About This Lesson
Chances are you have a classroom full of screenwriters and directors who don’t even know that they’re ready to create an impactful Public Service Announcement geared at changing the world. This lesson introduces students to the production of PSAs, by first providing the opportunity for them to build an understanding of the characteristics of the genre. After students view a variety of PSAs, they will be able to offer informed critiques about what makes a PSA effective. This will lay the groundwork to the creation of their own Public Service Announcements.
Lesson Design:
- Explain to students that writers often study the writing of others critically to learn more about craft.
- In preparation for writing scripts for PSAs, the class studies some examples from a writer’s perspective, considering the following questions.
- What do we notice about PSAs in general?
- Which PSAs do we think are especially good and why?
- How can we create PSAs as powerful and effective as these
- Stopping after each PSA, the class focuses on the first question. Chart and discuss the characteristics of PSAs that students notice. (You might want to refer to the list below.)
Typically, PSAs:
- Are short (usually 60 seconds or less)
- Present one single issue
- Inform the viewer of key, relevant facts
- Have a clear call to action (usually indicated through text on screen)
- Might or might not include people
- Might or might not use music
- Sometimes use voice-overs
- Sometimes use special effects (like black and white)
- Might use transitions/editing to enhance the video
- Aim to leave a lasting impact
- After building a list of characteristics, students will ‘Think-Pair-Share’ in response to Questions #2 and 3 above.
- Consider keeping a class list of PSA features, noting specific techniques that are most effective.
- Provide time for students to reflect on what features they felt were most effective and brainstorm ideas for their own PSAs.
