Cultural Communication Unit

Lesson 2: Could You Believe? Olivia Vitale Eighth Grade 50 minute class periods daily National Visual Arts Standards 2. Using knowledge of structures and functions b. employ organizational structures and analyze what makes them effective or not effective in the communication of ideas 3. Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols and ideas b. use subjects, themes, and symbols that demonstrate knowledge of contexts, values and aesthetics that communicate intended meaning in artworks 4. Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures b. describe and place a variety of art objects in historical and cultural contexts c. analyze, describe and demonstrate how factors of time and place influence visual characteristics that give meaning and value to a work of art 5. Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others b. analyze contemporary and historic meanings in specific artworks through cultural and aesthetic inquiry Grade Level Expectations Strand III: Artistic Perceptions 2:A HS Level 1 Interpret the meaning of the work (subject, theme, symbolism, message communicated Strand IV: Historical and Cultural Contexts 1:B Grade 8 Compare and contrast two artworks on: time, place, subject matter, theme, characteristics, material/technology, ideas and beliefs of culture, function of art in culture/society Rationale and Goals As students grow, they search for and explore their own identity. There is often a role of identity that is often overlooked, a consumer identity. Just like an identity, this consumer identity is developed over time and is individually unique, being shaped by ones experiences, opinions, likes, dislikes and other characteristics. But is ones identity as a consumer ever truly an honest depiction of the consumer as an individual? It is my goal that through this lesson I can provide students the opportunity to explore advertising and its effects on consumers. Enduring Big Ideas

Throughout time and across cultures artists have wrestled with ideas about cultural communication. As we have explored communication through art, this lesson explores consumerism, objectification, identity, and manipulation through current advertisements. Students will explore their identities as a consumer and how the use of objectification and manipulation affects their identity as a consumer. Investigative and Essential Questions What is art? Is art confined to museums? What affect does consumerism have on our identity? What affect does advertising have on our choices? What is culturally significant? What do we think about ourselves? What do we think about our society? What do we think about our world? What do we want to think about ourselves? What do we want to think about our society? What do we want to think about our world? Is manipulation socially acceptable? How is manipulation used in art? What is objectification? Who is being objectified in art? Who is being objectified in society? How can consumerism and advertising affect our identity, opinions, choices, and ideas? How can we communicate through artwork?

Knowledge Base and Key Concepts Advertising is an art with a purpose. Advertising is often created to manipulate the viewers ideas and opinions about a product in order for the viewer to purchase said product. Manipulation in advertising is intended to change the opinion or make a consumer think something about a product. Objectification is often referring to the objectification of a person and is often related to gender. Advertising uses manipulated communication to sell a product. This manipulated communication can result in the purchase of a product; or the refusal of the purchase of a product. A consumer identity is compiled of consumer goods and reflected through purchases. A consumer is one who consumes, or uses, a product. Communication in advertising is often connected to a target market. As many different messages can be communicated, the sole purpose of advertising is to get someone to buy the product being sold. Therefore, opposing marketing techniques does not mean that the products are unrelated.

Objectives Students will take a critical look at advertisements to decipher target market and the message being communicated.

Students will be introduced to idealization, manipulation and objectification by completing their artist journal. Students will observe and analyze cultural objects. Through observation and analysis of cultural objects students will be able to identify messages of communication assigned by others (creators, advertisers, artists). Students will work in a group. Students will create a short presentation synthesizing their learning through observations made by themselves and others.

Vocabulary Consumer Consumerism Identity Idealization Objectification Manipulation Cultural object Culture Advertisement Advertising Communication Product

Lesson Vignette 1. Day 1: Exploration of Consumerism and Identity a. [3 minutes] Artist Journals i. Students complete AJ 1. The artist journal introduces the idealization and objectification used often in advertising through a cultural object, Barbie ii. Teacher takes attendance iii. Teacher hands out colored squares 1. Four color/number combinations each color/number represents a different group (1/Pink, 2/Purple, 3/Green and 4/Blue) 2. Teacher assigned groups without assigning groups 3. Groups will be determined by gender association and classroom relationships b. [5 minutes] Activity Explanation i. The Table 1. Each table has an envelope (9x12 in top closure) 2. Each table has four colored papers a. Five Sections b. Labeled with color/number combo to avoid confusion ii. The Envelope 1. Each envelope has group color to label 2. Each envelope contains a laminated advertisement iii. The Switch 1. Each group will get 5 minutes with each envelope

a. Teacher will time b. 2 minute, 1 minute, 30 second, 10 second warnings will be given c. Planned for 15 seconds to rotate envelopes 2. Each group will fill out one colored slip for each envelope a. Five sections on slip i. What is happening? ii. What makes you say that? iii. What are they selling? iv. What is their strategy to sell this? v. Who is the target market of this ad? vi. Is this ad successful? b. Different questions so each person can answer a question and participation is not all on one person c. When done the slip will go in envelope 3. Repeat three more times (including their own envelope) iv. The Final Five 1. Groups review the slips returned in their envelope 2. Groups synthesize the responses given a. Complete the prompts on the fifth slip i. Our advertisements target market is ______ because ________. ii. Our advertisement communicates that ________. iii. We feel that our advertisement ______________. 3. Groups will present synthesis in 3 minutes after culmination. a. Teacher timed. v. Additional comments 1. Cooperation will be necessary to complete entire activity 2. Participation points will be given for activity c. [26 minutes] Activity d. [12 minutes] Activity Presentations e. [1 minute] Teacher Reveal i. Axe and Dove both owned by Unilever f. [2 minutes] Exit slip Assessments For this lesson, I can assess students success through their artist journals, exit slips, activity participation, and activity presentation. Points will be provided for artist journals, exit slips and participation in the activity; I will use these as a summative assessment technique to gauge student success. The activity presentation will strictly be a formative assessment, as I can observe the students presenting what they learned but will not quantify the presentation. I also consider the artist journals and exit slips to be a formative assessment, as these will be given points based on completion and answer quality I can use them as an informal assessment. Student Engagements and Adaptations By providing a rather fast paced activity involving controversial advertisements students will be able to stay engaged in this lesson. There are few occasions where the students are not engaged

continuously for more than five minutes. I think that students who are more advanced would be able to more deeply analyze the advertisements, which would allow them to stay engaged in the activity. The students who finish early in this activity can revisit the earlier questions on the slips they are completing, encouraging them to travel deeper into the advertisement analysis. Materials and Teaching Resources/References PowerPoint o SmartBoard o Artist Journal Prompt o Exit Slip Activity o Envelopes o Ads o Premade color coded and numbered slips

Teacher Reflection I think this lesson will be meaningful for students because they are critically looking at advertisements that they have most likely seen before. By viewing and analyzing these advertisements as cultural art they can go beyond viewing these ads as a consumer to view these ads as educated consumer. My mind was blown when I learned that Dove and Axe were owned by the same company; their advertisement strategies are so different that it is shocking. I want my students to react to these advertisements as they would an essay question, to read the entire ad, think about it and form an idea, and then respond. Instant response is the result of advertisement manipulation while a developed response results in being a responsible consumer. By approaching advertising as an art and analyzing its components to construct a meaning, students will learn how to decipher the bombardments of advertisements that are launched at them on a daily basis.