Media Literacy Grade 3: Advertisements Selling vs. Informing

Grade 3 Media Literacy Study Guide: Advertisements – Selling vs. Informing

1. The Driving Question

"Why does that cereal commercial make me want to eat it RIGHT NOW, even though I just had breakfast? And how can I tell if it’s actually good for me—or just trying to trick me into begging my parents to buy it?"

2. The Core Idea – Built, Not Listed

Imagine you’re at the park, and your friend holds up a shiny new toy car. They say, "This car is the fastest ever! It can do flips in the air! If you don’t have it, you’ll miss out on all the fun!" But when you try it, the car barely rolls. That’s what ads do—they make things sound amazing, even if they’re not. A commercial is like your friend’s sales pitch, but for stuff you can buy. Some ads tell you useful things (like when a yogurt ad says, "Made with real fruit!"), but others just want you to feel like you need something (like a toy that glows in the dark but doesn’t actually work better). The key is spotting the difference.

Key Vocabulary: - Advertisement (ad): A message made to sell something, like a TV commercial, a billboard, or a pop-up on a tablet. Example: The poster in the grocery store showing a happy kid eating a brand of applesauce. - Persuade: To try to make someone believe or do something, like when a cereal box says, "Kids love it!" to make you ask for it. Example: A video game ad that says, "The most exciting game EVER!" but doesn’t show how it actually plays. - Claim: A statement an ad makes about a product, like "This toothpaste makes your teeth whiter!" Example: A juice box ad that says, "100% vitamin C!" but doesn’t mention it’s also full of sugar. - Bias: When an ad only tells you the good parts and leaves out the bad, like a fast-food ad showing a big burger but not the long line or the greasy wrapper. Example: A toy commercial that shows kids laughing while playing but doesn’t show how hard it is to put together.

3. Assessment Translation

How this shows up in class: - Exit Ticket: "Look at these two ads. Circle the one that’s mostly trying to sell you something, and underline the one that’s mostly giving you information. Explain your choice in one sentence." - Proficient response: "I circled the toy ad because it says ‘the coolest toy ever!’ but doesn’t say what it does. I underlined the shoe ad because it says ‘waterproof’ and shows a kid jumping in puddles." - Developing response: "I circled the toy ad because it’s colorful." (Misses the "why" and doesn’t compare both ads.) - Short Constructed Response: "A juice ad says, ‘Made with real fruit!’ What’s one question you could ask to find out if it’s really healthy?" - Proficient response: "Is there a lot of sugar in it too?" (Shows awareness that ads leave out info.) - Developing response: "Is it yummy?" (Focuses on personal preference, not health.)

What teachers look for: - Can the student identify when an ad is selling vs. informing? - Do they notice missing information (like sugar in juice or how a toy works)? - Can they explain their choice in a way that shows they’re not just guessing?

4. Mistake Taxonomy

Mistake 1: Assuming all ads tell the truth. - Question: "A cereal ad says, ‘Start your day with energy!’ What’s one thing you’d want to know before eating it?" - Common wrong answer: "If it tastes good." (Focuses on personal preference, not facts.) - Why it loses credit: Doesn’t question the ad’s claim or ask for evidence (like nutrition info). - Correct approach: "How much sugar is in it? Too much sugar can make me tired later."

Mistake 2: Thinking "informing" means "boring." - Question: "Which of these is mostly informing, not selling? A) A poster that says, ‘New sneakers—run faster!’ B) A sign that says, ‘Library storytime at 3 PM.’" - Common wrong answer: "A, because sneakers are more fun." (Confuses "fun" with "informing.") - Why it loses credit: Doesn’t recognize that informing = giving useful facts, not just excitement. - Correct approach: "B, because it tells you when and where something is happening, not just trying to sell you shoes."

Mistake 3: Missing the "trick" in persuasive language. - Question: "An ad says, ‘All kids are wearing these headphones!’ Why might this not be true?" - Common wrong answer: "Because headphones are expensive." (Focuses on cost, not the ad’s trick.) - Why it loses credit: Doesn’t spot the persuasive tactic (making you feel left out). - Correct approach: "The ad is trying to make me feel like I’ll be the only one without them, but it doesn’t say how many kids actually wear them."

5. Connection Layer

• Within Media Literacy: Ads-Fake News — Both use persuasive language to make you believe something without checking the facts. (Example: A toy ad says "best ever!" just like a fake news headline says "scientists shocked by this trick!")
• Across Subjects: Ads-Math (Graphs) — Ads often use graphs to make things look better than they are. (Example: A cereal box shows a tiny graph of "energy" that goes up a little, but the picture makes it look huge.)
• Outside School: Ads-YouTube Thumbnails — The "clickbait" images on videos (like a shocked face or a fake "secret") work the same way as ads—they make you curious but don’t always deliver. (Example: A thumbnail says "You won’t believe what happens next!" but the video is just a cat sneezing.)

6. The Stretch Question

"If you made an ad for broccoli, how would you make kids want to eat it—without lying? What’s one true thing you could say that would still make it exciting?"

Pointer toward the answer: Think about what kids actually care about—like being strong, having fun, or feeling grown-up. Maybe you’d say, "Broccoli is the secret weapon of superheroes—it helps you grow big and strong!" (True: It has vitamins!) Or show a kid eating it and then winning a race. The trick is to highlight something real that kids already want (strength, fun, coolness) without making up fake benefits. What would you fall for?