Twas 2 days before Winter Break and all through the class……
Usually
this time of year there are so many distractions that it is hard to believe
that there is any meaningful teaching/learning going on. This year it seems especially true, we have
students who are wound up for the holidays, terrified that it is the end of the
world and still reeling from the effects of the Newtown tragedy and Super Storm Sandy (no relation).
Is it any wonder that teachers would just love to plug in a
movie or phone in a lesson? In fact the
opposite is true, now is the time that teachers reach into their bags of tricks
and work to provide the most engaging lessons of the year. I happened to be invited to just such a lesson yesterday in Joe
Pizzo’s ILA class in the Black River Middle School in Chester, NJ were students
were actively engaged and excited to learn.
Joe’s students were starting a new unit on persuasion (Imagine
that! Before a vacation!). He invited advertising and media producer Mr.
Rea, a parent, to come and show students how ads were created and how they are
written to “change people’s minds.” What
a great lesson! The students were all
fascinated and had so many great insights regarding each of the commercials he
showed. We were all riveted as Mr. Rea
explained the production of commercials for Volvo (seen in the Superbowl!) and
Coppertone (filmed in Costa Rico!) and dissected the components used to appeal
to their intended audience. The
students were highly engaged in the activity, peppering Mr. Rea with questions
and observations. He demonstrated how
company’s ad campaigns range on the “rational” to “emotional” spectrum and how the components of the commercial –
images, music, script, etc all contribute.
Of course, Mr. Pizzo expertly tied in all of these aspects with the
components necessary to write a good persuasive essay. Students will begin their practice of these
principles as they create their own 60 second commercial for their newly
assigned free choice reading. I could
tell that they were inspired and their minds were reeling over the
possibilities. This “book report” was
now building persuasive writing skills, integrating technology, connecting career
opportunities and had captured student’s imaginations. I cannot think of a more powerful, relevant and
authentic way to teach students how to develop the “power of persuasion” than
to tie in the everyday media whose job it is to “change people’s minds.” Using a member of the community to teach
it? Priceless.
