Higher Order Thinking Skills, or in their abbreviated form, HOTS, have been ubiquitously coupled (in Israel) with the understanding of literature, or, at best, with the analysis of all texts – be they fact or fiction.
Apart from the importance that HOTS do carry for the analysis of texts, I believe that HOTS can undeniably give cause to short, seven-minute conversations in the classroom. Indeed, what can be a nicer way to start off your 5th or 6th grade class than an engaging conversation about a funny commercial? (It certainly beats the leading conversation openers I've heard; "What's the day today? What was it yesterday? / What will it be tomorrow? How's the weather? Where do you live" etc., etc. etc…)
Following is a short list of some ideas to use before, during and after watching the commercial. And, equally important to remember – commercials are usually no more than one minute: an excellent length for YouTube integration!
A list of (what I consider to be) very funny commercials appears at the end of this blog entry.
Application (talking in whatever grammatical tense you, as a teacher, choose);
Prediction (what comes next? What will happen?)
Inferring (How do you think the guy/gal feels; why does "X" act in the manner he/she does…);
Comparing and Contrasting (two commercials for the same product);
Sequencing (retell the commercial in your own words);
Classifying (make a list of all the necessary actions leading up to the desired effect);
Cause and Effect (What were the results of "X's" action in the commercial? Would you buy the product after watching the commercial?);
Generating Possibilities (How could that issue have been solved differently; what would you do);
Making Connections (How would you feel if it happened to you; what commercials are you familiar with? What funny commercial do you know? Would this type of commercial 'work' in Israel?);
Distinguishing different perspectives (Is the concept "funny" culturally determined?);
Identifying parts and whole (How do the different parts of the commercial lead up to the "punch line" and to the desired effect of convincing the public to buy the product; discussing the new method of making sequels to an initial commercial);
Analysis (Why is it funny? What makes something "funny"? What makes people buy a product?);
Evaluating (Do you think this is a good commercial? Would it make you buy the product? Why yes/ why not?); Reflection (Why do you think we're talking about commercials in school? Which language skills are we practicing? Which thinking skills are we employing)
Commercials:
Japp Chocolate Bars (A series of Norwegian commercials for Chocolate bars…won award)
Mercedes – Benz:
Pepsi commercial
