1. STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
(10 MINUTES)

Ask students to respond to the following prompts: How can you tell if a celebrity’s social media post is actually an ad? Would it bother you to know that some celebrities are getting paid to endorse products on social media? Explain. Have students share their answers with a partner.

2. INDEPENDENT READING
(15 MINUTES)

Have students read the article on their own, writing down any comments or questions.

3. FULL-CLASS DISCUSSION
(15 MINUTES)

Use these questions to guide a discussion.

• Why can it be hard to tell when a celebrity’s social media post is an ad?
  (Celebrities often use their social media for self-promotion, which can often look much the same as their paid endorsement posts.)
  

• How have advertising tactics changed over time?
  (In the early 1950s, companies sponsored TV shows with their names in the titles. In the 1960s, they began placing products into shows; that became more common in the early 2000s, on hit TV shows. Now, with TV viewership declining, advertisers are turning to product placement on social media.)

4. MAKING INFERENCES
Have students complete the skills sheet Citing Textual Evidence: Take a Second Look.

5. SOCIAL MEDIA RESEARCH
Have students work in pairs to find other examples of celebrity endorsements on social media and discuss whether #ad is enough to identify a paid endorsement.