The Price of Happiness - Lesson Lesson Plan

Level(s): Grades 8 to 12

Author: This lesson has been adapted, with permission, from Living in a Material World: Lessons on Commercialism, Consumption, and Environment, © the Center for the Study of Commercialism, Washington, D.C; an 8-lesson curriculum to help young people gain perspective on commercialism and consumerism in today's society.

Overview

In this lesson students answer a brief questionnaire related to self-image, self-esteem, and advertising, and then work as groups to create and act in mock television commercials that parody advertising techniques.

Learning Outcomes

Students will demonstrate:

• understanding of the ways in which advertising presents images of men and women which are limited in their scope;
• understanding of the ways in which advertising presents images of appearance, personality traits and societal roles of men and women that are sometimes neither appropriate or desirable.
• awareness of how their own feelings of happiness and esteem may be affected by advertising.

This lesson and all associated documents (handouts, overheads, backgrounders) is available in an easy-print, pdf kit version.