You will learn
- Define media, ownership, funding, purpose.
- Explain how funding and ownership can influence content.
- Describe types of media.
- Apply questions to a fictional outlet.
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
- Every media text is made by someone for a purpose.
- Funding can influence content.
- Community and public media serve different needs.
- Ask who made it, who pays and whose voice is missing.
Words to know
channels used to communicate information, such as newspapers, radio, television and websites
who controls and profits from an organisation
where an organisation gets money to operate
the reason something is made
1. Discover: Who pays the piper?
Mr Cole describes three made-up outlets. Radio Hill is a community radio station funded by local donations and supporters; it broadcasts in local languages. The Daily Aria is a private newspaper funded by adverts and sales. Aria Public TV is funded by taxes and has to follow public service rules. “Each has a purpose and a funding source,” he says. “Many outlets work hard to be fair, but we still ask: who made this, who pays, what is the aim, and whose voices are missing? That helps us think clearly without assuming anyone is dishonest.”
Think: Why might a community radio station be especially useful for people in rural areas?
2. Understand: Media ownership and purpose
Idea 1: Media and purpose
Media are channels that communicate information: newspapers, radio, television, websites and social platforms. Every media text is made by someone for a purpose: to inform, entertain, persuade, sell or educate. Often a text has more than one purpose.
Idea 2: Ownership and funding
Ownership and funding matter. Public service media are funded by taxes or licence fees; private media by adverts, sales or owners; community media by local donations, grants and volunteers. Funding can influence what is covered or left out, so careful audiences ask about it, while respecting that many outlets work hard to be fair.
Idea 3: Community media
Community radio and local media give people news in familiar languages, share local knowledge and support education and health information. In Sierra Leone, radio is an important source of information, especially outside big towns. Rules and professional standards help protect fairness and accuracy.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Define
Media.
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: Channels of communication.
Example 2 (We do it together): Define
Funding.
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: Where money comes from.
Example 3 (You try): Name
A purpose of media.
Show the steps and answer
- Think.
- Say.
- Check.
Answer: To inform.
Did you know?
Radio reaches more people than any other medium in many parts of Africa, especially in rural areas.
Why this matters
Asking about purpose and ownership helps us read media wisely.
4. Explore: Media outlet profile
Read three made-up outlet profiles. Complete a table with owner, funding, purpose, audience and possible missing voices. Write a paragraph comparing two outlets and explain how to check a story from each.
- Read.
- Complete.
- Compare.
- Write.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Different outlets serve different needs.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- Media are ___.
- Ownership is ___.
- Funding is ___.
- Purpose is ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What is media?
Communication channels.
Question 2. What is ownership?
Who controls.
Question 3. What is funding?
Where money comes from.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What is media?
- What is ownership?
- What is funding?
- What is purpose?
- Name a type.
Level 2: Grow
- Why ask who pays?
- Why community media?
- Why check?
Level 3: Stretch
- Read the profiles.
- Complete the table.
- Write the comparison.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Social Studies in everyday life
Explain how funding can influence media and one question to ask.
Show a sample answer
Adverts may shape content; who pays?
Another one. Ask an adult how they get local news, in general terms.
Show a sample answer
Share.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Each has purpose and context.
Fix: Many work hard to be accurate.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can define media, ownership, funding, purpose.
- I can explain how funding and ownership can influence content.
- I can describe types of media.
- I can apply questions to a fictional outlet.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- Every media text is made by someone for a purpose.
- Funding can influence content.
- Community and public media serve different needs.
- Ask who made it, who pays and whose voice is missing.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Advertising and persuasion. 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.
- Define media and funding. [2 marks]
- Name three purposes of media. [3 marks]
- Explain how funding can influence content. [3 marks]
- Explain why community media matter. [2 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Media [1]; funding [1]
- Three [3]
- Funding [1]; influence [1]; example [1]
- Reason [1]; example [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What is media?
- What is ownership?
- What is funding?
- What is purpose?
- Name a type.
- Why ask who pays?
- Why community media?
- Why check?
- Read the profiles.
- Complete the table.
Homework
Draw an outlet profile.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What is media? | Communication channels. | 1 |
| 2. What is ownership? | Who controls. | 1 |
| 3. What is funding? | Where money comes from. | 1 |
| 4. What is purpose? | Reason made. | 1 |
| 5. Name a type. | Community radio. | 1 |
| 6. Why ask who pays? | Understand influence. | 1 |
| 7. Why community media? | Local voices. | 1 |
| 8. Why check? | Be fair. | 1 |
| 9. Read the profiles. | Read. | 1 |
| 10. Complete the table. | Complete. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Communication channels.; 2 Who controls.; 3 Where money comes from.; 4 Reason made.; 5 Community radio.. Level 2: 1 Understand influence.; 2 Local voices.; 3 Be fair.. Level 3: 1 Read.; 2 Complete.; 3 Write..
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 Define media, ownership, funding, purpose | 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 Explain how funding and ownership can influence content | 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 Describe types 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 |
| O4 Apply questions to a fictional outlet | 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
- Find the misconception: “All media are neutral.” Each has purpose and context.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Make a media chart.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child studies media ownership and purpose using made-up outlets. Please talk about where you get local news. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Talk about local news.
- Ask who made it.
- Stay neutral.
- 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: define media, ownership, funding, purpose; explain how funding and ownership can influence content; describe types of media; apply questions to a fictional outlet.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 6 ideas: advanced enquiry, source evaluation, bias and citing sources from Unit 1.
Materials. Profile cards. 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. Prepare profile cards.
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). Tell the who pays the piper story.
Explanation (10 min). Teach media ownership and purpose.
Guided activity (10 min). Media outlet profile.
Independent activity (10 min). Discuss.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. Who makes media and why?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with a picture, story, map or local example. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always ask “how do you know?” and invite more than one view. Treat every family, culture and community with respect, and never ask learners to share private information.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use pictures, maps, real objects and short sentences, and let learners work with a partner. Let learners point, show, act or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example from their own community and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “All media are neutral.” Each has purpose and context.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-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. Make a media chart. Enrichment. Find one new example near your home or school, draw or write about it and explain it to someone. 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: NCSS standards and C3 Framework, Cambridge Primary Humanities and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Social Studies curriculum, Grade 6 Unit 11, topic 5; NCSS C3 Framework, gathering and evaluating sources, communicating conclusions; Cambridge Lower Secondary Humanities, enquiry and evidence; IB Primary Years Programme, how we express ourselves and how the world works. These sources informed the lesson.