OVERVIEW

The Teens, Tobacco & Media Tool Kit contains six lessons that are designed to empower teens to use the media to take action in their community against big tobacco. Washington State teens helped develop each of the six lessons, which are specifically designed to be presented by teens to teens.

Each lesson has supporting overheads, handouts, and video clips to reinforce and strengthen the lesson. Each lesson also includes an engaging activity to summarize and review the key concepts. The Tool Kit contains all supporting materials teens need to deliver the lessons, including, paper, colored pens, and props.

Lesson 1 -- Taking A Second Look

Lesson 1 introduces teens to the basic techniques that advertisers use to target the teen audience. In this lesson, participants are introduced to current advertising statistics, including the amount of advertisements targeting youth. Teens watch commercials that encourage them to critically analyze and critique the message and the production techniques. Additional video clips include segments that demonstrate how meticulously advertisers put together a commercial.

Lesson 2 -- The Truth About Tobacco

Lesson 2 incorporates the advertising techniques introduced in lesson 1 and discusses them in the context of tobacco advertising. Teens learn the specific myths the tobacco industry uses in their advertisements, such as "smoking will help you look attractive" or "smoking is clean and/or natural." These myths are critiqued and discussed and then countered with the "reality" using video clips, overheads, and the tobacco prop kit.

Lesson 3 -- About Face

About Face introduces teens to the concept of counter advertising. Up to this point, teens have learned the manipulative ways the tobacco industry targets them through advertising. About Face conveys the message that just as media can be used to influence teens to use tobacco, it also can be used to counter the harmful messages of Big Tobacco. Lesson 3 involves presenting teens some of the most creative and memorable counter ads produced, and then challenging them to create their own counter ad with current tobacco advertisements.

Lesson 4 -- Beyond Ads

The first three lessons examine the traditional venues the tobacco industry employs to attract the teen audience (i.e., print advertising). Beyond Ads explores the "nontraditional" vehicles the tobacco industry uses to promote their products, such as sports sponsorship and entertainment media. Teens learn how smoking is normalized and glamorized in the movies, and then explore other ways that moviemakers might go about developing a character without resorting to the use of tobacco as a tool. In addition, product placement is examined as participants are encouraged to watch a racing segment and count the number of times they see the Marlboro logo flash by. Participants are also introduced the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA).

Lesson 5 -- What's Up?

Lesson 5, What's Up? has two goals: The first is to inform participants that teens from around the world are active in the fight against the tobacco industry. This goal is accomplished by showcasing tobacco prevention PSAs and examples of teen anti-tobacco activism from an international, national, statewide, and local perspective. The second goal of the lesson is to inform teens about what is going on in their community with regard to tobacco prevention by highlighting local teen coalitions.

Lesson 6 -- Listen Up!

Listen Up! challenges teen participants to develop a plan and/or a project that uses the media as their tool to fight the tobacco industry. In this lesson, teens are introduced to local teens in their area that are fighting back against Big Tobacco-- this lesson encourages and motivates them to do the same thing!