Sixth Grade Curriculum Resources
Standard of Learning
6.6 The student will access and analyze information for the purpose of improving personal and family health. Key concepts/skills include:
- assessment of personal and family wellness;
- analysis of the reliability of health information;
- recognition of the persuasive tactics used by various types of media;
- interpretation of the contraindications for prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines.
Understanding the Standard
The student will be able to recognize persuasive tactics designed to influence consumers of personal and family health products used by various types of media.
Knowledge and Skills
The student will recognize persuasive tactics designed to influence health consumers:
- provides scientific evidence to authenticate a product or service;
- compares tests or opinions of different products;
- uses demonstrations to enhance product appeal and perceived effectiveness;
- uses romance or sex appeal to make the product more attractive;
- uses a maturity or sophistication approach to make the buyer feel more confident about using the product;
- uses fun or humor; and
- persuades the buyer that buying the product is a good "deal".
Sample Lessons
LifeSkills Training
Grades: 6-8
Model substance abuse prevention and competency enhancement program focusing on the major social and psychological factors causing substance use and abuse. Teaches drug resistance skills, personal management skills, and general social skills. Includes self-image, self-improvement, decision-making, anger management, assertiveness, communication, media, and conflict resolution issues.
Contact: http://www.lifeskillstraining.com
Cost
Magazine Ads and You, the Teenager
Grades: 6-8
Advertising is often aimed directly at young people. Not only do they spend $70 billion a year, but they influence their parents' purchases also. Youth are hit by certain appeals - appeals to be like everybody else, sex appeal, even negative appeal. This activity is to increase student awareness of persuasion tactics as seen in magazine advertising.
Sponsor: Ask Eric
Contact: http://www.eduref.org (select lesson plans – health – consumer health)
Free
Personal and Family Health
This lesson plan teachers Students to recognize antibiotic resistance as a dangerous threat to community and personal wellness in the future.
Sponsor: Virginia Department of Health
Personal_Family_Wellness.pdf
Free
Over-the-Counter and Prescription Medications
This lesson plan teaches students to make healthy decisions about the usage of over-the-counter and prescription medications.
Sponsor: Virginia Department of Health
Medications.pdf
Free
Additional Instructional Resources
- Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Kidd Safety - http://www.education-world.com/parents/health/safety.shtml
- Food and Drug Administration Center for Drug Evaluation – http://www.fda.gov/cder/
- Life Skills Curriculum
- Marketing Specialists
- Six Types of Advertising - http://www.smalltownmarketing.com/sixads.html
- Types of Web Advertising - http://www.pr2.com/webads3.htm
- Virginia Department of Health – Antibiotic Worksheets -Antibiotic_Worksheets.pdf
- Virginia Department of Health – Antibiotic Pretest - Antibiotic_Pretest.pdf
Assessment Ideas
The student will:
- create posters using persuasive advertising techniques for health products targeted at adolescents.
- survey parents, grandparents, and others about health product advertising methods that have been used over a period of time.
- create a fictitious health product and use several persuasive marketing techniques to sell the product to the class.
