CurriculumGrade 8English Language Arts

Analyzing Media & Motives

Aligned to SL.8.2 — Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.

What this lesson teaches

Information reaches us through many media and formats, each shaped by a purpose. Analyze why a message was presented a certain way and evaluate the motives behind it.

Worked example

A cheerful video urging you to 'act now' before a sale ends uses urgency and music to push a quick purchase; spotting that motive keeps you from being rushed.

Practice questions

  1. Identify the purpose behind one piece of media.
  2. Explain a technique used to influence the audience.
  3. Judge whether the motive is to inform, persuade, or sell.

Watch the lesson

Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.

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En español

Analizar Medios y Motivaciones

La información nos llega por muchos medios y formatos, cada uno moldeado por un propósito. Analiza por qué un mensaje se presentó de cierta manera y evalúa las motivaciones detrás de él.

Ejemplo: Un video alegre que te urge a 'actuar ya' antes de que termine una oferta usa la urgencia y la música para empujar una compra rápida; reconocer ese motivo evita que te apresuren.

More Speaking & Listening lessons

Discussion & Analyzing MediaSL.8.1Evaluating a Speaker's ArgumentSL.8.3Presenting Claims ClearlySL.8.4Adding Multimedia to TalksSL.8.5Formal & Informal SpeechSL.8.6

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