Each section below contains several types of supporting material.  1.  Worksheets to accompany the lessons are listed below discussion paragraphs. 2.  Questions for analyzing ads includes grouped questions for each lesson on the page.  3.  Two featured ads are listed with each lesson.  Click here for a longer list of Bush & Kerry ads. 4.  "Try this" sections extend the lesson concepts further.
	Often, video producers use storyboards to script the content of their productions. A storyboard is a series of panels, each containing a "scene" of the video. Watch a few campaign ads and create a storyboard for one using the storyboard template.  Then, write a few sentences identifying the overall message. Featured ads for this lesson Storyboard worksheet | Questions for analyzing ads |More Bush & Kerry ads ·  Try this: Pick a candidate, determine an overall message and create a storyboard for an ad of your own creation.

Campaign ads can be categorized in many ways. For this exercise categorize ads according to their purpose.  Watch several ads noting key words, images, music, and people to determine the purpose.  Then, identify and describe each ad, placing them in one or more categories.  Some example categories that describe different ad purposes are listed below:  Featured ads for this lesson - Biographical: offering personal information about the candidate - Issue-oriented: presenting the candidate’s position or orientation about a policy - Values-laden: appealing to commonly held beliefs or principles  - Negative: putting the other candidate in a negative light Ad categories worksheet |Questions for analyzing ads |More Bush & Kerry ads ·  Try this: Propose changes to one existing ad to include elements of all four types of ads. Write up your "treatment"—a one to two paragraph description of your new ad.

	As a part of their overall campaign strategies, candidates must choose the messages of ads, as well as when, where, and how often to run them. Think about how advertising might help the candidate win the election.  Determine the goals each candidate may have for their advertising. Watch several ads for each candidate and describe how the ads might be used in an Featured ads for this lesson overall strategy. You may wish to consider specific states, segments of the electorate or points in the election cycle in which the ad may be most effective.   Questions for analyzing ads  | More Bush & Kerry ads ·  Try this: Create a timeline for one of the candidates, marking out a strategy for campaign advertising. ·  Another issue to consider: The University of Wisconsin Advertising Project monitors and analyzes political advertising.  On 7/18/04 they released a report that says that there has been a high volume of advertising in battleground states, yet 60 percent of Americans live in states where no ads have appeared.  Read more about the Advertising Project