- Intro to the Simulation
- Curriculum Elements
- Intern Onboarding
- Intro to the Internship
- Task 1: Identify Target Audiences
- Task 2: Locate Target Audiences
- Task 3: Develop Strategy & Message
- Task 4: Test Media Buys
- Task 5: Campaign Pitch
- Design a Campaign
- New Campaign Overview
- Special Interest Groups
- Task 6: Campaign RFP
- Task 7: Identify Target Audiences
- Task 8: Conduct Media Audit
- Task 9: Determine Strategy
- Task 10: Finalize Campaign
- Client Pitch Presentations
- Debrief and Discussion
- Resource Library
Intern Onboarding
Task 3: Develop Strategy & Message
(~75 minutes)
Lesson Framing & Purpose:
Now that students have located their target audiences throughout the state, direct them to the news layer of the Map Tool in order to research how the proposed gun control policy is being reported and discussed in these particular areas. Remind students to use the campaign resources to learn more about gun control issues and for help identifying different messaging strategies. These will help students justify their own recommended strategy and message.
- Students will use the Map Tool to investigate how gun control issues are being reported.
- Students will use campaign resources to determine the types of strategies and messaging being used in their target areas.
- Students will recommend a campaign strategy and message based on this research.
- Students will use evidence to justify their decisions.
Resources:
Teacher only resources Student resources- PurpleState Map Tool
- Gun Control At a Glance (Wisconsin | Virginia)
- Media Strategy and Message Resource
- Argumentative Writing Guide
Reflective Questions:
- What are the different sides of the debate about increased gun control?
- How does each side communicate its message?
- What do news and other media tell us about how people think about these issues?
Learning Activities:
Email 3 (~15 minutes)
- Have students read the Task 3 Email to understand what PurpleState needs them to do next.
- "What is the next thing Matt Gonzalez needs help with for their campaign design?”
Media Audit (~60 Minutes)
- Students should read through the Gun Control At a Glance document to become more familiar with the topic.
- Have students use the Media Strategy and Message Resource to answer media audit questions.
- Students will use the Map Tool News Layer to research the existing messaging around gun control.
- How is the issue framed in the news in the local area?
- What arguments are the authors using?
- What messaging strategies and tones did you find most compelling?
- Why might these strategies and tones be used in this location, and who might they be targeting?
- What sorts of messages do you think might be useful for your campaign?
Formative Assessment
Option 1:Either in small groups or as a writing assignment, have students share out the media messages that they found the most useful/persuasive
- “What new things did you learn from your gun control research?”
- “What messaging strategies and tones did you find particularly effective?” “What messages would be effective in your media campaigns?”
Like in Tasks 1 and 2, you have the option for a formative assessment by having students structure their responses above into an email to Matt Gonzalez. You can use the Argumentative Writing Guide resource to help guide students to develop strong arguments in their emails.
Implementation Tips
- Help students go beyond simply picking one type of strategy. They need to understand why they believe that one message strategy would work better than another. When writing or discussing their responses, students should back up their arguments with evidence.
- Help students to remember that they need to design a campaign with the message that the client will find persuasive, rather than what they personally believe.
- Remember that students’ suggestions to Matt Gonzalez must be supported with evidence.
Extension Activity: Forensic Ad Analysis
Why are different messaging strategies and tones used with different audiences and in different parts of the state? Extend the analysis students conduct during their media audit to other advertisements. Have students bring in ads that they encounter locally. (If you used the Targeted Ads extension activity from the previous task, you might use these advertisements.) Using the Media Strategy and Message Resource, ask students to identify and evaluate the messaging strategies and tones of these ads. Keeping the polling data and geographic location in mind, why might different messages be used in different parts of the state? What factors might contribute to the creation and distribution of these messages?