Virginia SOL 12.C.4

12.C.4 is a Standards of Learning standard. These are the knowledge and skills expectations under it.

• 12.C.4.A

  Defend hypotheses about an author’s underlying values, viewpoints, and purposes and reflect on how they shape the content.

• 12.C.4.B

  Analyze and critique the effectiveness of media messages by evaluating the purpose, evidence, and clarity for specific purposes with targeted audiences.

• 12.C.4.C

  Analyze and evaluate how the media's use of symbolism, imagery, metaphor, and bias impacts the message.

• 12.C.4.D

  Explain and analyze how values and viewpoints are included or excluded and how media influences beliefs, interpretations, and behaviors.

• 12.C.4.E

  Analyze media to determine the cause-and-effect relationship(s) between media coverage and public opinion trends.

01

What Students Need to Do

Students infer a media creator’s values, viewpoint, and purpose from evidence in the message. They evaluate framing, language, visuals, symbolism, evidence, clarity, and audience fit. They explain whose views are included or omitted and assess possible effects on beliefs, behavior, and public opinion.

02

What Mastery Looks Like

Students make a clear claim about a creator’s values and purpose, then support it with details from the message. They judge whether the evidence and presentation suit the intended audience. They also explain likely effects without overstating what the evidence proves.

03

Common Misconceptions

Students may treat bias as a false statement rather than a pattern of selection, framing, or omission. They may confuse audience reaction with authorial purpose. They may also claim that coverage caused an opinion shift when the evidence shows only correlation.

04

How to Assess It

Give students a news post and a public opinion graph on the same issue. Ask them to identify the intended audience, one framing choice, and whether the evidence supports a causal claim.

1. 01

   Give pairs printed headlines and images from one event, then have them sort, annotate, and compare the framing choices.

2. 02

   Ask students to write which voices are centered, which are missing, and how those choices guide the audience’s interpretation.

3. 03

   Play Evidence or Assumption by showing media claims and having teams label each supporting statement before defending their choices.

4. 04

   Compare a week of issue coverage with polling data, then map possible links while naming other factors that could explain the trend.

• 10.C.4

  The 10th Grade version of this standard.

• 11.C.4

  The 11th Grade version of this standard.

• 6.C.4

  The 6th Grade version of this standard.

• 5.C.4

  The 5th Grade version of this standard.