Advertising and Media #2: Book Trailers as a Form of Advertising

Lesson Overview: 

In this lesson, students learn about trailers as a form of advertising.  Using what they learned last week about how advertisements are made, students “deconstruct” four book trailers.

Lesson Plan:

Suggested Grades:

4-5

Objective:

To introduce students to the concept of Book Trailers as a way to advertise books.  (AASL 1.1.6, “Read, view, and listen for information presented in any format . . . in order to make inferences and gather meaning.”)

Suggested Time:

45-50 minutes

Success Criteria:

Each student will understand what a book trailer is (form), why they are made (purpose), and how they work (function).

Lesson Outline:

1. Introduction:

Introduce the idea of a “trailer” to preview coming material/attractions/events.  Book trailers introduce prospective readers to books without giving too much information and without disclosing the ending.

Ask the students to provide general characteristics of movie trailers.  They should be able to do this using what they already know.  Trailers are:

  1. Short
  2. Show highlights
  3. Introduce basic elements of character and plot
  4. Designed to build excitement, tension
  5. Never reveal the ending
  6. Purpose – get audience to watch the movie

Book trailers are usually similar videos, but their purpose is to entice the audience to purchase and read a book.

2. Main:

Show three to six book trailers.  I have provided some suggestions in the “Resources” section below.  Ask students key questions about the trailers such as:

  • What are the elements of this trailer (images, music, sound effects, interviews, still photos, narratives, etc.)?
  • Is the trailer convincing?  Does it make you want to read the book?  Why or why not?

3. Conclusions:

Trailers can be extremely convincing and very fun to watch!  Next, we’ll be learning to make our own trailers.

Resources: 
  1. Student Handout (attached)
  2. Book Trailer Links:

Use the following book trailers, or find trailers of your own that are appropriate:

  1. Dinosaur Cove Series by Rex Stone. (Single narrator, music, one sound effect, still photos only, most in black and white.)  http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/asset/dinosaur-cove-attack-tyrannosaurus-book-trailer
  2. Babymouse Series by Jennifer and Matt Holm. (No narration, only music.  Limited palette to match the look/feel of the books.  Basic character introduction.  Trailer looks like a comic.  Very short.)  http://www.randomhousekids.com/videos/lpwcnsuyfom-babymouse-book-trailer
  3. Swindle by Gordon Korman. (Single narrator who is the author.  Extensive explanation of characters and plot.  Still photos as well as video.  Sound effects.    Computer graphics.  Relatively long.)  http://www.scholastic.com/teacher/videos/teacher-videos.htm – 3193873250001/1562781814
  4. Taking Flight by Michaela and Elaine De Prince. (Double narrators, music, video only.  No still photos – why?  Very emotional.)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfh2AtBhZDM  Note:  This is a trailer for a work of nonfiction, a memoir.  The children are very young to encounter this kind of a story.  Watch the trailer beforehand so that you can explain the medical condition of vitiligo and prepare them for some of the desperate conditions Michaela De Prince mentions. 
Notes:

Students typically love this lesson.  I consistently have kids asking to read some of the books for which I show them the trailers!  Be sure that you only show trailers for books that you have in your library, or else you will have some disappointed students.

Publishers often produce many trailers.

See how many more excellent trailers you can find.

Recommended books for this lesson:

None

Key Terms:

Advertising, Ads, Trailers, Book Trailers, Media

Student Handout, Book Trailers

 

Advertising and Media #3: Making a Book Trailer

Lesson Overview:

Building on what they learned last week about trailers, the students will make their own book trailers.  A fair bit of preparation is required to pull this off, but it’s a great integration of technology in the library, and the kids have a fabulous product to show their learning.

Lesson Plan:

Suggested Grades:

5-6

Objective:

To create an original book trailer that can be used to promote reading for pleasure.

Suggested Time:

50-60 minutes

Success Criteria:

Each group of two or three students will create an original book trailer.  The trailers will be shown to their peers in a “Book Trailer Premiere” event once they are complete.

Lesson Outline:

1. Introduction:

It’s hard to believe, but, in one period, you will make your own book trailer.  You’ll be working in small groups.  Please remember what you have learned about trailers.  (Review characteristics of trailers: They are very short, give a glimpse into the subject, build interest or excitement, and do not give away the ending.)   You will also be using an app called “Animoto.”  Follow the instructions on the handout very carefully and ask for help if you get stuck.  The general steps are:

  1. Choose a genre, series, or book to highlight.
  2. Take seven to ten photos that will represent your subject.
  3. Go to the Animoto app on your device, or to animoto.com on a computer.
  4. Create a new project.
  5. Upload your photos.
  6. Choose a style.
  7. Choose the music.
  8. Add text slides including your names at the end.
  9. Edit as needed.
  10. Preview then publish!

2. Main:

Distribute the student handouts.  Show kids the devices as well as the app.  Make sure that you have updated the log-in instructions to reflect the account(s) you have set up for your school.  Assign the students to small groups, two but no more than three.  Let them get to work.  Advise the students to keep the book/series/genre they are advertising very simple!!  The lesson here is the process of making a trailer, not the selection of a subject!

I also advise that you have a second teacher or teaching assistant on hand to troubleshoot devices and problems.  This is a “learn by doing” lesson, and the kids will need some hands-on help.

Keep a close eye on the picture taking effort.  Some kids will go crazy and want to take lots and lots of pictures.  I have since upgraded to a professional Animoto account, but the last time I used a free account, the videos were limited to 30 seconds.  Therefore, there really is no point in having more than 10 pictures because the video will be cut off at 30 seconds.

3. Conclusion:

Ask the students to share a “Preview” version of their video with another group.  Those groups that finished should send you a link.  Everyone else can continue editing next week (if necessary).  Tell the kids that, once every group has submitted a finished trailer, you’ll have a “Trailer Premiere” day and watch all the videos.

Resources:
  1. Ability to take and transfer digital photos, about ten per group.
  2. Access to Animoto software.
  3. Student handout for Making a Book Trailer (attached).
  4. Access to the library collection.
Notes:
  1. I have written this lesson for one period, but it may take two periods if you run into technology glitches or if the students are not used to using the devices/apps. I strongly advise that you make a trailer first so that you have something to show the kids as a sample.
  2. You can preview a sample student book trailer here. Be careful!  These kids chose to highlight the horror genre:  https://animoto.com/play/X6uThJSghR2Hok4JHkOEbQ
  3. Before the lesson, apply for a free Animoto account for educators. You can do that here:  https://animoto.com/education/classroom  All projects have to be created within an account, so be sure to get this set up well in advance of the lesson.
  4. There are certainly other simple photo-to-movie apps available. I also like to use Adobe Spark if you want the students to be able to record their voices.  Please pick the app that works the best for you, but be sure that the students have a chance to make their own trailers.  They will do a great job!  One year the kids were so enthusiastic that they formed an after-school Animoto Club so that they could keep making videos!
Recommended books for this lesson:

None.

Key Terms:

Book Trailers, Animoto, Advertising, Ads, Media, Video Production

Student Handout, Animoto Trailer Making FUN!

Advertising and Media #1: How Ads Are Made

Lesson Overview:

In this lesson, students use a non-fiction text to learn how advertisements are made.  This is a Unit of Inquiry lesson with notetaking practice.

Lesson Plan:

Suggested Grades:

4-5 

Objective:

Practice notetaking using a Unit of Inquiry text on advertising.  (Information Literacy Skills.)  Students will be able to use their notes to explain the five steps involved in creating an ad.

Suggested Time:

45-50 minutes

Success Criteria:

Students will take simple notes from Advertising Attack Chapter 3, “How is an Advertisement Made?”  Their notes will be sufficient for them to explain, without the use of the text, how advertisements are developed for today’s markets.

Lesson Outline:

1. Introduction:

Introduce a series of lessons.  First students will learn how ads are made.  Next, students will look at the trailer as a specific form of advertising, deconstruct four trailers, and finally learn how to make their own trailers.

Today’s lesson is the first in a five-lesson series that supports a Unit of Inquiry on Advertising and Modern Media.

2. Main: 

Notetaking is a way of capturing information and making it our own.  When we take notes, we must:

  • Read
  • Think (Repeat as many times as necessary the “read”/”think” cycle until we can put the material in our own words.)
  • Write (Never use full sentences in notes.  Use bullet points, outlines, grouping notations, and color coding.)

When taking notes, we:

  • Never use a complete sentence
  • Use outlines
  • Use bullet points
  • Color code
  • Use key words
  • Use symbols

Model notetaking for the students as you work through Advertising Attack, Chapter 3.  Ask them to make their own notes while you take notes on the whiteboard or a flip chart.  I don’t like to use an electronic document, because I want the kids to be able to draw simple graphics and easily use colors in their note taking.

If there is time, show the kids some classic TV ads so that they can apply the concepts they learn from the text.  Links to some suggested ads are provided below.

3. Conclusion:

Ads are generally made in five steps.  Also, note taking is a very important skill.  We will practice and use it often.

Resources: 

Advertising Attack by Laura Hensley.

Links to Four Classic TV ads.  Ask students to identify the target audience and the strategy used in creating the ad:

  1. Oscar Mayer Wiener (Target audience: Children. Strategy: Bandwagon.)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNddW2xmZp8
  2. Doublemint Gum (Target audience: General public. Strategy: Appeal to a desire to have fun and enjoy life.)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGQAAs5quf4
  3. The Force Volkswagen (Target audience: General public. Strategy: Combining nostalgia of childhood with pop culture.)  Note:  This ad is thought to have fundamentally changed advertising strategy for SuperBowl commercials.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHqGgEvgv90
  4. Levi’s Jeans (1970s): (Target audience: Teens or Young Adults.  Strategy: Appeal to Enjoyment and Carefree Adolescence.)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ww6ofm2B_Cg

Use ads that fit your own students’ culture and language.  Be sure to preview each one before showing to make sure it is appropriate.

Notes:

If students cooperate and use their time well, you can accomplish all of this in one lesson.  However, if students drag through the notetaking section, you may need two 45-minute lessons to complete the work.  I’ve taught this lesson a couple of times, and I’ve had experiences with both kinds of timings.

I have found that kids can do a pretty good job of understanding the five steps of ad creation.  However, when it comes to analyzing the TV commercials, they lose their grounding.  No matter how fun or exciting the ads are, try to pull them back to asking about the target audience and general ad strategy.

Recommended books for this lesson:

Advertising Attack by Laura Hensley.

Key Terms:

Advertising, Ads, Ad Agencies, Commercials, Classic Commercials

 

Healthy Body, Balanced Lifestyle #5: From Head to Toe, by Eric Carle

Lesson Overview:

In this lesson, students get a chance to learn a traditional dance, listen to a story that incorporates movement, and show off their creative steps in a guided dance from GoNoodle.  Making healthy choices has never been more fun than in this movement-based, literary song-and-dance lesson.

Lesson Plan:

Suggested Grades:

1-3

Objective:

To explore movement through literature and dance and to search for non-fiction books on sports, games, and physical activities.  (AASL 4.1.8, “Use creative and artistic formats to express personal learning.”)

Suggested Time:

45-50 minutes

Success Criteria:

Each child will replicate the movements from Eric Carle’s Head to Toe.  Each child will also learn the Hokey Pokey and GoNoodle’s Pop See Ko!

Lesson Outline:

1. Introduction:

Remind students that, in this unit, they have learned about healthy eating (Oliver’s Vegetables), a healthy mind (Mabela the Clever), and the importance of sleep (Go To Sleep, Gecko!)  In today’s lesson, they will consider the importance of movement/physical activity in staying healthy.

2. Main:

Ask the students to summarize some of what they have learned about staying healthy and making healthy choices.  They should mention food and healthy diets, sleep, and a balance between work and play.  If they do not mention movement or exercise, prompt them for this as well.  Make sure they know that staying active is important for fitness, growth, and overall health.

Teach From Head to Toe by Eric Carle.  Ensure that the children safely follow and replicate all the animal movements.  This is a wonderful way to reinforce the idea that movement is necessary for health and that a lot of books in the library have to do with sports, dance, fitness, and movement.  (Literary Element)

Next, teach your children the Hokey Pokey.  It is a traditional dance in the U.S., but many international students have never learned it.  I usually ask the class to form a big circle, put on the music, and just show/dance it together.  I recommend that you only use audio for the Hokey Pokey part of the lesson.  Remind the children that dance is one way they can stay active as part of their health plan.  (Traditional Dance Element)

Finally, teach the children GoNoodle’s Pop See Ko! Guided Dance.  I have given a link below to sign up for a GoNoodle account.  If you are not familiar with GoNoodle, it is well worth your time to spend a few minutes exploring the free movement and mindfulness resources it offers.  In Dubai, our teachers make extensive use of GoNoodle for indoor recesses, and it works like a charm.  Pop See Ko! is a kid pleaser and will get them moving and dancing and having lots of fun in the library.  Again, remind the children that there are many ways to stay active, even if they have to stay inside due to extreme weather. (Modern Dance Element).

If your children know some of these elements, I have given a few suggestions below for how you could change/adapt the lesson.

3. Conclusion:

Show the children some of the non-fiction books you’ve pulled on dance, sports, games, and fitness.  Challenge them to find stories in the picture book or fiction collection with the same themes.  If you have a sport genre section in chapter book fiction, be sure to point that out as well.  Encourage the kids to stay active, especially in the extreme cold or hot months, and to make healthy choices about fitness.

Resources:
  1. From Head to Toe by Eric Carle.
  2. An audio recording of The Hokey Pokey. I bought one from the iTunes store for $0.99, and it is everything I need.
  3. Speakers and audio equipment to play back the Hokey Pokey
  4. GoNoodle Account so that you can access the Pop See Ko! Guided Dance activity. Sign up for a GoNoodle Account here:  https://www.gonoodle.com/
  5. Screen and video equipment so that you can play back the Pop See Ko! Guided Dance activity.
  6. A collection of the library’s non-fiction materials on sports, dance, fitness, etc.
Notes:

I have chosen a fiction book and song-and-dance activities to extend the Unit of Inquiry.  However, it would be just as easy to design a lesson with non-fiction texts.  Here are a few examples:

  • You could prepare a “Guess the Sport” game using non-fiction books. For example, “This sport is played inside.  The players hold and roll a very heavy ball.  The object is to knock down pins at the end of a lane.  What sport is it?”
  • Instead of song and dance, you could play Library Basketball. See the Back-to-School and Library Games section of PYPLibrarian for instructions on how to play.  I made Library Basketball for my students a couple of years ago and it is now a favorite.
  • Ask the children to choose a non-fiction book on sport. Give them five minutes to look at pictures and skim the text, then ask them to silently act out the sport they chose.  Other children guess which sport is represented by the charade.  This could also be done in small groups.  Example: Baseball pitcher and baseball batter.
Recommended books for this lesson:
  1. From Head to Toe by Eric Carle.
  2. Karate Hour by Carol Nevius (optional, but highly recommended)
  3. Raintree’s Extreme Sports series: Animal Sports, Water Sports, Wheel Sports, Rope Sports, Board Sports
  4. Other non-fiction books on sports, games, fitness, and dance
  5. Dino Football by Lisa Wheeler (optional)
  6. Dino Soccer by Lisa Wheeler (optional)
  7. Dino Basketball by Lisa Wheeler (optional)
  8. Dino Baseball by Lisa Wheeler (optional)
Key Terms:

Exercise, Fitness, Movement, Sports, Games, Dance

Healthy Body, Balanced Lifestyle #4: Fast Food, Food as Art

Lesson Overview:

In this lesson, students experience just how much fun healthy choices can be.  Using texts that feature food as art, kids get to “play with their food” in creating either a simple caterpillar (pineapples chunks, banana slices, and two chocolate chips on a skewer) or a racing car (cucumbers, a radish, and black eyed peas.)  Let your kids be inspired by Unit of Inquiry themed literature, then let them create healthy-to-eat pieces of food art!

Lesson Plan:

Suggested Grades:

1-3

Objective:

Make food art using simple, healthy ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions and recipes.  (AASL 4.1.8, “Use creative and artistic formats to express personal learning.”)

Suggested Time:

45-55 minutes, depending on how much preparation work you do before hand and how much assembly the children do on their food creations.

Success Criteria:

Each child will create one edible “food art” piece.

Lesson Outline:

1. Introduction:

Remind the students that, in this unit, they are learning about making healthy choices.  Together, they have practiced forming questions with Oliver in Grandpa’s garden, focused on the concept of quality sleep with Gecko! from Bali, and even considered keeping their minds healthy through learning to be good listeners and observing the world around them.  Today’s lesson will be a bit different.  Today we’ll go back to working with healthy food, but we will be considering food as more than food, food as art!

Ask the children, “What is art?”  Ask the children, “What is food?”  Ask them if they can imagine anything in which the ideas of food and art combine.

2. Main:

Show the children pictures from whichever of the resources you have been able to gather.  I would use Fast Food by Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers, just so that they get the idea that food can be used to create simple art.  Then, show them Carl Warner’s Food Landscapes or images of food art from Google Images.  Usually these pictures create a lot of excitement!  I’ve made recommendations for specific kinds of photos in the “Resources” section below.

Next, inform the children that they will get to make some food art today.  Choose a simple project.  In my opinion, the simplest project is a banana and pineapple chunk caterpillar on a short skewer with chocolate chips (pointy sides inserted into the banana) for eyes.  Use the rounded end of the banana as the caterpillar’s head.

The cucumber and radish racing car from Fast Food also looks easy, but it would require some advance preparation so that you don’t have to use knives with the children.  Choose a project for which you can find plentiful and inexpensive ingredients.  If you know a chef or restaurant owner in your neighborhood, ask for help!  It is even better if the children get to interact with an expert.

Organize the materials and ingredients so that the children can focus on assembly.  If you have the time and wish to extend the lesson, kids can also wash, slice, and put the ingredients into bowls for each table group.

Allow enough time for each student to complete a simple piece of food art and to photograph the child with his/her creation.  Let the kids take the food art with them either to take home or to eat at snack or lunch time.

Conclusion:

Wrap-up by reminding the children that healthy choices will help them have better lives, that healthy food can be fun, and that healthy food can sometimes be used as art.  Challenge the students to see what else they can come up with using food as art.

Resources:
  1. Fast Food by Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers.
  2. Carl Warner’s Food Landscapes by Carl Warner.
  3. Images of marzipan fruits, braided Ukrainian bread, chocolate artistry (from Google Images, optional).
  4. Small paper plates.
  5. Cucumbers, radishes, black eyed peas (dried) and toothpicks.
  6. Chopping boards.
  7. Extra helpers/volunteers on the day of the lesson.
  8. Plastic wrap.
  9. Several bowls.
  10. Paper towels or dish towels to clean up any mess.
  11. Bucket with water and a sponge to wipe down the tables afterwards
Notes:

Try to photograph each child with her/his food art piece.  This makes a wonderful addition to the student’s portfolio.  They will be very proud and love to talk about what they have made.  I’ve never done this, but, if you need a writing extension, you can have them write a description of what they have made, or a procedural piece giving instructions for how to make the piece.

When I originally developed this lesson, I used the Eat Your Colors series by Lisa Bullard.  Specifically, I used Yellow Food Fun and had the children make the fruit caterpillars by alternating pieces of pineapple chunks and bananas on a short skewer.  Two chocolate chips form the eyes.  It is such a fast and easy recipe and every child can make the project independently.   There are a few sticky fingers from the pineapple juice, but the risk of failure with the fruit caterpillar is very low.  However, the books are out of print, and it may be difficult for you to get your hands on the Eat Your Colors series.  Do your best because the books are perfect for Early Years and Early Elementary Programs.  Each one has a simple recipe that is easy for children to follow.

Recommended books for this lesson:
  1. Fast Food by Saxton Freymann and Joost Elffers.
  2. Carl Warner’s Food Landscapes by Carl Warner.
  3. Yellow Food Fun by Lisa Bullard (out of print, use a third-party vendor).
  4. Other titles in the Eat Your Colors series by Lisa Bullard: Orange Food Fun, Red Food Fun, White Food Fun, Brown Food Fun, Green Food Fun.  (Some titles may be out of print.)
Key Terms:

Food, Photography, Food in Art, Artistic Photography