Courseversity

Lesson

Understanding media messages

Primary EducationGrade 2English & Language ArtsCV-PRI-G02-ELA-U10-L0545–60 min

You will learn

  • Name kinds of media.
  • Find the message.
  • Ask who made it and why.
  • Tell fact from persuasion.

Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.

Student lesson

The lesson in 60 seconds

  1. Media are ways of sharing messages.
  2. Every media item has a message.
  3. Someone made it for a reason.
  4. Some media try to persuade us.

Words to know

media
ways of sharing messages, such as TV, radio, posters and websites
advert
a message that tries to sell something
creator
the person who makes something
purpose
the reason for making something

1. Discover: The juice advert

Ayo sees an advert on TV. It shows happy children drinking Sunny Juice. A voice says: The best juice in the world! Ayo asks, Who made this advert? Why? Is it really the best?

Think: What is the advert trying to do?

2. Understand: Messages all around us

Idea 1: What is media?

Media are ways of sharing messages: TV, radio, books, posters, signs and websites.

Idea 2: Who and why?

Every item has a creator and a purpose: to inform, entertain or persuade. An advert tries to sell something.

Idea 3: Ask questions

Ask: Who made this? What is the message? Is it a fact or only an opinion? Can I check it?

Remember: Media share messages. Ask who made them, why, and whether the words are facts or persuasion.

3. Worked examples

Example 1 (I show you): Purpose

What is the purpose of the juice advert?

  1. Think: sell.

Answer: to sell juice

Example 2 (We do it together): Fact or opinion

Is the best juice in the world a fact?

  1. Can you prove it?

Answer: no, it is an opinion

Example 3 (You try): Kinds

Name two kinds of media.

Show the steps and answer
  1. TV, poster…

Answer: TV and posters

Did you know?

Some adverts use bright colours and music to make products look exciting.

Why this matters

Asking questions helps you make wise choices.

4. Explore: Media detective

Study a media message.

  1. Choose a poster or advert.
  2. Find the message.
  3. Ask who made it and why.
  4. Decide fact or opinion.
Think about it: what did you notice?

You can think carefully about media.

5. Practise

Say it in a sentence

Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.

  • This is a ___.
  • The message is ___.
  • It was made by ___ to ___.
  • This part is an opinion: ___.

Guided practice

Question 1. What is an advert?

a message to sell

Question 2. What is a creator?

the maker

Question 3. What is purpose?

the reason

Independent practice

Level 1: Start

  1. Ways of sharing messages are ___.
  2. A message to sell something is an ___.
  3. The maker is the ___.
  4. The reason for making is the ___.
  5. TV and radio are kinds of ___.

Level 2: Grow

  1. Name a kind of media.
  2. Is the best in the world a fact or an opinion?
  3. Why ask who made it?

Level 3: Stretch

  1. Can adverts persuade?
  2. Should we ask questions?
  3. Is every claim true?

Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.

6. Apply: English in everyday life

Find an advert at home and say its message.

Show a sample answer

a message

Another one. Tell a family member one fact and one opinion from a poster.

Show a sample answer

fact and opinion

7. Common mistakes

Mistake: Believing every claim.
Fix: Ask questions.
Another mistake: Ignoring the purpose.
Fix: Ask why it was made.

8. Lesson summary and revision card

I can…

  • I can name kinds of media.
  • I can find the message.
  • I can ask who made it and why.
  • I can tell fact from opinion.

9. Check and master

Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.

1. Media are ways of sharing ___.

2. An advert tries to ___.

3. The creator is the ___.

4. The purpose is the ___ for making.

5. Which is media?

6. Which is media?

7. What does Sunny Juice say?

8. The best in the world is a(n) ___.

9. Who asks questions in the story?

10. Why ask who made it?

11. Can adverts persuade?

12. Which is a fact?

Challenge 1. Which question helps with media?

Challenge 2. Which is persuasion?

Your result appears here after you answer every question.

10. Key takeaways

  • Media share messages.
  • Ask who and why.
  • Adverts try to sell.
  • Tell fact from opinion.

11. Next lesson

Next lesson: Oral presentations. Keep going with the next idea in this course.

Exam practice

These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.

  1. What is media? [1 mark]
  2. Name two kinds of media. [2 marks]
  3. What is an advert for? [1 mark]
  4. Is the best juice in the world a fact or opinion? [1 mark]
  5. Explain how to think carefully about a media message. [3 marks]

Total: 8 marks.

Marking guide and model answers
  1. ways of sharing messages [1]
  2. TV [1]; poster [1]
  3. to sell something [1]
  4. opinion [1]
  5. find the message [1]; ask who made it and why [1]; tell fact from opinion [1]

Score guide: 7 to 8 = secure. 5 to 6 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 5 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.

Printable worksheet

  1. Ways of sharing messages are ___.
  2. A message to sell is an ___.
  3. The maker is the ___.
  4. The reason is the ___.
  5. TV is a kind of ___.
  6. True or false: all claims are true.
  7. True or false: ask who made it.
  8. Name media.
  9. Fact or opinion: the best in the world.
  10. Say a message you saw.

Homework

Find a poster or advert and say its message.

Answer key and marking scheme

Question Expected response Marks
1. Ways of sharing messages are ___. media 1
2. A message to sell is an ___. advert 1
3. The maker is the ___. creator 1
4. The reason is the ___. purpose 1
5. TV is a kind of ___. media 1
6. True or false: all claims are true. false 1
7. True or false: ask who made it. true 1
8. Name media. a poster 1
9. Fact or opinion: the best in the world. opinion 1
10. Say a message you saw. a message 1
Total 10

Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 media; 2 advert; 3 creator; 4 purpose; 5 media. Level 2: 1 a poster; 2 an opinion; 3 to understand the purpose. Level 3: 1 yes; 2 yes; 3 no.

Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.

Mastery and remediation

Objective Bronze (Developing) Silver (Proficient) Gold (Advanced)
O1 Name kinds of media Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O2 Find the message Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O3 Ask who made it and why Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O4 Tell fact from persuasion Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation

Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.

If a learner struggles

  1. Find the misconception: Believing every claim. Ask questions.
  2. Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
  3. Show a simpler example: Use picture cards.
  4. Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
  5. Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
  6. Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.

For parents and guardians

In this lesson your child learns to think about media messages. You do not need to be an expert to help.

  • Look at adverts together.
  • Ask: Who made this?
  • Praise questions.
  • Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
  • Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
  • Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.

Teacher package

1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration

Lesson objectives. Learners will: name kinds of media; find the message; ask who made it and why; tell fact from persuasion.

Prerequisite knowledge. Describing images.

Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.

Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.

Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.

6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities

Introduction (5 min). Show media.

Explanation (10 min). Teach the questions.

Guided activity (10 min). Practise.

Independent activity (10 min). Share.

Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.

Key questions. Who made it? Why? Is it fact?

Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.

10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions

Support. Use pictures. Extension. Make an advert.

Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.

Misconceptions. Believing every claim. Ask questions.

13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme

Use the quiz, the 8-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.

16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection

Remediation. Use picture cards. Enrichment. Compare two adverts. Homework. See above.

Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.

Sources and standards

This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.

Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 2 » Speaking & Listening; Grade 2 » Writing. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.

Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core SL.2.3, RI.2.6 and RI.2.8; Cambridge Primary English Stage 2 (reading and media); UNESCO media and information literacy (age-appropriate adaptation). These sources informed the lesson.

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