Lesson Overview:
The character of Willy Wonka is always on the lookout for new products. In this lesson, students write a persuasive letter to Wonka asking him to manufacture their product, a new type of candy. Students will design a candy wrapper and create a print ad using visual art and text to promote the new candy.
Length of Lesson:
Four 45-minute periods
Notes:
This lesson is particularly suitable for grade 4.
Instructional Objectives:
Students will:
- compare candy using their five senses.
- create a new candy.
- write a letter persuading Willy Wonka to produce the new candy.
- design a candy wrapper for the new candy.
- conduct a survey about the candy's wrapper.
- write ad copy for the new candy.
- create a print ad for the new candy.
Supplies:
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
- Samples of a variety of Hershey's™ Kisses
- Samples of candy wrappers with a variety of packaging, including
M&M's® and Skittles®
- Post-it® notes
- Printed candy ads
- Writing journals and pencils
- Art supplies (crayons, markers, colored pencils, scissors, and glue)
- Plain paper or small poster board for ad illustrations
Instructional Plan:
Before the students enter the room, write the following words on the board and cover them so they are not visible to the students:
- sight
- hearing
- taste
- touch
- smell
Begin the class by asking students about the five senses. As each word (sense) on the board is named and uncovered, discuss the importance of this sense to daily living. How would life be different without having this sense? Does this sense help to influence you in any aspects of your life? Are senses used in making decisions?
Distribute the worksheet Candy and Your Senses. Ask students to think about their very favorite candy. Invite them to close their eyes for a moment and visualize this candy. Remind them to think about all aspects of it. While their eyes are closed, read the questions on the worksheet to the students to help them with their visualization. When they are done with this task, ask them to answer the questions about their favorite candy. The students will be describing the candies they visualized. Give them time to write a response to each question on their worksheet, Candy and Your Senses. Remind them that they must place their answer under the appropriate sense.
When students have finished, have them form groups of five and give one clean worksheet to each group. Each group needs to look at all the responses in each category, discuss them, and then choose the one response they feel is the best, the most descriptive, the best image for that particular sense. They should do this for each category on the chart, and list the selected responses, along with the name of the candy being described, on the group worksheet. The group will choose a spokesperson who will read the group's responses to the class. Tell the spokesperson not to reveal the name of the candy, but just read the description. See if the other groups can recognize the candy from its description. The spokesperson can reveal it if no one can guess it. Record the descriptive responses on the board, an overhead, or chart.
Next, ask students if they are familiar with, or have tried, any new candies being sold? In their journals have them list some of the new candies that they have seen and/or tried. If they have seen an ad for a new candy on television or in a magazine, have them describe the ad. Give students about two minutes to write and share with the class.
Hershey's™ Kisses are a good example of a candy that has gone through changes throughout its approximate one hundred-year history. Students can find out information at the Web site
of Hershey's™ candies.
Here, students can take a virtual tour of the factory, play games, and get recipes. Hershey's™ Kisses started as a simple drop of milk chocolate, wrapped in silver foil, and topped
with a thin paper flag with its name on it. Slowly, Hershey's™ began to experiment with the Kiss. The first change was to put an almond in the center and wrap it in gold foil. Next, Hershey's™ changed the color of the foil to reflect the season. Red and green foils appear at Christmas and pastel foils are the wrappings for spring.
Then new flavors were introduced, including white chocolate, mint, dark chocolate, cookies and cream, and caramel. Most of these were introduced within the past few years. Each one is a drop
of chocolate with a unique flavor. Each variety has its own foil design with a thin paper flag popping out of the top. Have examples of a variety of Hershey™ Kisses—the more, the better. Ask students why they think this candy has been so successful and has remained for so many years.
Pass out different kinds of Hershey's™ Kisses and have the students compare and contrast both the wrapping/packaging and the candy itself. Each student should get
two different Kisses. Students can record their responses on the graphic organizer found at ReadWriteThink.org. Students should list the following items: the names of each Hershey's™ Kiss, similarities between each, and the differences between each Kiss. After examining the wrapping, unwrap the candies and compare size, shape, smell, feel, and taste. Students should record responses on the graphic organizer. When they are finished, students should share their observations with each other.
Allergy Alert: Many students have severe allergies to nuts. Before allowing students to touch or taste any foods, please check the food's contents. Most packaging for candy will tell of allergy content such as peanuts. The students who
are allergic should not touch, taste, or smell the product that they are allergic to. Place him/her away from the food that could harm them. They can get the information about the candy activity from others. If there is any kind of reaction from any student,
such as swelling or throat closure, seek medical attention immediately.)
Once the students have explored how Hershey's™ Kisses were changed, ask them what kinds of ingredients they would they like to see in a brand new candy. Explain that they have been invited by Willy Wonka to come up with a new kind of candy. Would it be chocolate that fizzes on the tongue, a strawberry flavored Kiss, or chocolate covered gummi bears? What would you call the product, 'Coco Roco', 'Pink Kiss', or 'Brown Gummi Bears'? Give the students a few minutes to generate ideas and have them record the ideas in their journals.
Distribute the worksheet Creating Your Persuasive Letter. Tell students that they are going to write to Mr. Wonka to persuade him to produce the new candy. Remind them to use vivid, descriptive words that evoke the senses, and to avoid weak words like "fun" and "good." Remind students to look at the descriptive
works listed on the board or chart from the earlier activity.
Tell students that they will be writing a business letter. The format is outlined on the handout, but additional resources and information can be found at
The University of Wisconsin's Writing Center. The handout provides a writer's checklist to follow. If students attend to these items, they should be very successful on this activity. Provide time in class to do a rough draft with additional time for
both self and peer editing. Then have students finalize the letter as a homework assignment and assign a due date.
To introduce the next activity in the lesson, remind students that every good piece of candy has to have a great wrapper. Candy companies and advertisers hire art directors to design and conduct research on wrapper design. They want the consumer to recognize their product and select it over others. Ask the students to think about design and the elements of size, shape, and color. Display a variety of candy products or wrappers for products such as chocolate bars, lollypops, gum, etc. Talk about the packaging. Is it colorful or dull? Eye catching? Is the candy visible through the wrapper? (Again be aware of allergy concerns.)
Provide examples of different kinds of candies in their wrappers. Direct students to rate the way the candy is wrapped or packaged. In their journals, have students write
- The Name of the Candy
- The Kind of candy (gum, bar, lollypop, etc.)
- "Eye Catching" Rating from 4 (High) to 1 (Low)
Give students a few minutes to examine the packaging and have them write to explain why they gave a 4 to a certain kind of package and a 1 to another. Students should discuss and debate what part of the packaging did or did not catch the eye. Was it the shape or size of the wrapper? What about the colors that were used on the package? Were they an eye-catching choice? Does the candy's name appear on the package? Was the font chosen to write it effective? Can the candy be seen through the wrapper? Does that make you want to eat it more than another candy that is hidden from view?
Think again about the Hershey's™ Kisses and their wrappers. Each candy is wrapped in a 2 1/4" (55mm) piece of foil. This is an efficient and safe way to package each Kiss. The square-shape of the wrapper swirls around the drop and covers the shape of the candy. Any bigger or smaller, the Kiss might not have the same appeal. The color and/or design on the foil, along with the color of the writing on the flag told you what to expect inside.
Hold up M&M's® and Skittles® packages. They have similar package shapes and sizes. The product inside is
approximately the same size and the same colors. Compare the way the art on the packages is alike and different. Have the
class vote on which one is more visually appealing. Discuss reasons for the choices that made one more visually appealing
than the other one.
Large companies employ art directors who are very involved in the creation of new products. When art directors make the design of a new candy product, they make several different designs. They use different sizes, shapes, and colors on the "mock ups." They test it by using surveys and asking people what they find appealing about the design. In most cases they ask hundreds of people. If there is a tie, they eliminate all but the top choices, and ask people to vote again on the products that tied for first place. The art directors then present their findings to their bosses. Even if the art directors don't agree with what the survey showed, they must present what the public seems to like.
Then, explain to students that they are going to take the role of an art director. Distribute the worksheet Candy Wrapper Design & Survey Project. Each student will complete three designs for the wrapper of their new candy product for Mr. Wonka. Then, they will survey 12 people and report their findings with the winning design identified. The winning design will have a written explanation with it describing the comments that were made by the survey takers. Remind each designer to think about the shape and size of the product they are selling. Will the packaging be a small box, a wrapper, bag, or a see through carton? Think about colors for the package. Will those colors reflect what is inside? What kind of font will be chosen for writing the name of the candy?
Allow the students class time to begin planning their three designs. Then have students complete their designs for
homework. They should survey a minimum of 12 family members and friends and summarize the results on the worksheet.
As an introduction to the last activity, break the class into groups of four. Give each group a variety of print ads for candy and a small pack of Post-it® notes. Ask the students to again look at the way art design can help or hurt a
product. Look at color, product placement, and the ad copy. What style is the ad? Does it use photos of the product or people with the product or did the designer make a drawing, puzzle, or cartoon? Are the colors used bright or regular? Do the colors used in the ad appear in the candy or on the wrapper? Does the ad have a sense of humor or is it more serious? Is the copy simple and direct or is there a bigger message? On the Post-it®s, have the students put comments about what they like or dislike about the ads. Give them about five to ten minutes to do this and then have each group share a favorite ad with the class. Post the ads around the room with the Post-it® comments on them for students to look at.
To conclude, have the students design their own print ad with simple copy for their new candy product. Have them think
about what was said about the ads. Think about what draws you to read an ad, the visuals and the words. Use word play, like puns, repeated beginning sounds, or rhymes. Keep it simple and direct. For example, the ad for Wonka's Laffy Taffy shows a short-haired boy in an orange t-shirt and jeans holding the candy with the word "start" under him. Next to him is a tall young man with a full head of hair who is laughing and wearing a ripping orange shirt and jeans that are too short. The word "finished" appears under him. At the bottom of the page it shows Willy Wonka and he says, "The incredibly long-lasting Laffy Taffy." Varieties of the candy appear on the other side of the bottom of the page to give the ad a sense of balance.
Give students time to look at the ads and to make a plan of their own. Allow them to bounce copy ideas off each other. The final product can be worked on during free time in class or as a final homework project.
When completed, each person's ad can be displayed on a classroom bulletin board, in the hallway, or in a class book.
Assessment:
Wonka Letter Rubric
3 - The letter persuades by stating reason and giving at least two supporting details
2 - The letter persuades by stating reason and giving one supporting details
1 - The letter states reason, but gives no support
0 - The letter does not persuade or is disorganized
3 - Always utilizes highly descriptive words
2 - Uses some descriptive words
1 - Uses few descriptive words
0 - No descriptive words used or overuses "good" and "fun"
3 - Highlights all five senses in describing the candy
2 - Highlights 3-4 senses in describing the candy
1 - Uses 1-2 senses in describing the candy
0 - Does not use the senses in describing the candy
3 - Letter fully follows the business letter format of: return address, business address, heading, body, closing, and signature
2 - Letter is missing 1-2 parts of business letter format
1 - Letter is missing 3-4 parts of business letter format
0 - Business letter format was not used
3 - The letter follows all the rules of proper spelling, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation
2 - The letter follows most of the rules of proper spelling, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation
1 - The letter follows some of the rules of proper spelling, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation
0 - The letter is full of errors in spelling, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation
Candy Wrapper Design Rubric
3 - Three different mock-ups of a wrapper were created
2 - Two different mock-ups of a wrapper were created
1 - One mock-up of a wrapper was created
0 - No wrapper was created
3 - Effectively used the design elements of color, size, and shape in designing candy wrappers
2 - Used the design elements of color, size, and shape in designing candy wrappers
1 - Attempted to use the design elements of color, size, and shape in designing a candy wrapper
0 - No wrapper was created
3 - 12 or more people were surveyed about the wrapper designs
2 - 8-11 people were surveyed about the wrapper designs
3 - 4-7 people were surveyed about the wrapper designs
0 - 0-3 people were surveyed about the wrapper designs
3 - Expressively describes the results of the survey and gives much support on reasons for final choice of wrapper
2 - Describes the results of the survey and gives few reasons for final choice of wrapper
1 - Chooses a wrapper with no support
0 - No report written
Candy Advertisement Rubric
3 - Well balanced with strong choice of color, size, and product placement
2 - Balanced with color, size, and product placement
1 - Unbalanced and poor color usage, size, and product placement
0 - Not done
3 - Copy effectively uses language persuasively to sell product
2 - Copy somewhat effectively uses language persuasively to sell product
1 - Copy attempts to use language persuasively to sell product
0 - Not done
Sources:
Print:
- Bang, Molly. Picture This-How Pictures Work. New York: SeaStar Books, 2000.
- Dahl, Roald. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. New York: Puffin Books, 1964.
- Dahl, Gary R. Advertising for Dummies. New York: Wiley Publishing, 2001.
- Swann, Alan. How to Understand and Use Design and Layout. Cincinnati, OH: North Light Books, 1987.
- Terban, Marvin. It Figures! Fun Figures of Speech. New York: Clarion Books, 1993.
- Werz, Edward and Sally Germain. Phrases That Sell. Lincolnwood, IL: Contemporary Books, 1998.
Web:
Authors:
-
Mary Beth Bauernschub, Teacher
Kingsford Elementary School
Mitchellville, MD
