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8th grade · English Language Arts · Unit 11 of 16

Media Influence

Appeals, feeds and echo chambers

What your child practices

Children explain the purposes of media messages and the techniques behind them (appeals to emotion, logic and credibility, editing, subtext, sponsorship) and how feeds and echo chambers affect people's reactions.

New York State Learning Standards learning standard: 8SL2; 8R7 · the motives behind media messages and the techniques they use

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Media appeal to emotion, logic and credibility. Editing and music shape how we feel.
  2. Look for what’s left out, like how many people gave a rating.
  3. Echo chambers show you only views like yours, which can make people less open.

Example: An app says “4 stars!” but only 10 people rated it. What is the problem? Ten ratings is a tiny number. A few people may not represent most users. Answer: the rating is based on very few people

Media Influence in New York

In the New York State Learning Standards, this is unit 11 of 16 in 8th grade English Language Arts, after Precise Words & Spelling and before Weigh the Evidence.

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: New York State Education Department (NYSED)

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 technique appeals mainly to emotion?

    • showing a crying child in a charity ad
    • listing a budget
    • showing a map
    • citing a study

  2. Question 2

    “Our app has 4 stars!” leaves out that only 10 people rated it. What is the problem?

    • 4 stars is a lie
    • the rating is based on very few people
    • the app is free
    • apps cannot be rated

  3. Question 3

    How can an echo chamber affect people's reactions to news?

    • it can make them more certain and less open to other views
    • it makes everyone agree with facts
    • it makes people read more books
    • it has no effect

  4. Question 4

    Why do news broadcasts use serious music for breaking news?

    • to sell music
    • to fill time
    • to entertain
    • to signal importance and create urgency

  5. Question 5

    Which technique uses credibility?

    • a giveaway contest
    • a firefighter explaining smoke alarm safety
    • a cartoon dancing
    • a catchy jingle

  6. Question 6

    Why might a feed show you more and more extreme videos on a topic?

    • it is random
    • the videos are more accurate
    • the system recommends content that keeps attention
    • your teacher chose them

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