Culture and Change Activities
Cultural and Change Humane Education Activities feature lesson plans & activities that explore issues related to the influence and impact of media and social culture. Activity topics include advertising, economics, critical thinking, social psychology, and more.
Activities are organized by general grade categories. Some activities are in more than one issue category, as well as in more than one grade category.
To download an activity (in PDF format), click on the title of the activity. You'll need Adobe Acrobat to do so.
Analyzing Advertising
Students learn to be ad-savvy by exploring the pervasiveness of ads in their lives and by analyzing what ads are trying to sell…and trying to hide.
Recommended for grades 5 and up.
Time: 45-60 minutes
Analyzing Advertising
Students learn to be ad-savvy by exploring the pervasiveness of ads in their lives and by analyzing what ads are trying to sell…and trying to hide.
Recommended for grades 5 and up.
Time: 45-60 minutes
Be a C.R.I.T.I.C.
Participants learn and use the C.R.I.T.I.C. technique to enable them to bring critical thinking skills to any information they receive, whether from industry, non-profits, government or media.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.
Time: 30-45 minutes
The Cool Factor
Help participants think about “cool” in a new way and define their sense of self by exploring what’s cool, who decides what’s cool and different ways of defining cool.
Recommended for grades 7 through 12.
Time: 90-120 minutes
The Gist of You
Just as businesses and organizations have taglines to help identify them and to serve as a touchstone for their goals and intentions, so people can have their own taglines to help guide us and reflect our aspirations. In this activity, you can lead participants in creating their own personal taglines.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.
Time: 30-60 minutes
Is What’s Good for the GDP Good for Me?
This activity increases student awareness about the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and what it measures, introduces them to alternative indicators and encourages critical thinking about what factors contribute to a healthy, sustainable, stable economy.
Recommended for grades 8 and up.
Time: 60-90 minutes
It Ads Up
This activity explores: How do ads influence us? What strategies do ad designers use to target different groups of people? How can we recognize those strategies and our own triggers?
Recommended for grades 8 and up
Time: 30-45 minutes
Take Two
Unveil the manipulation inherent in marketing and corporate branding and awaken the creativity of your students by having them explore commercials aimed at them and then empowering them to create new commercials with a positive message.
Recommended for grades 8 and up.
Time: Two class periods, one week apart
Analyzing Advertising
Students learn to be ad-savvy by exploring the pervasiveness of ads in their lives and by analyzing what ads are trying to sell…and trying to hide.
Recommended for grades 5 and up.
Time: 45-60 minutes
Be a C.R.I.T.I.C.
Participants learn and use the C.R.I.T.I.C. technique to enable them to bring critical thinking skills to any information they receive, whether from industry, non-profits, government or media.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.
Time: 30-45 minutes
The Cool Factor
Help participants think about “cool” in a new way and define their sense of self by exploring what’s cool, who decides what’s cool and different ways of defining cool.
Recommended for grades 7 through 12.
Time: 90-120 minutes
The Gist of You
Just as businesses and organizations have taglines to help identify them and to serve as a touchstone for their goals and intentions, so people can have their own taglines to help guide us and reflect our aspirations. In this activity, you can lead participants in creating their own personal taglines.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.
Time: 30-60 minutes
Is What’s Good for the GDP Good for Me?
This activity increases student awareness about the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and what it measures, introduces them to alternative indicators and encourages critical thinking about what factors contribute to a healthy, sustainable, stable economy.
Recommended for grades 8 and up.
Time: 60-90 minutes
It Ads Up
This activity explores: How do ads influence us? What strategies do ad designers use to target different groups of people? How can we recognize those strategies and our own triggers?
Recommended for grades 8 and up
Time: 30-45 minutes
Not So Fair and Balanced: Analyzing Bias in the Media
This lesson plan helps high school students take a closer look at prejudices, the biases that media contain and perpetuate (such as in what they do and don't report on, or how particular genders or ethnicities are portrayed), and the ways we are influenced by those media biases.
Recommended for grades 9 and up.
Time: One week of 45 minute class periods
Take Two
Unveil the manipulation inherent in marketing and corporate branding and awaken the creativity of your students by having them explore commercials aimed at them and then empowering them to create new commercials with a positive message.
Recommended for grades 8 and up.
Time: Two class periods, one week apart
We Have You Surrounded
We're surrounded by marketing and advertising telling us what to buy, who to be, what we need to be happy. Use this series of activities to help students explore issues of branding, marketing and globalization.
Recommended for grades 9 through 12.
Time: Several weeks
Analyzing Advertising
Students learn to be ad-savvy by exploring the pervasiveness of ads in their lives and by analyzing what ads are trying to sell…and trying to hide.
Recommended for grades 5 and up.
Time: 45-60 minutes
Be a C.R.I.T.I.C.
Participants learn and use the C.R.I.T.I.C. technique to enable them to bring critical thinking skills to any information they receive, whether from industry, non-profits, government or media.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.
Time: 30-45 minutes
The Gist of You
Just as businesses and organizations have taglines to help identify them and to serve as a touchstone for their goals and intentions, so people can have their own taglines to help guide us and reflect our aspirations. In this activity, you can lead participants in creating their own personal taglines.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.
Time: 30-60 minutes
Is What’s Good for the GDP Good for Me?
This activity increases student awareness about the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and what it measures, introduces them to alternative indicators and encourages critical thinking about what factors contribute to a healthy, sustainable, stable economy.
Recommended for grades 8 and up.
Time: 60-90 minutes
It Ads Up
This activity explores: How do ads influence us? What strategies do ad designers use to target different groups of people? How can we recognize those strategies and our own triggers?
Recommended for grades 8 and up
Time: 30-45 minutes
Not So Fair and Balanced: Analyzing Bias in the Media
This lesson plan helps high school students take a closer look at prejudices, the biases that media contain and perpetuate (such as in what they do and don't report on, or how particular genders or ethnicities are portrayed), and the ways we are influenced by those media biases.
Recommended for grades 9 and up.
Time: One week of 45 minute class periods
Take Two
Unveil the manipulation inherent in marketing and corporate branding and awaken the creativity of your students by having them explore commercials aimed at them and then empowering them to create new commercials with a positive message.
Recommended for grades 8 and up.
Time: Two class periods, one week apart
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March 16, 2010 - 2:00 pm | Location: University of Maine - Orono (100 Neville Hall)
Please join us for an inspiring talk with Zoe Weil at the University of Maine in Orono. Co-sponsored by the Peace Studies and Sociology departments. Learn about the ways in which your everyday choices, your work, your activism, and your volunteerism can do the most ...
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