Age group: Pioneers/Venturers
How long it will take: 1 hour +
What materials you will need: Copies of the Advertising in Schools sheet
The aim of the activity: To explore where and how advertising is creeping into our schools and what its effects might be
What to
do:
At the end of your group meeting hand out the Advertising in Schools
sheets and ask all your members to collect information and bring it to
the group with them next week. You could suggest that some members survey
your local sports or leisure centre, particularly if lots of them go to
the same school.
The following week discuss the results. For each advert consider the following questions:
- Is the product healthy, safe and legal?
- Is it trying to get you to buy something?
- Are the facts and the opinions clearly separated?
- Is it relevant to the school curriculum and does it have educational value?
- How does it make you feel about the company who are advertising?
- Why does the company spend money on this advertising?
If they group is unhappy about the way in which advertising is being used in their school you may want to support them in raising the issue with their teachers. A useful resources is: Commercial Activities in Schools - Best practice principles. This is a code of practice on corporate involvement in schools produced by the Department for Education and Skills, the ISBA (The Voice of British Advertisers) and the Consumers' Association.