Admongo Resources for the Classroom
Everywhere you look, you see advertisements—not just on TV and online, but on buses, buildings, and scoreboards. Many ads target kids ages 8 to 12. Do your students have the critical thinking skills to understand ads, what they’re saying, and what they want kids to do?
To help you equip your students with these valuable skills, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, has launched a campaign to teach kids about advertising. The Admongo campaign will help kids learn to ask three key “critical thinking” questions when they encounter advertising:
- Who is responsible for the ad?
- What is the ad actually saying?
- What does the ad want me to do?
The Admongo campaign features: a game-based student website at Admongo.gov; sample ads for the classroom; and a free curriculum, located below. Together, these tools will help you build ad literacy skills in the classroom and beyond!
Articles
Admongo Glossary
Visit and print the Admongo Glossary. These terms and concepts will help your students decode and understand advertising, helping them become smarter consumers!
Ad Library
Check out, print, and download ad examples to accompany these lessons. Share them with your students in class.
Family Information
Continue the learning at home with these family materials. Print out copies of the family program for your students.
Lesson Plans
Lesson 1: Ad Awareness
This lesson invites students to explore what advertising is, what ads do, and who's responsible for the messages in ads.
Lesson 2: Ad Targeting and Techniques
This lesson allows students to learn how (and why!) advertisers choose certain techniques to reach a certain target audience.
Lesson 3: Ad Creation
This lesson lets students see how research affects how ads are created and targeted - and lets students create their own ad.
Lesson 4: A Smarter Consumer
This lesson asks students to reflect on how understanding ads helps them make better buying decisions (and be smarter consumers).
