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Lesson: Brands and Mascots

This lesson introduces students to the ways in which advertisers use mascots to make consumers feel a particular way about their brands. Working from ads taken from different media, students discuss how food ad mascots are created and for what purpose. Students then will create their own mascot to help understand how mascots communicate the “personality” of a brand.

Grade range: 4-6

Teacher Material: https://textbook.mediasmarts.ca/discoveringstudent/chapter/food-ad-mascots/

Student Material: https://textbook.mediasmarts.ca/discovering/chapter/food-ad-mascots/

Time Frame

One class period (45-60 minutes) Two or three class periods (90-120 minutes)  
Activities  

Food Ad Mascots

My Ad Mascot

 

 

Food Ad Mascots

My Ad Mascot

Gallery Walk

 

 

 

Preparation:

Make sure that students are able to access the interactive activities.

If you wish to use the printed handouts instead of the interactive activities, download and photocopy them:

Gallery Walk

My Ad Mascot

A printable version of this lesson is available at https://mediasmarts.ca/lessonplan/looking-food-advertising-lesson.

Learning Outcomes

Big ideas/key concepts: Students will understand that…

Media have commercial considerations

  • Companies use brand mascots to sell their products
  • Mascots make us feel like brands are our friends

Each medium is a unique aesthetic form

  • Character designs communicate character

Key questions:

  • Why do brands use mascots?
  • How do brands make mascots seem like our friends?

Essential knowledge: Students will know…

  • Consumer awareness: Techniques to promote brand identity and develop parasocial relationships

Performance tasks: Students will be able to…

  • Use: Make a mascot that reflects their knowledge and understanding of advertising techniques
  • Understand: Analyze how brands use mascots to build a brand identity and build parasocial relationships
  • Engage: Identify and critique advertising techniques

 

Curriculum Connections

 

Strand A: Literacy Connections and Applications

A1 Transferable Skills

A1.2 Student Agency and Engagement

evaluate and explain how transferable skills help them express their voice, be engaged in their learning, and plan the next steps to develop their capabilities and potential

A2 Digital Media Literacy

A2.4 Forms, Conventions, and Techniques

demonstrate an understanding of the forms, conventions, and techniques of digital and media texts, consider the impact on the audience, and apply this understanding when analyzing and creating texts

A2.5 Media, Audience and Production

demonstrate an understanding of the interrelationships between the form, message, and context of texts, the intended audience, and the purpose for production

A2.6 Innovation and Design

select and use appropriate digital and media tools to support the design process and address authentic, relevant, real-world problems by developing innovative solutions

A3 Applications, Connections, and Contributions

A3.1 Cross-Curricular and Integrated Learning

explain how the knowledge and skills developed in this grade support learning in various subject areas and in everyday life, and describe how they enhance understanding and communication

 

Strand C: Comprehension: Understanding and Responding to Texts

C1 Knowledge About Texts

C1.1 Using Foundational Knowledge and Skills to Comprehend Texts

read and comprehend various texts, using knowledge of words, grammar, cohesive ties, sentence structures, and background knowledge

C1.2 Text Forms and Genres

Grades 4-5: describe some characteristics of various text forms and genres, including cultural text forms, and explain how they help communicate meaning

Grade 6: analyze a variety of text forms and genres, including cultural text forms, and explain how their characteristics help communicate meaning

C1.4 Visual Elements of Texts

Grades 4-5: explain how images, graphics, and visual design create, communicate, and contribute to meaning in a variety of texts

Grade 6: analyze and compare how images, graphics, and visual design create, communicate, and contribute to meaning in a variety of texts

C1.5 Elements of Style

Grade 4: identify various elements of style in texts, including voice, word choice, word patterns, and sentence structure, and analyze how each element helps create meaning and is appropriate for the text form and genre

Grade 5: describe various elements of style in texts, including voice, word choice, word patterns, and sentence structure, and analyze how each element helps create meaning and is appropriate for the text form and genre

Grade 6: identify various elements of style in texts, including voice, word choice, word patterns, and sentence structure, and analyze how each element helps create meaning and is appropriate for the text form and genre

C1.6 Point of View

Grades 4-5: identify the narrator’s point of view, including first, second, or third person, in a variety of texts, and describe the advantages and disadvantages of the approach used in each story

Grade 6: identify the narrator’s point of view, including first, second, or third person, in a variety of texts, providing evidence, and explain how using an alternative point of view would change each story

 

C3 Critical Thinking in Literacy

C3.2 Making Inferences

Grades 4-5: make local and global inferences, using explicit and implicit evidence, to extend their understanding of various texts

Grade 6: make local and global inferences, using explicit and implicit evidence, to develop interpretations about various texts and to extend their understanding

C3.3 Analyzing Texts

Grade 4: analyze various texts, including literary and informational texts, by identifying main and supporting ideas, sequencing the events of multiple plots, and explaining cause and effect

Grade 5: analyze various texts, including literary and informational texts, by identifying main and supporting ideas, sequencing the events of multiple plots, recording relevant information, and explaining cause and effect

Grade 6: analyze various texts, including literary and informational texts, by identifying main and supporting ideas, evaluating the quality of information and its relevance for a specific purpose, and formulating conclusions

C3.5 Perspectives within Texts

Grades 4-5: identify explicit and implicit perspectives communicated in various texts, explain how these perspectives are conveyed, give some evidence of any biases the texts may contain, and suggest how such biases could influence an audience

Grade 6: explain explicit and implicit perspectives communicated in various texts, including narrative texts, provide any evidence that could suggest bias in these perspectives, and suggest ways to avoid any such bias

C3.6 Analysis and Response

Grades 4-5: explain how various topics, such as diversity, inclusion, and accessibility, are addressed in texts, and describe what insights or messages are conveyed

Grade 6: explain how various topics, such as diversity, inclusion, and accessibility, are addressed in texts, analyze the insights or messages conveyed, and identify different positions presented

 

Strand D: Composition: Expressing Ideas and Creating Texts

D1. Developing Ideas and Organizing Content

D1.1 Purpose and Audience

identify the topic, purpose, and audience for various texts they plan to create, and explain why the chosen text form, genre, and medium suit the purpose and audience, and how they will help communicate the intended meaning

D1.2 Developing Ideas

generate and develop ideas and details about various topics, such as topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion and to other subject areas, using a variety of strategies, and drawing on various resources, including their own lived experiences

D2. Creating Texts

D2.1 Producing Drafts

Grades 4-5: draft texts of various forms and genres, including narrative, persuasive, and informational texts, using a variety of media, tools, and strategies

Grade 6: draft complex texts of various forms and genres, including narrative, expository, and informational texts, using a variety of media, tools, and strategies

D2.3 Voice

establish a personal voice in their texts, using varied language and elements of style to express their thoughts, feelings, and opinions about a topic, and using a tone appropriate to the form and genre

D2.4 Point of View and Perspective

Grand 4: identify the point of view used in their texts, and the perspectives and bias conveyed in their texts

Grade 5: identify the point of view, implicit and explicit perspectives, and bias conveyed in their texts, and explain how their messages might be interpreted by audiences with different perspectives

Grade 6: identify the point of view, perspectives, and bias conveyed in their texts, and explain how their messages might be interpreted by audiences with different perspectives

D2.6 Editing and Proofreading

Grades 4-5: edit draft texts to improve accuracy and style, checking for errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar, and format; use a word processor to edit texts

Grade 6: edit draft texts to improve accuracy and style, checking for errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar, and format; edit digital texts using word-processing software, including spell- and grammar-checkers

D3 Publishing, Presenting, and Reflecting

D3.1 Producing Final Texts

Grade 4: produce final texts using a variety of techniques and tools, including simple digital design and production tools, to achieve the intended effect

Grade 5: produce final texts using a variety of techniques and tools, including digital design and production tools, to achieve the intended effect

Grade 6: produce final texts, selecting a variety of suitable techniques and tools, including digital design and production tools, to achieve the intended effect

D3.2 Publishing and Presenting Texts

Grades 4-5: publish and present texts they have created, using selected media and tools, and explain how each helped them communicate their intended message

Grade 6: publish and present texts they have created, using selected media and tools, and analyze how their choices helped them communicate their intended message

D3.3 Reflecting on Learning

Grade 4: describe various strategies that helped them present and communicate their message when publishing and presenting texts, and explain how they helped them improve as a text creator

Grade 5: describe various strategies and tools that helped them communicate their intended message when publishing and presenting texts, and suggest steps for future improvement as a text creator

Grade 6: compare how various strategies and tools helped them communicate their intended message when publishing and presenting texts, and suggest future steps for improvement as a text creator

 

 

 

 

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Discovering Digital Media Literacy - Teacher Textbook Copyright © by MediaSmarts. All Rights Reserved.