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2nd grade · English Language Arts · Unit 12 of 12

Media Detectives

Purposes, parts and who made it

What your child practices

Children compare ads, signs, posters, books and videos, tell what each one is for, notice the choices their makers made, and pick good sources for a research question.

Arizona Academic Standards learning standard: 2.W.8; 2.RI.6; 2.SL.2 · gathering information to answer questions and naming what a text or message is for

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Every message has a purpose: to sell, to teach, to tell news or to entertain.
  2. Videos use pictures, words and music to show feelings.
  3. People can feel differently about the same message, and that's okay.

Example: How are a toy ad and a book about bears different? The ad wants you to buy the toy. The book teaches you about bears. Answer: the ad wants to sell; the book teaches

Media Detectives in Arizona

In the Arizona Academic Standards, this is unit 12 of 12 in 2nd grade English Language Arts, after Asking Questions and Finding Facts.

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: Arizona Department of Education

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

    An ad for juice shows kids playing soccer. Why?

    • to show a map
    • to tell the time
    • so you link the juice with fun
    • to teach soccer rules

  2. Question 2

    Where can you find answers about your town's history?

    • the town library
    • a cereal box
    • a toy store ad
    • a cartoon

  3. Question 3

    Ana reads two books about whales. Why is that smart?

    • she likes heavy bags
    • to skip reading
    • she can check facts in both
    • one book is enough

  4. Question 4

    You want to learn how bees make honey. Which source is best?

    • a jar label
    • a science book about bees
    • a cartoon bee song
    • a honey ad

  5. Question 5

    Why do signs use pictures as well as words?

    • to be pretty only
    • to hide the rule
    • so more people can understand quickly
    • to sell pictures

  6. Question 6

    Which question helps you research?

    • Pandas are cute.
    • Do I like pandas?
    • What do pandas eat in the wild?
    • Is my shirt blue?

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