Prepare, Persuade, Protect: Environmental PSA

Objectives:
- The student will identify a negative human influences on the environment and possible resolutions.
- The student will demonstrate an understanding of persuasive techniques used by creating a 30 second public service announcement aimed at persuading viewers to reduce their negative influence on the environment.


Procedure:
This lesson is designed to be implemented over the course of five one hour class periods.

Day 1
Using the following questions as a guide, lead a discussion in what students know about persuasion. Record examples and techniques on chart paper that can be referenced throughout the development of public service announcements. What is persuasion? What examples of persuasion have you seen on TV? In print? When you walk through a mall? What are persuasive techniques that are used?

Provide students with examples of persuasion including editorials, advertisements, commercials, and public service announcements. A phenomial resource for public service annouments (PSA) is http://www.adcouncil.org/default.aspx?id=15. Direct students to look for techniques used to try to convince readers or viewers. Continue to add to the lists as students make observations.


Day 2
Review charts from day 1, share at least one commerical and public service announcement, and ask students to look carefully for similarities and differences between the two. Complete a Venn diagram as a class to compare and contrast the two. Emphasize the fact that public service announcements aim at promoting positive behavior or change.

Explain to students that they will be using what they have learned about persuasion and PSA to create their own. Divide students into groups of 2-3 to brainstorm negative influences humans have on the environment. They should narrow down their list to one and beginning developing an outline of the video. Encourage students to consider including research in their film to support a need for change. During this stage, students should also consider what type of video clips they will need to create to incorporate into the PSA.


Days 3-5
Students should continue to work on the planning of their PSA. Once students have developed an outline and received teacher approval, they will need to film necessary clips using a Flip Video camera (these steps should be completed by the end of day 4). Once filming is complete, students will use editing software to develop a 30 second public service announcement.