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2nd grade · English Language Arts · Unit 12 of 14

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.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) teks student expectation: 2.10(A); 2.13(C) · gathering information 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 Texas

In the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), this is unit 12 of 14 in 2nd grade English Language Arts, after Asking Questions and Finding Facts and before Silent Letters & Short Forms.

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: Texas Education Agency (TEA)

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

    Why might an ad show a famous athlete?

    • to warn about rain
    • to tell a story about frogs
    • so you trust the product
    • to teach a sport

  2. Question 2

    A poster says “Join the reading club!” What is its purpose?

    • to show the weather
    • to tell a scary story
    • to get kids to join
    • to sell shoes

  3. Question 3

    Which choice did the maker of a poster make?

    • what the weather is
    • which picture to put on it
    • who reads it
    • what day it is

  4. Question 4

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

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

  5. Question 5

    A movie poster shows a dark sky and a scared face. What kind of movie is it?

    • a spooky movie
    • a cooking show
    • a sale on shoes
    • a math lesson

  6. Question 6

    An online video says something that seems untrue. What should you do?

    • copy it
    • believe it
    • check with a grown-up or a good book
    • share it right away

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