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
- Media are ways of sharing messages.
- Every media item has a message.
- Someone made it for a reason.
- Some media try to persuade us.
Words to know
ways of sharing messages, such as TV, radio, posters and websites
a message that tries to sell something
the person who makes something
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?
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Purpose
What is the purpose of the juice advert?
- Think: sell.
Answer: to sell juice
Example 2 (We do it together): Fact or opinion
Is the best juice in the world a fact?
- 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
- 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.
- Choose a poster or advert.
- Find the message.
- Ask who made it and why.
- 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
- Ways of sharing messages are ___.
- A message to sell something is an ___.
- The maker is the ___.
- The reason for making is the ___.
- TV and radio are kinds of ___.
Level 2: Grow
- Name a kind of media.
- Is the best in the world a fact or an opinion?
- Why ask who made it?
Level 3: Stretch
- Can adverts persuade?
- Should we ask questions?
- 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
Fix: Ask questions.
Fix: Ask why it was made.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- 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.
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.
- What is media? [1 mark]
- Name two kinds of media. [2 marks]
- What is an advert for? [1 mark]
- Is the best juice in the world a fact or opinion? [1 mark]
- Explain how to think carefully about a media message. [3 marks]
Total: 8 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- ways of sharing messages [1]
- TV [1]; poster [1]
- to sell something [1]
- opinion [1]
- 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
- Ways of sharing messages are ___.
- A message to sell is an ___.
- The maker is the ___.
- The reason is the ___.
- TV is a kind of ___.
- True or false: all claims are true.
- True or false: ask who made it.
- Name media.
- Fact or opinion: the best in the world.
- 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
- Find the misconception: Believing every claim. Ask questions.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Use picture cards.
- 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 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.