Teachers

Everywhere you look, you see advertisements—not just on TV and online, but on buses, buildings, and scoreboards. Many ads target kids ages 8 to 12. Do your students have the critical thinking skills to understand ads, what they're saying, and what they want kids to do?

To help you equip your students with these valuable skills, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, has launched a campaign to teach kids about advertising. The Admongo campaign will help kids learn to ask three key "critical thinking" questions when they encounter advertising:

  • Who is responsible for the ad?
  • What is the ad actually saying?
  • What does the ad want me to do?

The campaign has four components: a game-based website at Admongo.gov; sample ads that can be used in the classroom;
free lesson plans, developed with the assistance of Scholastic, Inc.; and teacher training videos. Together, these tools will help you build ad literacy skills.

Why use this program? By equipping your students with critical thinking skills, you can help them better understand the ads around them and become smarter consumers! And, although the Admongo campaign focuses on advertising – helping tweens analyze commercial messages – the critical thinking skills you teach also will help tweens evaluate non-commercial messages, including editorial content and literature.


How to Use This Site

Admongo.gov teaches kids to apply critical thinking skills through a series of fun and challenging interactive games. The site is the foundation of the entire program. As a result, have your students explore it before you use the lesson plans in your classroom or for a quick overview of the site, visit the text version here. Want to get a sense of the gaming experience but don't have time to master each level? Teachers can vist an "unlocked" version of the game here.


Resources

For more information, below are links to free resources:

  • Admongo.gov
    An interactive safe and fun website for your class.
  • Admongo lesson plans
    Developed with Scholastic, Inc., they are designed to highlight critical thinking skills for your 5 - 6 grade students, and have been used successfully by many teachers in classrooms ranging from grades 3-9.
  • Teacher training videos
    Short practical videos that demonstrate how to teach ad literacy concepts to your students.
  • Text version of Admongo.gov
    No time to play the entire game? Visit the text version of the site to see the content.
  • Printed teacher materials
    Click here to order free copies of Admongo flyers and bookmarks from ftc.gov/bulkorder.
  • Downloads center
    High-resolution, printable Admongo logos and materials, as well as fun items for the web including banners, buddy icons and computer wallpapers.
  • Ad library
    Access a variety of fictional sample ads to illustrate various ad literacy lessons.
  • Glossary
    Key words and terms from the world of advertising and marketing.
  • Parent materials
    Engage your class parents as partners in ad literacy with family-friendly activities.
  • About
    More information about the campaign and the FTC.
  • Spread the word
    Share Admongo and ad literacy resources with colleagues, partners, and friends.

Questions? Want to share your feedback on the game?
Email admongo@ftc.gov.

Need a copy of the Lesson Plans?
Visit ftc.gov/bulkorder.