You will learn
- Name kinds of media.
- Find the message and audience.
- Tell fact from persuasion.
- Ask who made it and why.
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 includes TV, radio, posters and websites.
- Every message has a purpose.
- Ask who made it, who it is for, and why.
- Some messages try to persuade.
Words to know
ways of sharing messages with many people
what the maker wants to say
the people the message is for
to make someone think or do something
1. Discover: The cereal advert
A TV advert shows smiling children eating crunchy cereal. A voice says, Crunchy Stars: the breakfast champions eat! Bright colours and happy music play. Ayo asks, Who made this advert? Who is it for? What does it want us to do? His teacher says, It is made by the cereal company for children and parents, and it wants us to buy the cereal.
Think: Which parts try to persuade?
2. Understand: Looking closely at media
Idea 1: Kinds and purposes
Media are ways of sharing a message with many people: TV, radio, posters, websites, newspapers. A message may inform, entertain or persuade.
Idea 2: Audience
Media makers choose words, pictures and music for their audience. This advert uses smiling children and bright colours for young viewers.
Idea 3: Ask questions
Ask: Who made it? Who is it for? What do they want me to think or do? Is it fact or persuasion?
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Maker
Who made the advert?
- Company.
Answer: the cereal company
Example 2 (We do it together): Audience
Who is it for?
- Children and parents.
Answer: children and parents
Example 3 (You try): Purpose
What does it want us to do?
Show the steps and answer
- Buy.
Answer: buy the cereal
Did you know?
Adverts often use colour, music and happy faces because these help people feel good about a product.
Why this matters
Understanding media helps you make wise choices.
4. Explore: Media detective
Study a media message.
- Choose a poster or advert.
- Find the message.
- Say the audience.
- Decide fact or persuasion.
Think about it: what did you notice?
You can think critically about media.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- The message is ___.
- The audience is ___.
- The maker wants us to ___.
- This part is persuasion: ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. Ways of sharing messages with many people are ___.
media
Question 2. What the maker wants to say is the ___.
message
Question 3. The people the message is for are the ___.
audience
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- Ways of sharing messages with many people are ___.
- What the maker wants to say is the ___.
- The people the message is for are the ___.
- To make someone think or do something is to ___.
- The advert is for ___.
Level 2: Grow
- Who is the advert for?
- What does the voice say?
- What does the maker want?
Level 3: Stretch
- Is an advert media?
- Does every message have a purpose?
- Should we ask questions?
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: English in everyday life
Study an advert with a family member and say its message and audience.
Show a sample answer
an analysis
Another one. Pick an advert or poster and write its message, audience and purpose.
Show a sample answer
a completed task
7. Common mistakes
Fix: Slow down and check your work.
Fix: Study the example first, then try.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can name kinds of media.
- I can find the message and audience.
- I can tell fact from persuasion.
- I can ask who made it and why.
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 includes TV, radio, posters and websites.
- Every message has a purpose.
- Ask who made it, who it is for, and why.
- Some messages try to persuade.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: Informational posters. 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? Give two kinds. [3 marks]
- What is an audience? [1 mark]
- What does the cereal advert want us to do? [1 mark]
- Name two questions to ask about media. [2 marks]
- Explain how to think carefully about media. [3 marks]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- ways of sharing messages [1]; TV [1]; posters/radio [1]
- the people the message is for [1]
- buy the cereal [1]
- who made it [1]; who is it for/why [1]
- find the message [1]; ask who made it and for whom [1]; decide fact or persuasion [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
- Ways of sharing messages with many people are ___.
- What the maker wants to say is the ___.
- The people the message is for are the ___.
- To make someone think or do something is to ___.
- The advert is for ___.
- Who is the advert for?
- What does the voice say?
- What does the maker want?
- Is an advert media?
- Does every message have a purpose?
Homework
Pick an advert or poster and write its message, audience and purpose.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ways of sharing messages with many people are ___. | media | 1 |
| 2. What the maker wants to say is the ___. | message | 1 |
| 3. The people the message is for are the ___. | audience | 1 |
| 4. To make someone think or do something is to ___. | persuade | 1 |
| 5. The advert is for ___. | cereal | 1 |
| 6. Who is the advert for? | children and parents | 1 |
| 7. What does the voice say? | the breakfast champions eat | 1 |
| 8. What does the maker want? | us to buy the cereal | 1 |
| 9. Is an advert media? | yes | 1 |
| 10. Does every message have a purpose? | yes | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 media; 2 message; 3 audience; 4 persuade; 5 cereal. Level 2: 1 children and parents; 2 the breakfast champions eat; 3 us to buy the cereal. Level 3: 1 yes; 2 yes; 3 yes.
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 and audience | 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 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 |
| O4 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 |
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: Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames.
- 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 practises a key Grade 3 English skill with clear examples and a quiz. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Listen while your child explains the idea.
- Ask for one new example.
- Praise effort and careful work.
- 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 and audience; tell fact from persuasion; ask who made it and why.
Prerequisite knowledge. Short reports.
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). Introduce the idea with the opening example.
Explanation (10 min). Teach the key words.
Guided activity (10 min). Practise together.
Independent activity (10 min). Check understanding with the quiz.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What is the key idea? Can I give my own example?
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 the sentence frames and work with a partner. Extension. Create a harder example of your own.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.
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. Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames. Enrichment. Make up your own example and teach it to someone at home. 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 3 » Writing; Grade 3 » Reading: Informational Text; Grade 3 » Speaking & Listening. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.
Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core SL.3.2 (determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats) and RI.3.6; Cambridge Primary English Stage 3 (media); UNESCO media and information literacy (age-appropriate adaptation). These sources informed the lesson.