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4th grade · English Language Arts · Unit 11 of 13

Media and Sources

Target audiences, techniques and good sources

What your child practices

Children practice naming the target audience and purpose of a message, spotting techniques like close-ups and “hurry” words, telling facts from opinions, searching with keywords and judging whether a source is reliable.

Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards benchmark: 4.1.9.2; 4.1.6.1 · judging whether information is credible, and an author's purpose

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Ask who a message is for (the audience) and why it was made (the purpose).
  2. Ads use tricks like close-ups and “hurry” words to make you act fast.
  3. Check that a source is reliable and up to date, and compare it with another source.

Example: An ad says “Hurry! Only three left!” What technique is this? “Hurry” and “only three” push you to act now. It makes you feel you must act fast. Answer: making you feel you must act fast

Media and Sources in Minnesota

In the Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards, this is unit 11 of 13 in 4th grade English Language Arts, after Grammar Gears and before Spelling Rules.

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: Minnesota Department of Education (MDE)

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 shows a slow-motion close-up of melting cheese. How does this persuade?

    • it gives the price
    • it explains how cheese is made
    • it makes the food look delicious
    • it lists healthy facts

  2. Question 2

    Which is a good research question for a report on rivers?

    • Rivers are nice.
    • Where does a river's water come from?
    • Do I like rivers?
    • Rivers.

  3. Question 3

    Which source is most likely accurate for facts about the planet Mars?

    • a space agency website
    • a science-fiction movie
    • a post by a stranger
    • an ad for a space toy

  4. Question 4

    Why should you check when a web page was last updated?

    • old pages are always wrong
    • information can go out of date
    • dates tell you the author
    • newer pages are prettier

  5. Question 5

    A video game ad shows only the best graphics. What could it be leaving out?

    • the pictures
    • the name of the game
    • how long the game takes to load
    • that it is a game

  6. Question 6

    Kenji reads a post that says “Dogs can't see any colors.” How can he find out if it is accurate?

    • count the likes
    • check a science book or animal expert site
    • share it
    • ask the person who posted it

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