Ads That Don’t Look Like Ads Lesson Plan

Internet & Mobile
Marketing & Consumerism
Online Marketing

Level: Grades 5-9

Duration: 1 ½ to 2 hours, plus time for the assessment activity

About the author: Matthew Johnson, Director of Education, MediaSmarts

This lesson plan is part of the Close Reading Media Across the Curriculum program. Funding provided by the Government of Ontario.

This lesson is part of USE, UNDERSTAND & ENGAGE: A Digital Media Literacy Framework for Canadian Schools. 

Overview

In this lesson, students learn what makes something an ad and how to distinguish advertisements from reviews, focusing on the key concepts of genre, tropes, bias, disclosure, and framing. Students begin by viewing and analyzing a video to prompt critical questions about the creator’s intent and visual style, then delve into the advertising genre by learning about its essential elements, like the presence of a product and brand. Students examine the differences between the “ad” and “review” genre and also use companion reading skills to evaluate the reliability and potential bias of a source by searching for undisclosed "brand deal" or "sponsored" content. Finally, students create two media pieces about the same product—one crafted as a persuasive ad and the other as an honest review—to demonstrate their ability to apply the genre elements and tropes learned throughout the lesson.

Learning outcomes

Key concepts/big ideas: Students will understand…

Media have commercial considerations:

  • Advertising is a distinct genre with recognizable elements, tropes and norms
  • Source reliability and potential bias are critical considerations when evaluating endorsements and reviews

Audiences negotiate meaning:

  • Our identities can influence how we respond to advertising

Frequent misconceptions to correct: 

  • It is easy to recognize ads
  • Ads never include negative things about what they’re selling
  • If an influencer isn’t being paid to promote something, they will give their honest opinion about it

Framework topics: Students will know…

Consumer awareness:

  • The elements, tropes, and norms that define advertisements and reviews as distinct genres.
  • The concept of "selling intent" as a core differentiator for advertising.
  • The importance of disclosing compensation or free products in endorsements.

Key vocabulary: advertising, bias, disclosure, framing, genre, influencer, tropes.

Core Competencies: Students will be able to…

Understand:

  • Identify characteristics that indicate a piece of media is an advertisement, even when it lacks traditional advertising cues.
  • Analyze how rules of notice (e.g., colour, composition) and framing are used in non-traditional ads to appeal to specific audiences.
  • Contrast the genre elements, tropes, and norms of advertisements versus reviews.
  • Apply companion reading skills to evaluate the reliability and potential bias of an endorsement source or review.

Engage:

  • Articulate what an ad is trying to make them think, feel, and buy.

Student-facing learning goals:

  • We will learn what makes something an ad, and what makes ads and reviews different from each other.
  • We will think about how important it is to check if someone giving an opinion is fair or biased when they endorse something.
  • We will be able to show the difference between ads and reviews.

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

Lesson Kit