Name: Sheena Tolson

A. Format of the Information Literacy Unit Plan

Academic Subject(s): Marketing

Topic and Concept of Unit Lesson Plan: Marketing Mix
Grade Level(s): 11th-12th grade

Learning Objectives for 5-Day Unit: Students in small groups will prepare a marketing
plan for a fictitious company. The students will be responsible for conducting research
on the plan elements in addition to concepts presented in class. At the conclusion of the
unit students will have learned the principles of marketing (the marketing mix) and have
recognized their importance in guiding business decisions. In addition, students will have
improved their presentation skills by producing a PowerPoint that summarizes the
marketing plan contents. In summary the objectives for this unit will be:
To analyze marketing strategies for their effectiveness
To effectively communicate in a group setting
To use presentation software to develop the marketing section of a business plan

Information Literacy Objectives:

Students will locate information for the contents of the marketing portion of a business
plan that will include an analysis of the 4 Ps. For instance, the students will research a
similar companys marketing strategy to devise a plan for the company they created (i.e.
a company that operates in the same industry). Students will locate and evaluate various
electronic resources to find data and other pertinent information to incorporate in their
marketing analysis. Students will narrow their information and select the most beneficial
marketing information. The students, within their groups, will create a PowerPoint that
summarizes their research to share with their fellow classmates. All sources shall be
cited in correct APA format.

Prerequisite Student Skills: Students will have knowledge of database searching

strategies within the library catalog of databases and/or other online library databases.
For instance, county libraries often have online databases that can be accessed by library
patrons. Students will need familiarity with Internet searching strategies for they will be
directed to sites to identify competitors in an industry (i.e. Hoovers). Students will also
need to navigate through company websites to access company reports, press releases and
other primary source documents that will guide their research. Students must also have a
working knowledge of PowerPoint.

Materials: computer lab with internet access, LCD projector, overhead projector, several
consumer products (e.g. cereal box, laptop, etc.), scanner

Additional necessary materials/resources:

Marketing Plan Worksheet
Marketing Mix Lecture Notes
Four Ps of Marketing: Questions to Consider
Websites: Hoovers (www.hoovers.com and also accessible via online library
database), Volkswagen of America (http://www.vw.com/en.html)
Databases: ProQuest databases, Business Source Complete database, ABI/Inform
 Global Database
ABA citation style instruction sheet (i.e. Note: the required citation style for
business research is APA)-See Figure#1 in Appendix

Brief Overview of Unit: A marketing plan is an instrumental tool for a business to

outline its strategies for advertising, selling, and delivering its products. The lesson will
evaluate the Four Ps of marketing (Product, Price, Place, and Promotion) for a
hypothetical company. There will be teams of four students that will focus on the
marketing mix variables of a business plan. The group will be assessed based on the
delivery of their PowerPoint presentation (which will also contain an advertising sample).
As an individual assignment, students will analyze the team companys target audience
and evaluate how the companys marketing strategy will effectively target their market.

Teacher To Teacher: Prior to the unit, a PowerPoint presentation will either need to be
developed that discusses the marketing mix or one should be retrieved from a reputable
source, possibly from the textbook companion website if available. The websites and
articles should be retrieved to determine if there have been changes that may affect the
tasks.

The unit will require ongoing computer usage for the web activity and to conduct
research. In addition, the students will need to access research databases either online or
at the library.

The lesson can be adapted to a competition-based activity. The groups could be assigned
to competing firms in the same industry and the marketing plan could be designed around
a new product or brand extension.

Procedures/Daily Activities

Day 1
(1) Present lecture on marketing mix using the course textbook and a PowerPoint (either
created, downloaded from instructional website, or retrieved from the textbooks
website). Distribute and review the Marketing Mix Lecture Notes sheet (see
Figure#2 in Appendix) that contains notes on the Four P marketing decisions with
examples. Shapiro et al (2002) provides a good example of a PowerPoint
presentation from a textbook companion website that can be retrieved from
http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0070887292/student_view0/chapter2/electroni
c_lecture_notes.html
(2) Present the consumer products and ask students to identify/describe the marketing
mix elements. For instance, for a cereal box the students will be able to describe the
packaging, relative price, promotions, and distribution. The students will participate
in the discussion and should take notes on the evaluation of the products. The
teacher can display the students responses on an overhead transparency or
blackboard in a four column chart (one for each marketing mix variable).
(3) Distribute the Four Ps of Marketing: Questions to Consider worksheet (see
Figure#3 in Appendix). This instructional sheet will guide the individual web
activity in step 4, the group activity, and the individual analysis assignment. The
worksheet details specific questions to address each marketing mix variable. This
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 will allow the students to narrow their research and to determine strategies for their
companies.
(4) Individually, students will perform a web activity that will examine the marketing
mix variables for Volkswagen. Students will visit the Volkswagen of America
website (http://www.vw.com/en.html) and examine the four Ps. Have students take
notes in a chart similar to the one created in the group discussion (step 2). The
students should further examine Volkswagen effectiveness in building customer
relationships. Students should answer:
a. How does Volkswagen use the website to build customer relationships?
b. Use the Build your own VW tool to illustrate the companys capabilities in
tailoring for consumer preferences. How does the ability to customize affect
VWs desirability?

Day 2
(5) Divide the class into groups of four. Hand out Marketing Plan worksheet (see
Figure#4 in Appendix) that will be used to focus the information being sought. The
worksheet will have all four components of the marketing mix that will also be used
to guide the development of the PowerPoint presentation.
(6) Instruct students to review the worksheet and discuss ideas for their company within
their groups.
(7) Have the groups prepare a company profile (only one background summary per
group) that provides the overview of the products, the market the company operates
in, and the target market. Students will also have to select a name, logo, slogan, etc.
for their brand.
(8) Group member should be assigned to a marketing mix variable and begin their
research. Students can gather industry information from Hoovers database, other
current articles from library databases, general searches (especially for promotion
ideas), and company websites. Students should be directed to relevant databases in
the library catalog (i.e. ProQuest newspapers, Business Source Complete, etc.) and to
evaluate an actual company in the industry to gather ideas for their fictitious
company.

Day 3 and 4
(9) Students will continue their individual research. The teacher should inquire about
decisions thus far with each group and their product strategies. The teacher should
reiterate the importance of the marketing decisions in appealing to their target
markets.
(10) The groups should then reconvene and examine the information gathered for each
marketing mix variable. This will allow the groups to narrow their research and
identify pertinent information to be included in the PowerPoint presentation. This
will satisfy the information literacy objectives.
(11) Students will then need to plan their PowerPoint presentation and construct a
print advertisement that communicates all four Ps. For instance, the products
packaging, price, availability, and current promotion should be clearly displayed.
The advertisement will be assessed based on creativity and whether all elements
were included (see rubric for additional assessment criteria).
(12) Prior to the conclusion of Day 3, inform students of the individual assignment
that will be due on Day 5. The homework assignment will be an evaluation of the
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 group experience and strategies. Thus there are a couple of days to incorporate
group discussions and report on the findings. For homework, each student will
analyze their groups company decisions. The student will explain how each
marketing mix element will target their intended consumer segment.
(13) Students will have Day 3 and 4 to prepare a 5-minute Presentation with time to
fine tune for formatting and timing. In addition there is ample time to design the
print advertisement. In addition, the advertisement will have to be scanned and
uploaded to a slide in the PowerPoint if it was not designed using a word processing
or publishing software. There will also be time for the teams to practice delivering
their presentations within their groups.

Day 5
(14) Each group will deliver their PowerPoint presentations. The class will then
provide feedback on the presentations, the overall group experience, and the
differences between the groups strategies (i.e. what could have been included to be
more effective or what would be unsuccessful?)
(15) The unit will conclude with a summary that discusses how all companies use a
marketing mix to guide their decisions, but as the activity showed, the strategies and
target markets were different. The teacher should revert back to the objectives in this
discussion.

Student Assessment and Evaluation

Group participation (Appendix Figure#5): Students will be evaluated based on
their collaboration within the groupfrom observation during group discussions
and with their participation in the delivery of the presentation. In addition, the
print advertisement will be assessed based on creativity and connection with the
marketing mix concept. Students will also complete a peer review detailing each
group members participation. The overall group presentation grade will be
assessed using the rubric provided in Appendix Figure#5.
Individual assignment (Appendix Figure#6): There will be an assessment of the
individual homework assignment (see rubric in Appendix). The grade will be
determined based on the evaluation of the groups marketing strategies and the fit
with the companys profile. Exemplary grades will be given to an in depth
analysis on how the decisions clearly fit with the characteristics of the companys
target market.

B. Analysis of Information Literacy Lesson Plan

Business education has become integrated in Maryland State Curriculum. Marketing is a

course area under the state content standards. This introductory lesson provides
information regarding the foundation for marketing principles. It also presents an
overview of marketing decisions that guide a companys competitive strategy. The
lesson also exposes students to the field of marketing for career education. The activities
selected for the lesson satisfy local and state standards and coincide with my educational
philosophies.

The activities focus on achieving information literacy objectives both in groups and
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individually. Students will organize their research strategies using the Big 6 research
method. These steps for seeking, disseminating, and evaluating information were
integrated in the units procedures. Students will research, analyze, and make decisions
on marketing mix variables and then present their findings to the class. The independent
research activities yield greater comprehension of course material and practical
application of the concepts.

Students will use library databases and the Internet to research information that will guide
their decisions regarding the companys product offerings and characteristics. In addition
the research will be used to tailor advertisements that communicate the groups
competitive strategy and assess their advertising effectiveness. Internet research
gathering and PowerPoint presentation development satisfy information literacy goals. In
addition students will offer feedback and evaluations of their classmates presentations in
order to further achieve learning goals.

The individual assignment also provides an assessment of lesson comprehension. The

individual assignment requires students to evaluate the research collected and
communicate how the information was incorporated into the groups project. The
material will also have to consider whether or not the marketing decisions appealed to a
target market. This activity required an analysis of research used to interpret the groups
strategies. In both the group and individual assignment, the students will have to cite
their sources. This will be both challenging and rewarding as the research is not being
reported but adapted to guide unique strategies for their own fictitious company. The
research will be used to support their decisions.

This lesson will be useful for future teaching. The ideal class would be 11th and 12th
graders, but there is no requirement for students to have had previous coursework in
business education. The students should have the critical thinking skills necessary for
analyzing marketing concepts and developing innovative ideas. The activities are also
sensitive of limited outside access to research materials. The unit has allotted substantial
time to conduct research, while requiring students to complete only an analysis of their
work for homework.

Technology was an integral part of the lesson plan. Students are able to expand their
learning through scholarly research and published industry research to determine and
evaluate effective marketing strategies. In addition, the students will have enhanced their
research skills and data/information interpretation skills. Information literacy objectives
were also achieved through the PowerPoint presentation activity. Students are required
to adapt and narrow their information to be communicated in a 5-minute long
presentation. PowerPoint was thus effective in organizing the information and presenting
their company marketing decisions. Through the presentations and discussions, students
would be able to identify key points for comparison with the other companies and
recognize that marketing decisions govern a companys overall competitive strategy.

C. Reflection on Unit Lesson Plan

Thompson & Henley (2000) offer a definition of information literacy as the ability to
derive meaning from information or the ability to access, evaluate, and use information
from a variety of sources (p. 1). This unit required students to locate, evaluate, and
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connect information to a practical application of a marketing concept. Information
literacy also requires the dissemination and utilization of information to create new
knowledge. These essential skills are improved through this unit. Students are required
to gather relevant information regarding industries and similar companies and associating
the information to determine strategies for their fictitious companies. Thompson &
Henley (2000) also describe additional skills that are contained in the concept of
information literacy: problem solving, critical thinking, creative thinking, recognizing
patterns, understanding relationships, and transferring knowledge from one discipline or
setting to another (p. 2). The unit is effective in honing these skills. Students obtained
and evaluated the research to both determine competitive strategies and to design an
advertisement that would appeal to their target market.

For future lessons additional multimedia products would be incorporated. Video case
studies, simulations, Internet advertisements, and other multimedia resources would be
useful technology solutions. In addition wikis are an innovative form of technology
integration.

Overall the assignment was a helpful exercise for future lesson planning. With no prior
experience creating lesson plans, the process required research on established lesson
plans for the subject area. Group discussion will have to be monitored and facilitated in
order to ensure appropriate dialogue.

Annotated Citations:

Laurel, C. (n.d). P shopping at the grocery store. Retrieved December 1, 2010 from
http://alex.state.al.us/lesson_view.php?id=30392

The lesson focuses on the marketing mix where students are to design a new grocery item
and prepare a section of a marketing plan.

QuickMBA.com (n.d). The marketing mix. Retrieved December 1,2010 from

http://www.quickmba.com/marketing/mix/

The informative link provides a synopsis of the Four Ps of marketing that would be
helpful in developing the lecture material to begin the lesson.

Shapiro, S., Wong, K., Perreault, W., & McCarthy, E. (2002). Strategic market planning
and the evaluation of marketing opportunities: Electronic lecture notes. Retrieved
December 1, 2010 from
http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0070887292/student_view0/chapter2/electronic_le
cture_notes.html

The textbook companion website offers downloadable presentations to supplement a

lecture. The link provides information on the marketing mix.

Stewart, R. (n.d). Marketing your business. Retrieved December 1, 2010 from

http://alex.state.al.us/lesson_view.php?id=25364

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The lesson focused on entrepreneurship and the students were to market a hypothetical
business.

The Writing Center of University of Wisconsin (2010). American Psychological

Association (APA) Documentation. Retreived December 3, 2010 from
http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/American_Psychological_Association_(APA)_Docum
entation_M.pdf

The handout offers a summary of proper APA citation style.

Thompson, H. & Henley, S.(2000). What is Information literacy? In Fostering

Information Literacy, (Chapter 1, pp. 1-16). Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited Inc

The scholarly article provides information on the skills developed through the integration
of information literacy in assignments.

D. Reflection on the Semester

As an aspiring teacher, I have learned the importance of information literacy and methods
of incorporating in lesson plans. I aim to encourage information literacy in various
frameworks of my teaching. This will not only be incorporated in special projects but
will be implemented in lesson units and individual assignments.

One important skill I learned was to provide clear instructional steps to guide student
research. By evaluating outside lesson plans and devising my own lesson plan this
semester, I was able to recognize components of an effective lesson plan. For instance,
GEM provided criteria for evaluating a lesson based on Accuracy, Appropriateness,
Clarity, Completeness, Motivation, and Organization. In addition to GEM criteria for
website evaluation, the Big 6 was also useful process for guiding research. These steps
could be integrated in designing the students task and guiding their research methods.
Some of the most important steps are synthesizing and evaluating the information. Much
of my procedures in this unit focused on not only the retrieval of research but evaluating
the information for a practical application of the concept.

Overall I have learned some important considerations when creating lesson plans. The
lesson must not only integrate technology to increase motivation (and thus
comprehension), but should facilitate information gathering through multiple sources.
Information literacy skills are not only useful for secondary studies, but are necessary
across disciplines and in the professional arena.

In my academic studies, the focus of my research has been scholarly research. This
course has provided me with the tools to evaluate Web resources for my future teaching.
This will be helpful in supplementing lesson plan development and to provide students
with study resources and relevant locations for research.

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Appendix

Figure 1 APA Citation Style Handout

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12
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Figure 2 Marketing Mix Lecture Notes (QuickMBA, n.d)

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Figure 3 Four Ps of Marketing Questions to Consider (Laurel, C., n.d.)

The Four Ps of Marketing

Product/Service

What does the customer want from the product/service? What needs does it
satisfy?
What features does it have to meet these needs?
Are there any features you've missed out?
Are you including costly features that the customer won't actually use?
How and where will the customer use it?
What does it look like? How will customers experience it?
What size(s), color(s), and so on, should it be?
What is it to be called?
How is it branded?
How is it differentiated versus your competitors?
What is the most it can cost to provide, and still be sold sufficiently profitably?
(See also Price, below).

Place

Where do buyers look for your product or service?

If they look in a store, what kind? A specialist boutique or in a supermarket, or
both? Or online? Or direct, via a catalogue?
How can you access the right distribution channels?
Do you need to use a sales force? Or attend trade fairs? Or make online
submissions? Or send samples to catalogue companies?
What do you competitors do, and how can you learn from that and/or
differentiate?

Price

What is the value of the product or service to the buyer?

Are there established price points for products or services in this area?
Is the customer price sensitive? Will a small decrease in price gain you extra
market share? Or will a small increase be indiscernible, and so gain you extra
profit margin?
What discounts should be offered to trade customers, or to other specific
segments of your market?
How will your price compare with your competitors?

Promotion

Where and when can you get across your marketing messages to your target
market?
Will you reach your audience by advertising in the press, or on TV, or radio, or on
billboards? By using direct marketing mailshot? Through PR? On the Internet?
When is the best time to promote? Is there seasonality in the market? Are there
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any wider environmental issues that suggest or dictate the timing of your market
 launch, or the timing of subsequent promotions?
How do your competitors do their promotions? And how does that influence your
choice of promotional activity?

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Figure 4 Marketing Plan Worksheet

MARKETING PLAN WORKSHEET

Instructions: Apply the 4 Ps (product, place, price, and promotion) of marketing

presented below to your business to create your marketing plan. Answer each question
given below.

I. PRODUCT

1. Research the competitors in your local area (that specialize in the same type of
business as yours) to generate a list of products and/or services they offer. Type the list of
products and/or services in the space provided below.

2. Based on the research you conducted above, what products and/or services will you
offer through your business? Type the list in the space provided below.

The products and/or services my business will offer are:

II. PLACE (LOCATION)

1. Where will the day-to-day operations of your business be conducted? Type your
answer in the space provided below.

III. PRICE

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1. What is the estimated cost of producing each product and/or service offered in your
product line? Type your answers in the table provided below. If necessary, add more
rows to the table.

Product/Service Estimated Cost

2. In the space provided below, describe how you arrived at the estimated cost of each
item listed above.

3. In the table provided below, list the products that you offer and what three of your
competitors charge for each item. In the column labeled My Price, fill in the price that
you will charge for each item. If necessary, add more rows to the table.

Price for Price for My

Price for
Product/Service Competitor Competitor Price
Competitor #1
#2 #3

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IV. PROMOTION

1. In the table provided below, list several different methods you can use to advertise
your business and the cost associated with each method. If necessary, add more rows to
the table.

Advertising Method Cost

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

2. Based on the startup funds you have available, what advertising methods will you use?
List them in the space provided below.

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Figure#5 PowerPoint Presentation Rubric

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Figure#6 Individual Assignment Rubric

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