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1st grade · English Language Arts · Unit 12 of 13

Messages All Around

Who made it, and why?

What your child practices

Children look at everyday messages, like signs, ads, cards and videos, and practice asking who made them, why, and how they make us feel. This is the media literacy part of the standards.

Maine Learning Results learning standard: Speaking and Listening 2; Reading 9 · asking and answering questions about everyday messages in pictures, words and other media

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Every message is made by a person or a group.
  2. Ads want you to want something.
  3. Bright colors and big words catch your eye.

Example: An ad says “Kids love it!” What does the ad want? Ads try to make you want things. It wants you to want it too. Answer: for you to want it too

Messages All Around in Maine

In the Maine Learning Results, this is unit 12 of 13 in 1st grade English Language Arts, after Think It Through and before Story or 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: Maine 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

    Which one is trying to sell something?

    • an Exit sign
    • a map of the park
    • an ad for new shoes
    • a story about a bear

  2. Question 2

    An ad shows a happy kid with a new toy. What does it want?

    • to tell the weather
    • for you to buy the toy
    • to warn you
    • to teach about trees

  3. Question 3

    A lunch menu tells you…

    • what the weather is
    • how to play tag
    • a story about a fox
    • what food there is to eat

  4. Question 4

    Every message is made by…

    • magic
    • the wind
    • nobody
    • a person or a group of people

  5. Question 5

    Who most likely made a poster for the school bake sale?

    • the cookies
    • a cloud
    • people at the school
    • a dog

  6. Question 6

    Which question helps you think about an ad?

    • Is it lunch yet?
    • Where is my hat?
    • Who made this, and why?
    • What time is it?

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