Students will look into bias and exaggeration in advertisements during this lesson. At the end of the lesson, students are able to:
- Cite instances of bias and hyperbole in advertisements.
- Examine how bias and exaggeration serve to further the author's goal.

- How can readers decide which information from what they hear, read, and see to believe? 
- How do literary and informational texts become meaningful to strategic readers? 
- How does interaction with text elicit thought and response? 
- What is the true purpose of this text? 
- How can readers decide which information from what they hear, read, and see to believe?

- Bias: A judgment based on a personal point of view. 
- Exaggeration: An overstatement or stretching of the truth.

- a TV commercial that includes both exaggeration and bias, such as
+ http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7Zqd/kelloggs-raisin-bran-dad
- any TV commercial that shows these two concepts will work for the lesson.
- Additional suggestions include:
+ http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7dVO/honey-bunches-of-oats-greek
+ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYEXzx-TINc
+ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9gYkLX53L4&list=PLA8EC9C4BB01A083C&index=6
Teachers may substitute other ads to provide a range of reading and level of text complexity.
- a print ad of your choice from a magazine that contains ads that are appropriate for sixth graders or a copy of an ad from an online source, such as
+ http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1410&bih=706&q=toy+ads+for+children&oq=toy+ads&gs_
+ http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1410&bih=706&q=toothpaste+ads+for+children
- poster board large enough to display a magazine ad and add labels around it
- markers
- chart paper

- This lesson aims to familiarize students with the bias and exaggeration found in print and media advertisements.
- Throughout the class, keep an eye on the students and go over their work to assess their proficiency in the following areas:
+ Comprehend the ideas of bias and exaggeration in advertising
+ Recognize bias and exaggeration in commercials
+ Give pupils feedback regarding how well they comprehend the concepts.

Explicit instruction, active engagement, and scaffolding 
W: Analyze the justifications for authors' use of bias and exaggeration, then relate them to the advertising industry. 
H: Assign students to groups to find instances of bias or exaggeration in TV and print advertisements. 
E: Teach students how to spot bias and exaggeration in commercials. 
R: Give students the chance to share their findings with a partner and the entire class after they have had a chance to discuss them. Students should be encouraged to defend or modify their decisions. 
E: Give students a chance to share what they have learned and observe them to gauge their comprehension of bias and exaggeration in advertisements. 
T: Provide materials that correspond to each student's conceptual level so they can demonstrate their ability to recognize bias and exaggeration in advertisements. 
O: Using small-group inquiry, partner work, large-group instruction, and individual application of the concepts, students can start with what they already know about exaggeration and work their way up to a deeper understanding through the learning activities in this lesson. 

Focus Question: How are bias and exaggeration used in advertising?

Ask students to recall popular commercials for a common product, such as cereal, sports items, types of milk, or technological equipment. Ask, "What do you recall about this advertisement? What is the most notable?" Reactions will differ based on the commercials; they might feature a song, a dramatic event, a funny story, a celebrity, etc. "What is the goal of any commercial?" (to persuade customers to purchase the goods). Assist students in realizing that, despite the range of techniques advertisers employ to create an engaging commercial, the ultimate objective remains the same: a sale.

Part 1

Explain the meanings of bias (a conclusion based on a personal point of view) and exaggeration (an overstatement or stretching of the truth).

Inform the pupils that you will play a TV ad for them, and it is their task to watch the ad and look for instances of bias and exaggeration.

Play a cereal advertisement for the class, like the one at http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7Zqd/kelloggs-raisin-bran-dad.

It could be a good idea to play the commercial multiple times. After having a partner discussion about the commercial, have students present their thoughts to the class as a whole. Ask, "What biased or exaggerated scenes are there in the advertisement?" (Instances of bias: The daughter seems to be implying that Mom decides what the family members eat. An instance of hyperbole: Consuming cereal shields the heart.)

Question: "What is the creator of this advertisement hoping to accomplish by using bias and exaggeration?" (To persuade consumers to purchase the cereal.) Say, "The author's goal is to persuade in almost every commercial. The author can achieve this goal through the use of bias and exaggeration."

As you begin the lesson, have students talk about some of the commercials they recognized and mention any instances where bias or exaggeration was used to promote the product.

Part 2

Select a print advertisement aimed at children as an initial step (refer to the Materials section for suggested sources). Food, game, and technology advertisements will be effective. Put the chart-paper advertisement up. Alternatively, assign the students to watch the advertisement online.

Assign the students to small groups and allow them to examine the advertisement together. Next, ask the groups to respond to the following question: "What instances of bias and exaggeration do you see in the advertisement? What other tactics does the advertiser use to entice you to purchase the goods?" Ask the groups to document their findings in writing.

Discuss the groups' answers as a class after they have finished the assignment. Draw lines to the instances of bias and exaggeration that the students find in the advertisement, label them, or compile a list of examples on the chart paper. Make sure students justify any bias or exaggeration in their example.

Students are able to recognize further tactics used by the advertiser to entice consumers to purchase the goods. These might take many different forms, but some examples are the use of color and graphics, the use of emotional appeal (such as images of families or happy users of the product), special offers (like coupons), and facts or statistics (like the proportion of users who see results or the amount of a vitamin or mineral in the product).

Show the students the labeled advertisement or the list of examples.

Part 3

Give students copies of old magazines or ads to cut and paste. Ask them to select an advertisement and put it up on a poster board. Next, ask them to point out and categorize instances of bias or exaggeration. Students should talk to a partner about their work. If they think it's necessary, encourage them to make changes to their work now.

Ask pupils to arrange their completed work on their desks. Make students do a "Gallery Walk" around the classroom to see the advertisements made by other students and to analyze the instances of bias and exaggeration in the ads.

Get the pupils back together. Say, "As you can see, bias and exaggeration come in a lot of different forms and can be seen in advertisements for a wide range of products. We can observe the application of these strategies and be aware of their goals. Why is it crucial that consumers recognize bias and exaggeration in advertising?" Give pupils some time to react. Assist them in drawing the following conclusions:

An advertisement does not always translate into a purchase.
When making a purchase, people ought to learn the truth about a product.
People should carefully consider what advertisements are saying since they have the potential to be deceptive.
Say, "We can make better decisions and understand an author's true motives by understanding how bias and exaggeration work."

Extension:

Pupils who are willing to go above and beyond the call of duty could make a commercial for a product they like. Assign them to select a food item, game, or tool. Give them the task of creating two distinct product advertisements: one that uses bias and exaggeration and the other that does not. Permit students to design a print ad or a television commercial for their product.
Students who require more learning opportunities can analyze a set of biased or exaggerated advertisements in small groups or with a partner. Ask them to point out in the ads where each technique is used.