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6th grade · English Language Arts · Unit 11 of 14

Media Techniques

How messages persuade and why we react

What your child practices

Children name persuasion techniques such as bandwagon, testimonials, fear and scarcity, notice camera angles, music and what is left out, and think about why people react to the same message differently.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) teks student expectation: 6.8(F); 6.9(A) · an author's purpose and the techniques media messages use

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Bandwagon: everyone is doing it. Testimonial: a famous person says so. Scarcity: only a few left.
  2. Music, camera angles and what is left out all shape the message.
  3. People react differently to the same message because of their own experiences.

Example: A video plays slow, sad music while showing a lost puppy. What reaction does it aim for? Sad music sets a feeling. A lost puppy makes people feel sorry for it. Answer: sympathy

Media Techniques in Texas

In the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), this is unit 11 of 14 in 6th grade English Language Arts, after Check the Source and before Spelling: Endings and Sound-Alikes.

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

    An ad shows a famous athlete wearing a brand of shoes. What technique is this?

    • plain facts
    • testimonial or celebrity endorsement
    • bandwagon
    • cause and effect

  2. Question 2

    What is the purpose of a public service announcement?

    • to inform or persuade people for the public good
    • to sell a product
    • to tell a funny story only
    • to report sports scores

  3. Question 3

    What does “what is left out” mean when analyzing media?

    • the title
    • information the maker chose not to show
    • the end credits
    • the advertiser's logo

  4. Question 4

    Which technique uses fear to persuade?

    • warning that something bad will happen if you do not buy
    • giving a discount
    • showing a happy family
    • listing ingredients

  5. Question 5

    How is an infographic different from an ad?

    • they are the same
    • an ad has no pictures
    • an infographic always sells
    • an infographic mainly informs; an ad mainly sells

  6. Question 6

    Which technique uses a catchy, repeated phrase?

    • testimonial
    • statistics
    • slogan
    • footnote

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