Examining the Evidence: Gender and Adverstising

Grade
6-9
9-12
Lesson Duration

Author: Vision 2020, National Constitution Center

This classroom activity is found on page 57 of the guide for K-12 educators that accompanied the temporary exhibition From the Absence of Many to the Presence of All: The Unfinished Business of Women’s Equality  at the National Constitution Center, Philadelphia. The exhibition is part of a national project focused on advancing gender equality by energizing the dialogue about women and leadership. This Guide is designed to be flexible, with the intention that you pick and choose, mix and match based on your classroom needs. The activities are designed to engage students and allow them to interact with the material and with each other, and the range of choices provides options for students of different learning styles.

Objective:

  • By examining, analyzing, and comparing/contrasting a 21st-century ad that relates to issues of gender equality, and a historical ad that does the same, students will investigate and discover what primary source [advertising] images can tell us about views on gender equality in different time periods.
Source:

Source

The Annenberg Foundation is a private family foundation that provides funding and support to nonprofit organizations in the United States and globally. The Foundation and its Board of Directors are also directly involved in the community with innovative projects that further its mission to advance the public well-being through improved communication. The Foundation encourages the development of effective ways to share ideas and knowledge.