* NEW LESSON PLAN *

CREATING A TELEVISION AD FOR AN INTEREST GROUP

During our annual Congress in the Classroom® workshop --
http://www.dirksencenter.org/print_programs_CongressClassroom.htm --
participants are asked to introduce the lesson plans, resources, and techniques
that have proven successful in teaching about Congress in their classrooms. A
2007 participant, Gregory Stewart, Whitewater High School, Whitewater, WI,
presented his lesson entitled, "Creating a Television Ad for an Interest Group."

Background information for this lesson follows:

It is important for students to understand what they, as citizens, can do to
become involved in the political process. In addition, students need to
understand the way in which bias and stereotyping are used by various media and
interest groups to influence popular opinion.

In this lesson, students examine propaganda and media bias and explore the ways
interest groups get their message across through the use of media campaigns.
Following the development of their own interest group, students develop an
advertising campaign which includes the development of a radio and television
commercial. Find "Creating a Television Ad for an Interest Group" at:
http://www.congresslink.org/print_lp_creatingad.htm