youthspeakoutint.orgCreate a Mini Commercial
The ability to persuade others is an important communication skill. If you decided to sell something that you currently have in your house, like your cookie jar, a universal TV remote, or your pet lizard, can you convince someone that they should buy it? What would you need to say? Sharing important information can change what people think, but emotions also play a role in decision-making.
The purpose of this activity is to gain practice communicating persuasively but honestly. If you don’t believe that someone needs to buy a particular object, how might you persuade them to avoid buying it? You’ll also practice creating a short video. You can choose to create a commercial or it’s opposite, an anti-commercial (in which you persuade people NOT to buy something). For either option, what can you say about an object in your house to change someone’s mind or alter how they feel about it?
Begin by choosing the appropriate grade level for the child or children in your family:
What You Will Need
- Mobile phone, tablet, or video camera
For three or more family members:
- Sheet of paper
- Pen or pencil
- Bowl or container
Activity
If three or more family members are participating:
- Parents or guardians, write the following words on separate pieces of paper: customer, seller, and camera person. If more than three family members are participating, write the word actor on a separate piece of paper for each additional family member. (For example, if five people are participating, you will write the words customer, seller, camera person, actor, actor.)
- Place the pieces of paper in the container.
- Each participant (including the parent or guardian) may take a piece of paper from the container. Whatever is written on the paper is the role you will play in the following steps.
- Customer: Choose an object in your house or yard for the commercial and give it to the seller.
- Seller: Choose whether you will persuade the buyer to buy the object or NOT buy it.
- Allow one to five minutes for the seller (and actors) to create a 15 second commercial. Parents, help your child think about what they can say to convince the customer.
- Camera person: Record the seller and actors presenting their commercial (or non-commercial) for the customer.
If one parent or guardian and one child is participating:
- Parents or guardians, choose an object from your house or yard for your child to use in their commercial. You will be the imaginary customer.
- Your child will be the imaginary seller. Help your child think about what they can say to convince someone to buy or NOT buy the object. How can they be persuasive? Help them to communicate important information about the object and be aware of the feelings and emotions that a customer might have.
- Once your child is ready, record him or her presenting their commercial (or non-commercial) to you, as the customer.
Talk About It
Watch the videos that your family created and answer the following questions:
- How do you think people feel about the object before the commercial?
- Sellers, what did you do to change what someone thinks about the object? Or how they feel about it?
- Do you think it worked? Why or why not?
- Customers, did the commercial change your mind?
What You Will Need
- Mobile phone, tablet, or video camera
For three or more family members:
- Sheet of paper
- Pen or pencil
- Bowl or container
Activity
If three or more family members are participating:
- Parents or guardians, write the following words on separate pieces of paper: customer, seller, and camera person. If more than three family members are participating, write the word actor on a separate piece of paper for each additional family member. (For example, if five people are participating, you will write the words customer, seller, camera person, actor, actor.)
- Place the pieces of paper in the container.
- Each participant (including the parent or guardian) may take a piece of paper from the container. Whatever is written on the paper is the role you will play in the following steps.
- Customer: Choose an object in your house or yard for the commercial and give it to the seller.
- Seller: Choose whether you will persuade the buyer to buy the object or NOT buy it.
- Allow one to five minutes for the seller (and actors) to create a 15 second commercial. Sellers, write down the words you will say (in your commercial) on a piece of paper.
- Camera person: Record the seller and actors presenting their commercial (or non-commercial) for the customer.
If one parent or guardian and one child is participating:
- Parents or guardians, choose an object from your house or yard for your child to use in their commercial. You will be the imaginary customer. Your child will be the imaginary seller.
- Sellers, think about what you can say to convince someone to buy or NOT buy the object. How can you be persuasive? On a piece of paper, write down the words you will say to communicate important information about the object. Consider the feelings and emotions that a customer might have.
- Parents or guardians, once the seller is ready, record him or her presenting their commercial (or non-commercial) to you, as the customer.
Talk About It
Watch the videos that your family created and answer the following questions:
- Did the commercial give important information about the object?
- What emotions might people have about the object before the commercial? What emotions might they experience after the commercial?
- Do you believe the commercial was effective?
What You Will Need
- Mobile phone, tablet, or video camera
For three or more family members:
- Sheet of paper
- Pen or pencil
- Bowl or container
Activity
If three or more family members are participating:
- Parents or guardians, write the following words on separate pieces of paper: customer, seller, and camera person. If more than three family members are participating, write the word actor on a separate piece of paper for each additional family member. (For example, if five people are participating, you will write the words customer, seller, camera person, actor, actor.)
- Place the pieces of paper in the container.
- Each participant (including the parent or guardian) may take a piece of paper from the container. Whatever is written on the paper is the role you will play in the following steps.
- Customer: Choose an object in your house or yard for the commercial and give it to the seller.
- Seller: Choose whether you will persuade the buyer to buy the object or NOT buy it.
- Allow one to five minutes for the seller (and actors) to create a 15 second commercial. Sellers, write down the words you will say (in your commercial) on a piece of paper.
- Camera person: Record the seller and actors presenting their commercial (or non-commercial) for the customer.
If one parent or guardian and one child is participating:
- Parents or guardians, choose an object from your house or yard for your child to use in their commercial. You will be the imaginary customer. Your child will be the imaginary seller.
- Sellers, think about what you can say to convince someone to buy or NOT buy the object. How can you be persuasive? On a piece of paper, write down the words you will say to communicate important information about the object. Consider the feelings and emotions that a customer might have.
- Parents or guardians, once the seller is ready, record him or her presenting their commercial (or non-commercial) to you, as the customer.
Talk About It
Watch the videos that your family created and answer the following questions:
- Did the commercial give important information about the object?
- What emotions might people have about the object before the commercial? What emotions might they experience after the commercial?
- What strategies did you use to communicate persuasively? Did you focus more on logical information (e.g., the object solves a problem) or emotions (e.g., this object can make you happy)? Why did you choose that strategy?
Image credit: Business vector created by pikisuperstar – www.freepik.com
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