Resources for Teachers - Body Image

Mirror Image - Lesson

In this lesson, students analyze their own body image and consider what they wish they could change.

Body Positive Ads

This lesson helps students understand the relationship between body image and marketing by exploring Aerie and Dove’s body positive advertising campaigns. Students begin by reading about the impact that body positive advertising campaigns have on companies, as well as on their consumers. Students will then look at body positive ads aimed towards men and read research about how there is a lack of representation in this field. They will then deconstruct a series of traditional ads compared to body positive ones and discuss how marketers target "ideal beauty" messages to both men and women and whether they are effective. Finally, students will evaluate whether body positive ads are effective in general or not through discussion.

The Anatomy of Cool - Lesson

This lesson helps students become more aware of the media's role in determining what, and who, are perceived as being cool.

Image Gap - Lesson

This lesson helps students understand how self-image can influence lifestyle choices.

The Price of Happiness - Lesson

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.