Virginia SOL 6.C.4
SOL Standard (Knowledge and Skills Cluster)
Examining Media Messages
Virginia Standards of Learning for English
Cluster contents
Knowledge and Skills in This Standard
6.C.4 is a Standards of Learning standard. These are the knowledge and skills expectations under it.
- 6.C.4.A
Interpret information presented in diverse media formats and explain how it contributes to the topic.
- 6.C.4.B
Explain how media messages are intentionally constructed to impact a specific audience.
- 6.C.4.C
Explain the characteristics and analyze the effectiveness of a variety of media messages by considering the results and/or impact on the intended audience.
Teacher's field guide
What This Cluster Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students identify information communicated through words, images, sound, video, and layout, then explain how each part develops the topic. They identify the intended audience and analyze how deliberate choices shape reactions and results.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Given an advertisement, video, or infographic, students identify the topic, purpose, and intended audience. They cite specific words, images, sounds, or layout choices and explain whether those choices work for that audience.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may treat media messages as neutral facts rather than planned choices. They may list colors, images, or sounds without explaining their effects. They may confuse personal preference with effectiveness for the intended audience.
How to Assess It
- Display a public service poster. Ask students to name its intended audience, identify two construction choices, and explain how each choice may affect that audience.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give groups a print advertisement, sticky notes, and markers to label the message, audience, design choices, and likely impact.
Show a short public service video, then ask, “Which image or sound most shapes the message, and why?”
Play Audience Match: teams pair media cards with audience cards and defend each match using one specific feature.
Students examine a school announcement or local campaign post and revise one feature to reach a different audience.
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Printable 6.C.4 Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 6.C.4, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.
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