LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Evaluate the importance of good spending habits; identify common marketing tricks; describe hacks to stay financially savvy.

HEALTH ED STANDARDS

NHES 7: Practice healthy behaviors and avoid or reduce health risks.

CASEL: Responsible decision-making

KEY VOCAB

savvy

manipulating

endorsements

concoctions

ambience

Lesson Plan: Not Buying It!

Marketers use sneaky tactics to get you to spend big. Here’s how to fight back against the hard sell.

Table of Contents:

1. Preparing to Read

2. Reading and Discussing

3. Building Comprehension and Vocabulary

4. Expanding SEL Opportunities

1. Preparing to Read

Before you read the article “Not Buying It!,” ask your students the following pre-reading question:

What are some common marketing tactics used to target teens, and how can I avoid them to maintain healthy spending habits?

2. Reading and Discussing

  • Have your students read the article “Not Buying It!” independently; read the article out loud to them; or have students partner-read the article out loud.
  • After they’ve read the article, revisit the pre-reading question. Have their answers changed?
  • Next, have your students answer the Close-Reading and Critical-Thinking questions, either working in small groups or independently.


Close-Reading Questions
The following questions can be shared in printable or interactive form from the Resources tab. 

  1. Why do companies so often target teens in their advertisements, according to Josh Golin?
  2. In general, should you trust a social media star’s opinion of a brand they say they love? Why or why not?


Critical-Thinking Questions

  1. Have you ever noticed or felt pressured by any of the sneaky marketing tactics mentioned in the article? Explain, giving at least one specific example.
  2. Why is it so important for you to learn to spot sneaky marketing tactics and spend responsibly as a teen?

3. Building Comprehension and Vocab

Check students’ comprehension of and engagement with the story with the following assessment tools:

  • Quiz

  • Vocab Builder

4. Expanding SEL Opportunities

Continue the learning journey with the following extension activity:

DON’T BE A TARGET! Have students put their learning into practice by recording any marketing tricks from the article that they notice over the course of a week, either online or IRL. Then, have them reflect on how noticing these tricks affected their mindset about spending.

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