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6th grade · English Language Arts · Unit 11 of 12

Media Techniques

How messages persuade and why we react

What your child practices

Children name persuasion techniques such as bandwagon, testimonials, fear and scarcity, notice camera angles, music and what is left out, and think about why people react to the same message differently.

Alaska content standards learning standard: RI.6.6; SL.6.2 · an author's purpose and the techniques media messages use

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Bandwagon: everyone is doing it. Testimonial: a famous person says so. Scarcity: only a few left.
  2. Music, camera angles and what is left out all shape the message.
  3. People react differently to the same message because of their own experiences.

Example: A video plays slow, sad music while showing a lost puppy. What reaction does it aim for? Sad music sets a feeling. A lost puppy makes people feel sorry for it. Answer: sympathy

Media Techniques in Alaska

In the Alaska content standards, this is unit 11 of 12 in 6th grade English Language Arts, after Check the Source and before Spelling: Endings and Sound-Alikes.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Alaska Department of Education and Early Development

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    What is clickbait?

    • a fishing tool
    • a kind of citation
    • a headline or picture made to get clicks, often misleading
    • a news summary

  2. Question 2

    What is the purpose of a public service announcement?

    • to sell a product
    • to report sports scores
    • to inform or persuade people for the public good
    • to tell a funny story only

  3. Question 3

    A social media post makes you very angry. What is a wise first step?

    • share it right away
    • reply with insults
    • pause and check the facts before reacting
    • believe it completely

  4. Question 4

    A video uses slow, sad music while showing a lost puppy. What reaction does it aim for?

    • anger at puppies
    • boredom
    • laughter
    • sympathy

  5. Question 5

    A sports drink ad shows athletes sweating and winning. What is the message?

    • the drink helps you win
    • sports are dangerous
    • the drink is cheap
    • water is better

  6. Question 6

    An ad compares “our soap” with “the other brand” but never names it. Why is this weak evidence?

    • you can't check the comparison
    • it has a slogan
    • soap can't be compared
    • it is too funny

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