Curated OER
Lesson: Urban China: Contemporary China
The urbanization and consumerism of modern China is the hot topic up for critical analysis. Kids view a series of photographs that specifically describe Chinese modernization, urbanization, consumerism, and waste. They discuss each...
Curated OER
Consumerism: No Purchase Necessary
Learners read a script that helps them understand the ins and outs of consumerism. They watch a video (not included), and engage in two additional activities. The lesson engages critical thinking skills and brings awareness to the...
Curated OER
Evaluating Information on Food Labels
What kinds of foods include corn? Corn syrup? Start by viewing a clip of Food Inc. with your middle or high schoolers. Then, study a list of corn-derived ingredients, encouraging your class to see how many food products contain corn. A...
Curated OER
That's the Spirit
Is, as Walt Whitman contends, America’s “almost maniacal appetite for wealth,” the heart of the American dream? Class members grapple with this question as they read David Brooks’ article “The Commercial Republic,” and quotes that...
Curated OER
Lesson: Unmonumental: Fragmentation, Fragility, and Consumer Culture
Looking at art is the first step to analyzing it. And, if you can analyze art, you can analyze anything. Kids examine several pop art pieces that represent consumerism in modern culture. They discuss multiple facets of each piece and...
Curated OER
Deep Impact
How can acknowledging opposing viewpoints reinforce one's argument? Use this New York Times lesson to study consumerism and the environmental impact of new products. After reading the article "Whether a Hummer or a Hybrid, the Big...
Curated OER
Is TV Stronger Than Ever, or Becoming Obsolete?
The New York Times offers of two articles and two summaries for learners to consider. They read each article and then post a blog response to each of the seven related questions. The topic of the articles asks the question; Is TV...
Curated OER
The Economics of Information
Create an expert guide to local businesses in this lesson. Through research, young readers consider their local businesses and the services they provide, paying attention to any conflicting information they might find. Working in groups,...
Curated OER
Big Branding on Campus: Reading Informational Text
This New York Times "Learning Network" activity poses 11 questions on an article and video about commercial branding and marketing on college campuses. The related article, "On the Market: Thinking Critically About Advertising", is...
Curated OER
The Persuaders
Have your upper graders watch the documentary, "The Persuaders" as they explore how advertisers try to gain potential customers. The video is followed by a discussion and close examination of new marketing trends and strategies.
Curated OER
Fit to Be Tied (In)
How do the films we watch affect our purchasing behavior? Considering the profiles of given consumer demographics, the class analyzes real advertisements and the effectiveness of their power on consumerism. THey create posters that...
Curated OER
Worksheet 7: Print Advertising
Use this versatile, cross-curricular graphic organizer to demonstrate the power of words in advertising. Scholars analyze print advertisements, identifying parts of the ad that stand out. This could include color, celebrity endorsement,...
Curated OER
The 1950s:
Teens will get a kick out of this presentation, which provides a glimpse of the consumerism and rising pop culture of 1950's America. They will especially appreciate the discussion of "Teen culture" including the music of Elvis, the...
Curated OER
Buy Nothing Day
Young scholars discover Buy Nothing Day. In this consumer awareness activity, students discuss their spending habits and consider the effects of mass consumerism. Young scholars discuss alternative activities to shopping on Buy Nothing Day.
Curated OER
Critical Consumerism
What are ads really selling? High schoolers examine persuasive techniques used by print and television advertisements. They generate a list of persuasive techniques they're familiar with, and review other types argumentation and...
Curated OER
The Artist as Entrepreneur
Some kids know exactly what they want to be when they grow up. This careers lesson plan aids upper graders in considering who they are as artists and how they can profit from their art, making a career out of something they love. This is...
Curated OER
Judges in the Classroom: Unfair of Deceptive Sales Practices
Middle and high schoolers learn to judge fair and unfair sales practices. They read, discuss, and work through hypothetical situations to evaluate whether the sales practices were deceptive or unfair. Handouts are included.
Curated OER
Shopping-Unit Pricing
Comparing unit prices of food products is a skill that learners will use for the rest of their lives. Here is a simple plan that provides practice calculating the unit price for various grocery store products. Use two jars with differing...
Curated OER
Creating a Shared Culture
Students simulate working on an assembly line in a shared culture. In this consumerism lesson, students participate in a lecture and note-taking session before working on a simulated assembly line. They work in a timed situation to...
Curated OER
Money Matters to Me
Fourth graders explore economics by identifying financial goals. In this consumerism lesson, 4th graders discuss money matters and how to conserve an income when they get older in order to achieve their goals. Students collaborate in...
Curated OER
Track the Path of Coffee From Farm to Store Shelf
Students investigate the cultivation and marketing of coffee. In this global studies lesson, students consider the connections of the 21st century world as they explore how coffee makes it from farms to their homes. Students consider the...
Curated OER
Paying With Their Health
Young scholars consider the plight of immigrant workers. In this undocumented immigrant lesson, students compare the worker of the Industrialization era to the undocumented immigrant workers of today. Young scholars read and discuss...
Curated OER
Images as Messages
Your class watches a video about Chris Jordan, a talented photographer and activist who tries to get an environmental message out by his work. As a cross-curricular project, have your class imitate his style of art with an object that...
Curated OER
The Giving Tree
Students explore wants and needs. In this ecology and economics instructional activity, students listen to the story The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein and compile a class list of what the boy got from the tree. Students categorize...