Engaging with advertising media in a constructivist classroom : case study of a rural seventh grade class

Abstract

This study examined the experience of rural seventh grade students in a communication arts class where advertising media was the focus, and how these young adults talked, thought, and wrote about advertising media. Data was collected over four weeks during a unit on persuasive techniques in propaganda texts and included interviews, whole class and small group discussions, student writing, and student production of multimedia commercials and print ads. This qualitative case study provides an analysis of the instructional methods chosen by a constructivist teacher who engaged her students in the spring of the year, immersing them in the genre of advertisements, providing scaffolds and equipment for student use, and scheduling large blocks of time for students to talk, write, and create. The study provides insight into pedagogy and issues around media literacy.