I've only wanted
one thing in my life–to contribute, to help make the world a better place . . .
not with technology, but with ideas.
Introduction
We
live in a society of consumers – a society of instant gratification. But what does
this really mean for us? Josh Swenson believes consumerism is leading to the
downfall of society. “Larry’s mission statement would be to take on waste and
overspending and cultural brainwashing” (47). While some of you may think this
is a bit extreme, he does have some valid points. In the end, some may say Josh
is unsuccessful in his quest to end or even warn people about consumerism; it
is your job to pick up the pieces.
In
this WebQuest, you and a partner will continue Josh’s mission statement. You
will analyze the social problem(s) associated with consumerism and
commercialism Tashjian sets forth in The
Gospel According to Larry. You will go one step further than Josh/Larry and
develop policy solutions that will make the world a “better place.”
Task
“The average American is exposed to about 3000 advertising messages a day, and globally corporations spend over $620 billion each year to make their products seem desirable and to get us to buy them.”
“Each of us sees more ads alone in one year than people of 50 years ago saw in an entire lifetime.”
Step 1: In order to fully understand the idea of
commercialism and appreciate the idea of consumerism, carefully watch the commercials aired during your favorite
television program (at least 30 minutes). Write a brief response answering the
following questions: What are the commercials selling? Who is the target
audience of the commercials? Are the messages conveyed truthful? How much
influence do you thing commercials have on you as a consumer?
(If
you do not watch or own a television, check out your favorite magazine, or pay
close attention to the ads/billboards plastered around you and answer the same
questions.)
Step 2: Create a parody
(a pseudo ad) of a magazine ad or major company that could be posted on Larry’s
web site. A parody should be a similar ad that tells the truth about the product.
Click
HERE
for examples.
Step 3: Your final task is to create PSA
(Public Service Announcement) that highlights the problem and suggests the best
policy solution.
You
will go through the Public Policy Analyst steps in order
to come to your conclusion.
Use
the resources to help find secondary sources that support your opinions. You
must have at least 3 sources that back up your opinion.
Process
1. Defining the Social Problem – While
consumerism is at the root of the problem, your group should define a more
specific aspect to be explored.
Steps 2-4 require research. See
Resources for help getting started.
2. Gather evidence of the problem
3. Identify the causes of the problem
4. Identify and evaluate the existing public policies
5. Developing public policy solutions
6. Selecting the best policy solution
Resources
Famous
(and not so much) Examples of PSAs
This is your brain… (not
accessible from school)
Detailed PPA steps
(use the links on the left)
Google (be wary of inaccurate information)
Evaluation
PSA
Rubric (pdf file)
Conclusion
Now
that you’ve finished this WebQuest, you are one step closer to creating a
“better world.”
Miss Schilly
English 10
lschilly@nscsd.org