I’m very lucky in that my curriculum relates to real-world situations. A lesson that stands out for me is in my Marketing class when we talk about the basic concepts of Marketing and how they apply to the real-world businesses. Students learn about the 4P’s and are asked how companies use the elements to reach their target audience.
I start with the anticipatory set of “What is your favorite brand?” to get students thinking I display logos of popular brands on the white screen. Students are provided with a post-it note and asked to write the name of their favorite brand and explain why they like it. Once completed students affix their post-it near the logo for their brand. After students have returned their post-it we have a class discussion regarding the brand choices. Often student responses include comments about quality, price, style, advertising, social media presence or about how popular a brand is currently. This conversation lends itself to discuss how the brands have successfully marketed themselves to become a favorite among consumers.
The purpose being that we have now generated an interest in what businesses are doing and how they relate to the lesson at hand so students are better prepared mentally for the lesson. I do reflect on lessons regularly and as a result the logos presented to students do change based on what’s popular during that year, so the material is easier for students to relate to.
I start with the anticipatory set of “What is your favorite brand?” to get students thinking I display logos of popular brands on the white screen. Students are provided with a post-it note and asked to write the name of their favorite brand and explain why they like it. Once completed students affix their post-it near the logo for their brand. After students have returned their post-it we have a class discussion regarding the brand choices. Often student responses include comments about quality, price, style, advertising, social media presence or about how popular a brand is currently. This conversation lends itself to discuss how the brands have successfully marketed themselves to become a favorite among consumers.
The purpose being that we have now generated an interest in what businesses are doing and how they relate to the lesson at hand so students are better prepared mentally for the lesson. I do reflect on lessons regularly and as a result the logos presented to students do change based on what’s popular during that year, so the material is easier for students to relate to.