Lessons
The Role of Television Commercials in Presidential Election Campaigns
Author: Clifford Gold
School: River Bend Middle
Grade Level: 4th
Time Estimated: 3 days
Overview
This extended lesson will provide students with an opportunity to learn about the role of television in transforming the nature of political campaigning in presidential elections. The extended lesson will focus on several campaign commercials produced between 1952 and 2004 and the impact that these commercials had on the related campaigns. Students will work individually, in small groups, and as a class to analyze the images and language used in the commercials to determine the central message of each commercial. Students will focus on the intended audience of each political ad and determine what makes an effective campaign ad. As the final assessment for this extended lesson, each student will prepare a written analysis of a 2008 presidential campaign commercial utilizing the techniques covered during the lesson.