Research project: how adverts persuade
Adverts try to make children want things. A good researcher looks for how they do it. With your partner, plan first: write your question, such as ‘How do adverts try to make children want toys?’, and list where you will look, always with a grown-up. Then collect examples and sort them into groups. Common tricks are bright colours, happy children, ‘everyone has one’, a catchy tune, a free gift, and ‘only today’. Keep your findings organised in one collection or folder. At the end, reflect: which tools helped, which were hard, and what will you ask your teacher? The aim is not to say adverts are bad, but to understand them so that you can decide for yourself.
| Trick | What the advert shows | What I can ask |
|---|---|---|
| Bright colours and music | a fun, loud picture | Is the toy really like this? |
| Everyone has one | many happy children | Do I really need it? |
| Only today | a clock and a big word | Can I wait and think? |
Plan and start your own small study. With a partner, write a research question about adverts for children (for example, toys or snacks). List three places you could look with a grown-up, such as a magazine, a poster or a TV break. Make a table with three columns: Advert, Trick used, My question. Fill in at least two rows from adverts you remember, without naming any brand. At the end write two sentences of reflection: what was easy, and what you would ask your teacher.