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| Core Learning Goal: 1 |
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The student will demonstrate an understanding of the historical development and current status of principles, institutions and processes of political systems.
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| Expectation: 1 |
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The student will demonstrate understanding of the structure and functions of government and politics in the United States.
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| Indicator: 1.1.4 |
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Students will explain roles and analyze strategies individuals or groups may use to initiate change in government policies and institutions.
Assessment Limits:
- Political parties, interest groups, lobbyists, citizens, and the impact of media on public opinion and the behavior of the electorate.
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This lesson analyzes thirty-second political campaign/issue advocacy advertisements. Students should already be familiar with the various propaganda techniques. Teachers may already have campaign and/or issue advocacy video that can be used in this lesson. |
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Students will analyze how interest groups present their viewpoint to the public. |
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Students will assess how media can influence public opinion. |
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Student Handout: Evaluating Political Advertising |
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Student Handout: Storyboard Directions |
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Student Handouts: Issue Ad Storyboards (rough draft/final copy) |
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Useful website: www.pbs.org/pov/ad/index.html (footage of campaign ads) |
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- Show a political advertisement such as the 1964 Presidential campaign commercial “The Daisy Ad” (a young girl is in a meadow pulling petals off of a daisy).
- Distribute the handout Evaluating Political Advertising and have students analyze the ad.
- Explain that issue advocacy/interest groups promote their causes and publicize their views to initiate change in government policies. Tell students that they are going to create a 30-second issue advertisement using a technique called a storyboard. Distribute and review the handout Storyboard Directions. Place students in groups and distribute the handouts Issue Ad Storyboards. Groups should select one of the topics below, and create an issue ad aimed at a particular government policy:
- Drilling for oil in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge
- School choice, vouchers
- Gun control
- Trade with China
- Deregulation (airlines, electricity, telecommunications)
- Smart Growth initiatives
- other
If you have a computer lab and PowerPoint software, have students create computer presentations instead of this pencil and paper activity. It is still helpful to plan the ad on a Storyboard before creating the PowerPoint presentation.
- Have the groups exchange finished storyboards, and use copies of Evaluating Political Advertising to evaluate the effectiveness of the other groups' advertisements.
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Have students answer this Brief Constructed Response item:
- What propaganda techniques do advocacy/interest groups use to influence government policy?
- Which technique is the most effective? Explain.
- Include examples and details to support your answer.
Use the Social Studies Rubric to score student responses.
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 Print Version: Government Lesson Plan (Acrobat 22k)
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