Grade Level:  9-12

Subjects:  English

Duration of Lesson:  One fifty minute class period

Learner Outcomes:   Students will read an article about teens who worked to have a tobacco advertisement removed from a billboard near the school and analyze tobacco advertising in their community and create an action plan for counteracting that.

Purpose:  To communicate knowledge and personal attitudes about tobacco use.

Materials Needed:

• Student and teacher resources - A
• Student and teacher resources - B
• Paper
• Pencils
• Internet

Technology Tools and Courseware:
Internet use, optional

Teacher Notes:  Some students may already be tobacco users.  If students openly discuss their tobacco use, ask them to participate by imagining that they have recently decided to quit and want to warn others of the addictive nature of tobacco.
Be sensitive to students' varying family and cultural backgrounds and different life situations relating to tobacco use.  Help students to avoid stereotyping tobacco users.

Procedure:
Have the students list on the board or large sheets of paper the number and kinds of tobacco advertising in their environment.

• Where were the ads
• What kind of images were presented
• What kinds of messages were presented
• Do you think these ads target teens and adults

Show students examples of advertising from magazines, newspapers and TV.

• Do these techniques target teens and children
• Do these techniques tell the truth about tobacco

Working in pairs or small groups, have the students read the student resource, Activist Schoolgirls Zap Tobacco Billboard.

• How old were the students
• Where did they live
• What did they do
• Why did they object the billboard ad
• Why do you think the tobacco company wouldn't respond to anyone under 18
• What do you think of this policy
• What happened after the tobacco ad was removed
• What do you think these students did

Ask the students to think about the ads they saw in their own environment and how the ads impact young people.  Help students list actions they could take to reduce the tobacco advertising that targets them.

Have student groups create action plans for reducing the tobacco advertising in their environment.  Each group should list:

• Target advertisement and location
• Reason it should be removed
• Action necessary
• Who should be involved

Ask the groups to share their action plans with the class.

Modifications:
Read aloud to Learning Disabled students, if needed.

Enrichment Activities:

• Conduct a discussion to help students access the feasibility of their action plans.
• Have students write letters to the local newspaper explaining how tobacco advertising targets young people and describing actions young people could take to reduce advertising.
• Have students launch a campaign to reduce tobacco advertising near the school.

Tobacco Billboards Come Down
Tobacco Billboard Regulations Fact Sheet
On-line Quiz

Evaluation:
Action plans Rubric
 

Target Advertisement Loc.	0	5	10
Reason to remove	0	5	10
Action necessary	0	5	10
Who should be involved	0	5	10

Tobacco Billboard Regulations Fact Sheet
On-line Quiz

West Virginia Instructional Goals and Objectives:
English
9.1K,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 review appropriate interpersonal communication skills
          (e.g., asking and answering questions, following directions)
9.242,3,5,10 form opinions and conclusions based upon a text
10.3 understand principles and values of group discussion (e.g., reaching
          a decision, solving a problem)
11.3 identify barriers to listening and generate methods to overcome
          them

National Standards:
English
Asks questions as a way to broaden and enrich classroom discussions
Responds to questions and feedback about own presentations (e.g., defends ideas, expands on a topic, uses logical
     arguments)

Authors: 
Janie Bolyard
Eva Robinson
Diane Smith
Grafton High School
 

Introduction

Lesson One

Lesson Two

Lesson Three

Lesson Four

Lesson Five

NIH Modules