Psychological Factors of Consumerism-Analysis in Composition
Composition I Honors- Non-Fiction
Open Education Resource
Lesson Plan: By Prof. Alexandra Della Fera
Passaic County Community College
English Department
Lesson: The focus of this lesson is to provide reading material and strategies for idea development for an analytical essay. The topic is on consumerism and the readings will be based on two articles: “Psychological Factors” and “The Black Box” of Consumer Behavior.” Students will also be asked to select an advertisement of a product that they regularly buy for themselves. The class discussion of the readings and images will foster a community of idea sharing which will translate well as supporting points in response to the writing prompt which will be given to students for their next essay assignment.
Instructional Goals:
1. Students will be able to extract ideas from both articles and from class discussion of the articles to help develop their own ideas on the assigned topic.
2. Students will be able to utilize a close reading through their double-entry journal for extracted quotes to which they respond and react.
3. Students will be able to brainstorm their ideas through a free-write as a pre-writing activity for this next essay assignment. This will happen after class discussion of the readings, writing prompt, and ad image selection.
Rationale: Many students have a difficult time with idea development for their body paragraphs. Therefore, having a class discussion to deconstruct key points and offer examples of advertisement images to highlight the ideas of the reading will help foster a community of idea sharing which will then translate into concrete supporting points for individual essays.
Materials:
1. Google Images
2. Readings:
“The Black Box” of Consumer Behavior”
“Psychological Factors”
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/marketing-spring2016/chapter/reading-psychological-factors/
Instructional Procedures:
1. The instructor showcases advertisements images for various popular products using Google Images.
2. Students are asked to free-write in five minutes about what consumer needs are being evoked from the targeted audience. A short discussion ensues.
3. The class then folds in ideas from the two articles that they were assigned to read for homework the class before, and are given a few minutes to extract poignant quotes for a double-entry journal.
4. A robust class discussion ensues on the psychological factors involved in shopping and the insightful ideas on consumerism from the two articles read.
5. Students are asked to go to their computers and select a compelling advertisement for a product that they often buy and use.
6. Students are given the writing prompt that coincides with the photograph that they have selected and they begin a free-write as a pre-writing activity for this next essay assignment.
7. One final discussion ensues to share these specific ideas.
8. Students are instructed to go home and create an outline for this next essay.
Evaluation:
Students will be assessed on this lesson by how they perform on their next essay. Specifically, body paragraph development and evidence of a close reading will be the focus.
Writing Prompt:
Choose an advertisement image of a product that you often buy and use. Analyze this ad and apply key concepts from the two readings to explain how the companies of these products try to evoke specific needs within the consumer. Focus on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in your analysis, and explain which needs are specifically targeted.
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