time to brainstorm new uses for their products; than ask them to write commercials aimed at persuading others to buy their products.

Give students several days to work on their projects. On the second day, ask students to come to school prepared to act out their commercials. Videotape the dramatizations. When all the commercials have been videotaped, watch them together. Talk about the different techniques students used to get their messages across.

Lesson Notes

  • Students might focus on a particular type of product. For example, each student might "invent" and write advertising for a new cereal product.
  • Students might work with actual products, or they might invent and create the product and packaging for a new product they would like to market.

Assessment

Students observe each commercial and offer positive feedback and thoughtful critique. Videotaping the commercials also allows time for self-assessment.

Submitted By

Tara Snider, Albertville Elementary School, Albertville, Alabama

Originally published 06/07/2002
Last updated 06/16/2008



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