Ad Detective: What Is This Ad Really Saying?

SubstitutePlans.com
Business and Personal Finance · Business / Marketing / Entrepreneurship
SP-BUS-006 · Free to print and use in your classroom · substituteplans.com
Page 2
Ad Detective: What Is This Ad Really Saying?
Business and Personal Finance · Business / Marketing / Entrepreneurship · Grades 9-12 · 50 minutes
Time needed
50 minutes (one class period)
Prep
Copy the 2-page worksheet (one per student).
Technology
None.
Student
independence
High. Students work alone with a short partner discussion.
Copies to make
One 2-page worksheet per student
Materials
Pencils, Worksheet
Goal for today: Students will identify common advertising appeals and explain which claims can be checked.
Before the bell
☐ Copy the worksheet, one per student (2 pages).
☐ Keep the answer key on your desk.
☐ No projector is needed. The ads are described in words on the worksheet.
Say this to start
Advertisers use certain techniques to get our attention and make us want to buy. Today you will act as ad detectives.
Each ad is described in words, and your job is to name the technique and decide what can really be checked. All
brands are made up for this activity.
Run of show
Minutes
What you do
What students do
0–5
Take attendance. Hand out the worksheet. Read the
Technique Guide aloud.
Follow along with the guide.
5–20
Tell students to read the six ads and complete questions
1–6 (matching).
Match each ad to its technique.
20–32
Tell students to answer questions 7–11 on their own.
Decide what is checkable and answer the
multiple choice.
32–42
Tell students to do questions 12–13 (writing). Partners may
read each other’s ad concept when finished.
Write an ad concept and explain it.
42–47
Read answers aloud from the key. Students fix their
answers.
Check work in another color.
47–50
Collect the worksheets.
Hand in the worksheet.
If things go wrong
• If students think an ad fits two techniques: that is okay for discussion, but they should pick the one that is
clearest for the answer key.
• If a student says ads are all lies: remind them the point is to read claims carefully, not to decide that all ads
are bad.

SubstitutePlans.com
Business and Personal Finance · Business / Marketing / Entrepreneurship
SP-BUS-006 · Free to print and use in your classroom · substituteplans.com
Page 3
• If students ask about real brands: tell them to use only made-up names for the writing task.
• If the room gets loud, move to silent work for five minutes.
Early finishers
• Rewrite one of the ads using a different technique.
• List three words ads use that sound strong but are hard to prove, such as “best” or “amazing.”
• Write one rule you would give a company about honest ads.
Support and challenge
• Support: Let students work in pairs and read each ad aloud before matching.
• Challenge: Ask students to explain how the same product could be sold to two different target markets.
Notes for the teacher (you fill this in)
Jot a few lines before you leave. A full Daily Sub Report is in the free Sub Survival Kit at SubstitutePlans.com.
How far the class got / what to pick up next:
Students who were especially helpful:
Anything the teacher should know: