Grade 6 Social Studies: Media, Technology, and Global Communication
Free Grade 6 Social Studies unit on Media, Technology, and Global Communication: 10 lessons in order. Includes practice questions and answer keys.
10 lessons in this unit
Communication through history
Trace how humans have communicated over time (speech and oral tradition, symbols and writing, clay tablets and papyrus, printing, telegraph, telephone, radio and television, computers and the internet, mobile phones), define oral tradition, script, printing press, telecommunication and network, use African examples (griots, talking drums, the Geʿez script, the Mende Kikakui script created by Kisimi Kamara in 1921), explain how each change made messages travel faster or farther, and discuss benefits and risks of new technologies.
Lesson 2Modern communication technologies
Describe modern communication technologies (mobile phones, internet, email, messaging, video calls, radio, television, satellites, undersea cables), define internet, network, device, data, bandwidth (simple), digital divide and connectivity, explain how a message travels in simple terms (device, network, cables or signals, destination), note that more than 5 billion people use the internet while many still lack access (the digital divide), describe benefits (learning, trade, health information, staying in touch) and risks (privacy, scams, screen time), and design a simple plan to improve connectivity fairly in a made-up community.
Lesson 3News and information
Define news, journalism, reporter, editor, headline, source, eyewitness, press freedom and public interest, explain the purposes of news (inform, explain, hold power to account, connect communities), describe how a news story is made (event, reporting, checking, writing, editing, publishing), distinguish news report, feature, editorial and advertisement, and apply questions to a fictional news story (who, what, where, when, why, how, and how do we know?).
Lesson 4Facts, opinions, and interpretations
Distinguish fact (can be checked and shown true or false), opinion (a personal view or judgement), and interpretation (an explanation of what evidence means, which may be supported well or poorly), define claim, evidence, reasoning, generalisation and loaded language, practise identifying each in short texts, explain how to test a claim (what is the evidence, who says so, can it be checked), and write a balanced statement that separates fact from opinion.
Lesson 5Media ownership and purpose
Define media, mass media, public service media, private media, community media, ownership, funding and purpose, explain that every media text is made by someone for a purpose (inform, entertain, persuade, sell, educate), explain that ownership and funding (taxes, advertising, subscriptions, donations) can influence what is covered, describe community radio and local media in Sierra Leone in general terms, and apply questions (who made it, who pays, what is the purpose, whose voice is missing) to a fictional media outlet without judging real organisations.
Lesson 6Advertising and persuasion
Define advertisement, persuasion, target audience, slogan, endorsement, emotional appeal, bandwagon, scarcity appeal and sponsored content, identify common persuasion techniques in made-up adverts, explain that advertising funds much media and informs people but can also pressure them, explain why children are often targeted, describe rules and honesty standards for advertising in general terms, and practise making an honest advert and a wise-buyer checklist.
Lesson 7Misinformation
Define misinformation, disinformation, rumour, hoax, clickbait, deepfake (simple), fact-checking and viral, explain the difference between honest mistakes (misinformation) and deliberate deception (disinformation), explain why false information spreads (emotion, speed, trust in friends, lack of checking), describe harms to health, safety, trust and fairness, use made-up examples only, and practise a pause-and-check routine before sharing.
Lesson 8Checking sources
Deepen earlier work on source credibility with practical digital checking skills: define lateral reading, original source, date check, author, evidence and corroboration, apply a five-question source check (who made it, why, what evidence, when, what do other reliable sources say), explain how to trace a claim to its original, explain why images need checking, judge reliability of made-up pages, and write a short source report.
Lesson 9Responsible digital citizenship
Define digital citizen, digital footprint, privacy, personal information, consent, copyright, cyberbullying and netiquette, explain rights and responsibilities online (privacy, safety, kindness, honesty, respect for others’ work), describe safe habits (strong private passwords never shared, no sharing of personal details, kind words, asking permission before posting others, reporting unkind or unsafe content to a trusted adult), explain that many services have minimum ages and families and schools set rules, and design a class digital citizenship charter.
Lesson 10Media analysis project
Complete a guided media analysis project using a made-up media pack (a news report, an advert, a social-style post and an opinion piece about the same fictional event), applying key concepts from the unit: purpose, audience, ownership, techniques, fact versus opinion, sources, and gaps, then write a short analysis, create an improved fair summary, and present findings respectfully.