Lesson Plan 4

Title: Bullied to Buy

Grade: 8

Time Requirement: 60 minutes

Objectives

• Students will understand how advertising companies persuade young people to buy their products.
• Students will understand that many of the products being sold to them are not in their best interest.
• Students will understand Robert F. Kennedy's commitment against the advertising of cigarettes aimed at young people and how he was ahead of his time in his fight against the tobacco industry.
• Students will understand how Robert F. Kennedy fought for what he believed was right, even though it was unpopular and hurt him politically.

New York State Learning Standards

• Social Studies Standard 1: History of the United States and New York state KI 3, PI 3; KI 4, PI 2
• Social Studies Standard 4: Economics KI 2, PI 4
• Social Studies Standard 5: Civics, Citizenship and Government KI 2, PI 5; KI 3, PI 3
• English Language Arts Standard 1: Information and Understanding Grade 8 Reading, PI 2, 6, 12; Grade 8 Writing, PI 8; Grade 8 Listening, PI 3
• English Language Arts Standard 3: Critical Analysis and Evaluation Grade 8 Reading, PI 1; Grade 8 Writing, PI 6; Grade 8 Speaking, PI 3
• English Language Arts Standard 4: Social Interaction Grade 8 Reading, PI 1; Grade 8 Listening, PI 1; Grade 8 Speaking, PI 2
• The Arts Standard 3: Responding to and Analyzing Works of Art; Visual Arts KI 3, PI 4
• Health, Physical Education and Family and Consumer Sciences
• Standard 3: Resource Management Health KI 1, PI 4SOCIAL STUDIES CORE CURRICULUM
• Grade 8: United States and New York state History
• Unit 11, Section II B. Federal and state governments reevaluate their roles (p. 88)

SKILLS

• Thinking skills – drawing inferences and making conclusions; evaluating
• Research and writing skills – interpreting information; analyzing information; supporting a position
• Interpersonal and group relation skills – identifying values and conflicts; participating in group planning and discussion; cooperating to accomplish goals; assuming responsibility for carrying out tasks
• Graph and image analysis skills – decoding images (graphs, cartoons, paintings, photographs); drawing conclusions

CONCEPTS

• Change
• Choice
• Citizenship
• Government
• Justice
• Needs and wants
• Power

Technology Requirement

Computer access, Internet access, LCD projector

Background

In the United States, a large percentage of advertising is geared toward children. Often these products being sold are not in the children's best interest. In the 1960s, Robert F. Kennedy was a pioneer in the attempt to ban cigarette advertising aimed at young people. In 1998, the Federal Trade Commission banned the use of cartoon characters in cigarette advertisements because of its appeal to young people.

Robert F. Kennedy stood up and spoke out for what he believed was right, even though it was unpopular and hurt him politically. Robert F. Kennedy's vision included motivating students to stand up for what they believed in, even though it may be unpopular.

Relevance to Current Issues

• Bullying remains a serious problem in today's schools. Often, when bullying takes place, children are afraid to speak out for fear of being unpopular or excluded.
• Children today are often lured to buy products by advertising companies that promise they will be considered "cool" or "popular." In turn, children should be aware of the dangers of advertising.

Student Activities

Anticipatory Set

Begin the class by asking the following questions:

• What is advertising?
• How do companies get people to buy their products?

Based upon student responses during the discussion, create a list of advertising logos or characters that companies use to appeal to a teenage audience.

Show pictures of advertisements geared toward young people. Some advertisements may include Tony the Tiger, Trix Rabbit or Cap'n Crunch. Teacher will lead a discussion on why cartoon characters are used in these advertisements. Then, the teacher will show pictures of Joe Camel (cigarette advertisements) and elicit responses on who the cigarette companies are attempting to reach with these advertisements.

• Tony the Tiger
  www.totalmedia.com/images/Tony_the_tiger.jpg
  
• Trix Rabbit
  www.loshadka.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/trix.jpg
  
• Cap'n Crunch
  http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v631/PopsBucket/capn.jpg
• Pictures of Joe Camel
  http://images.encarta.msn.com/xrefmedia/sharemed/targets/images/pho/0007f/0007fae7.jpg
  http://img.slate.com/media/37000/37828/JoeCamel-end-inline.JPG
  

Communicate to students how advertising companies attempt to gain their business. Students will see different advertisements from Tony the Tiger, Trix Rabbit and Cap'n Crunch. Discuss with the students the common threads from these advertisements, i.e., use of cartoon characters and bright colors in appealing to young people. Students will see two advertisements for Camel cigarettes in which the cartoon character Joe Camel is used. Discuss with the students the similarities between these Joe Camel advertisements and the previous advertisements, i.e., cigarette companies use cartoons to appeal to young people. Refer to the background to discuss how Robert F. Kennedy attempted to take on the tobacco companies and stop their advertisements that were geared toward the youth of America.

Activity 1

Part 1: If there are six groups, each group is to read one document and answer the guided questions following the document. If there are three groups, each group is to read two documents and answer the guided questions following the documents.

Part 2: After the groups have completed Part 1, one representative from each group will give a brief report about the group's document(s) based on the answers to the guiding questions. Students are to take notes as the students report out.

• DOWNLOAD: Document 4a: Student Answer Paper (PDF)

Document 1

The issue of cigarette advertising was a typical example of his (Kennedy's) penchant (liking) for a good fight. As a man with a special interest in children and athletics, he was especially disturbed by the way young Americans were encouraged to begin smoking by commercial and social pressures. Under the influence of a constant flood of advertising, portraying smoking as an adult trait of strong and admirable people, half a million children were taking up smoking every year.

1. How did RFK view cigarette advertising?

2. Predict what actions RFK might have taken to remedy the situation.

3. Do cigarette companies have the right to advertise to minors?

Pick Yes or No and justify your position.

Document 2

Attempts to regulate cigarette advertising began in 1964. When the surgeon general of the United States concluded after extensive studies that cigarette smoking was "a health hazard (danger) of sufficient importance in the United States to warrant appropriate remedial (corrective) action," the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) moved to require all cigarette packs and all advertisements to carry the stern warning that cigarette smoking "could cause death from cancer and related diseases."

1. How is smoking a health hazard?

2. Describe the surgeon general's actions toward cigarette advertising.

3. Theorize why the surgeon general put hazard labels on cigarette cartons.

Document 3

The cigarette industry had been historically the largest purchaser of commercial advertising.

Since cigarette companies spent $250 million a year on radio and television advertising, the tobacco industry threw its considerable political weight behind a law forbidding any government agency from regulating cigarette advertising in any way. The cigarette companies adopted a watered-down version of the Federal Trade Commission's warning: Caution: Cigarette smoking may be hazardous to your health

1. How is money related to political power?

2. Re-read the warning. Evaluate and judge if this warning is appropriate. Do you think this warning fully communicates the dangers of smoking? Justify your answer with reasons.

Document 4

Later studies by the surgeon general concluded that cigarette smoking was "the principal cause" of lung cancer, the cause of death for 43,000 Americans each year. A survey of 500,000 people by the American Cancer Society showed smoking two packs a day cut the average life span by eight years.

The FTC had found the warning approved by Congress had proven ineffective in discouraging smoking.

1. What affect did smoking have on the average person's life span?

2. How did the cigarette warnings provided by Congress affect smoking?

3. Create a governmental warning against cigarettes that you believe would be successful in reducing smoking.

Document 5

In May 1967, Robert F. Kennedy proposed to ban all cigarette advertising on radio and television. He found little support. Three months later he wrote all the major tobacco companies, urging them voluntarily to stop advertising on sports programs and all other programs young people were likely to watch. The ban would have applied to all programs aired before 9 p.m. and would have forbidden depicting smoking in any way that made it attractive to young people.

1. Describe the age groups that watch TV and sports and listen to the radio.

2. Identify why Robert F. Kennedy wanted tobacco companies to stop advertising during sports programs and on TV and radio before 9 p.m. What age groups are more likely to be watching during these hours?

3. Explain how advertisers attempt to sell products to young people. What images do they use?

Document 6

The cigarette industry employs 100,000 workers in 21 states. Tobacco is a major crop in half a dozen states and is critical to the economies of Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennessee. Robert F. Kennedy was unable to get tobacco companies to stop their heavy advertising toward children. Robert F. Kennedy believed that unjust advantage was being taken of ordinary citizens by powerful

interests. He felt an obligation to protect the public, which was being conditioned to smoke through the subtle techniques of motivational advertising. In fighting the tobacco companies Robert F. Kennedy knew he was making powerful enemies - and he was to pay the price. Running for president in 1968, Kennedy was unable to get a single major political figure to support him in either Kentucky or North Carolina.

1. Estimate the power of the cigarette companies in the 1960s. Why do you believe they had this level of power?

2. Why do you think Robert F. Kennedy was unable to get a single major political figure to support him in either Kentucky or North Carolina?

3. Robert F. Kennedy stood up for what he thought was right even though he made enemies along the way. Do you think this is an important trait that all politicians should have?

Explain your answer.

Culminating Activity

Based on the notes from the reporting out, each student is to write a paragraph explaining Robert F. Kennedy's work on ending cigarette advertising toward children.

Extension

Students could write a journal entry answering the following:

• Have you ever seen something that you thought was wrong but you were too scared to stand up and speak out? Describe the injustice and how you would take action to change the situation.