IMPRESSION EXTENSION (related

Virginia SOL)
ENVIRONMENT/
MATERIALS/
RESOURCES
EXPRESSION (related Virginia SOL)
1.Harrisonburg Walk
with picture taking
attention to what is
inside each building, as
in what takes place
inside. (ie-stores,
restaurants, offices).
How does each space
announce itself? How
does it make itself
attractive to persons
walking past? How
does each of these use
persuasion?

1. Prior to the field trip, look at
map of Harrisonburg. (Geog
2.4 2.6)Talk about what
students already know about
Harrisonburg, and what they
may want to know.
2. Talk about the meaning of
the word persuasion, and
connect it to their
experiences, including
commercials on TV, trying to
convince their parents and
friends about things, etc.
(English 2.2, 2.3)
3. After the trip, review what
was there, what wasnt there,
what they liked, didnt like.
(English 2.3) What would
they have liked to do that
they were not able to because
there was no resource?

1. Transportation
for field trip
2. Cameras for
students to
use
3. For the
classroom,
begin
gathering
cardboard,
other trash
materials
with which
students can
make signs
and other
promotion
materials for
their
businesses.
Project:
The classroom will become a small town, with
restaurants, shops , other types of businesses and a
mayor. The mayoral position will be vied for by two
to three students that want to run for mayor, and they
will prepare speeches, catchy
slogans, and maybe a logo for signs.
The restaurants and shops will be run by small groups
of students that are interested in those types of
businesses, and will compete for customers. They will
work together to determine the product/food they sell,
(Econ 2.5 and 2.9) make signage, commercials,
advertisements.
(Visual Arts 2.1, 2.4, 2/5. 2.10, 2.11, 2.16, 2.17,
2.19, 2.20)
2. Invite an advertising
professional (ie-
Rebecca Harris) to
come in to be
interviewed and to
demonstrate the
creative process
involved in persuasion.
1. Have children bring in
advertisements that they like, or
watch ones they like on Youtube.
Talk about what they like about
them. (English 2.7), inviting
differing opinions.
2. Prepare by spending time with
children forming questions. They
will know that they have the project
to work on, and will be competing
for shoppers. What do they want to
know about advertising?
3. Introduce the idea of problem
finding in the creative process. How
can they think about what they are
working on for the project in terms
4. Have
computers
available for
students to
observe
youtube
advertisemen
ts.
5. Make video
equipment
available for
student use
or adult use
with
students.
6. Gather art
When the students have prepared their spaces in
the room for their businesses, and speeches for sharing,
invite other classrooms to come in and vote on which
businesses they would be most likely to go to, which
advertisements/commercials are most effective, and
which mayoral candidate they would vote for.
Invite discussion of the reasons for their choices.
We can hold town meetings when conflict arises,
or to talk about how to make the town better. There
could be daily town situation cards that would be
drawn by a student that would describe a situation
that needs to be addressed in the meeting.
of a problem that they can provide a
solution to/for?

supplies in
art
center/adver
tising center.
3. Invite a local
political figure to come
in and talk about how
they use persuasion
with the speeches they
present, or how they
would recommend a
local citizen to proceed
with issues that they
feel are important. How
do you write an
effective letter to them?
1. Conduct a discussion in class
about political figures at the various
levels that the students might be
familiar with.(Civics 2.10 and 2.12)
Ask questions, such as, Why do we
have political figures? What is a
government for anyway? What do
politicians do? Why? What do they
care about? What should they care
about?
2. Talk about how politicians are
elected. How can a person
persuade someone else to vote for
them?
3. Talk about how normal people
are able to involve politicians in
issues that they are very concerned
about, so that bad situations can
change.
4. What are any situations in the
community that the children feel
need to be addressed?
7. If possible,
enable computers
to have graphic art
software to use with
their ideas. (C/T K-
2.1, 2.2, 2.6)


4. Invite an artist to
come in, or go to a
gallery, such as Oasis,
and engage the children
in conversation with
the artist. Have the
artist speak to what
captures peoples
attention, as far as
specific colors,
contrasts, and other
artistic means of
persuading people
through their eyes.
1. Revisit the advertisements that
students brought in, or found in
class. Have students analyze the
artwork found in them, looking for
commonalities of interest.
2. Have students think about
questions they would like to ask an
artist about what people find
persuasive in art, especially with an
eye to catching the interest of
passers-by on the streets of their
town. (See visual arts sols, right
column)


Problem Finding/Problem Solving: These represent a part of the creative process during which the thinking progresses from What is
missing? or What would make this better? to constructing solutions to those problems.
Learning as part of the creative process: In the act of creating, the process of producing creative products, the artist can learn about
the most effective methods of doing their work, whether it be painting, sculpture, dance, attractive signage and advertising, or
persuasive speech writing. The knowledge gained enables the artist to craft their best work.
Risk-taking/divergent thinking: Willingness to take risks is a personality characteristic of creative people, and part of the process of
divergent thinking.