Student learning · Grades 3–5 · 40 minutes
Ad or Info?
Students sort mock posts, videos, and headlines into ads, information, and clickbait, hunt for persuasion tricks, and then create an honest, clearly labeled ad of their own.
Kids see ads everywhere, and many don't look like ads: a favorite gamer's "honest review," a sponsored search result, a cartoon inside a free game, a shocking headline built to get a click. In this lesson teams sort fourteen mock media items into Ad (wants you to buy), Info (wants you to know), and Clickbait (wants you to click), using a Persuasion Detective checklist. Then pairs flip roles and become media makers, creating an honest ad for a made-up product, labeled so no one is fooled. Along the way they see that AI can write persuasive text in seconds, which makes spotting persuasion a skill everyone needs.
In this packet
- Handout A: Ad, Info, or Clickbait? (card sort)
- Handout B: Persuasion Detective (checklist)
- Handout C: Make an Honest Ad (worksheet)
- Facilitator key (last page)
TCEA ELE indicators
- S2.2 I can identify trustworthy sources of information on the internet.
- S5.2 I can use creativity and logic to find innovative solutions.
- S3.2 I can communicate my ideas clearly to others.
- AI4.1 I know how to promote critical thinking skills in relation to AI-generated information.
Full facilitator guide: mglearn.github.io/eles/activities/ad-or-info.html
Handout A for Ad or Info?
Ad, Info, or Clickbait?
All brands and people here are made up. Sort each strip. Be ready to say the clue that proves it.
Ad (wants you to buy)
Info (wants you to know)
Clickbait (wants you to click)
Handout A for Ad or Info?
Ad, Info, or Clickbait?: cards to sort
Cut apart the strips. Sort each one onto the mat and be ready to explain why.
Sheet 1 of 2
A kid unboxes ZoomBlaster sneakers on video: "These make you run faster!" Small text: #ad Paid partnership with ZoomBlaster.
A library web page: "How to Care for a Pet Hamster," written by a veterinarian, with no products for sale.
"You WON'T BELIEVE what this cat did next!!! Click NOW!"
In a free game: "Get 500 gems now! Only $4.99! Offer ends in 10 minutes!"
A kids' news article: "Pinewood Opens New Public Pool This Summer," with the date and the reporter's name.
The weather page says: "Tomorrow: sunny, high of 85°F."
"Kids HATE this one weird trick to never do homework again!"
A cartoon character in a free app says: "Ask your parents to buy Sparkle Slime Deluxe today!"
A museum website explains how volcanoes erupt, with a labeled diagram.
"Top 10 Scariest Animals: Number 7 Will SHOCK You!" with a blurry photo.
The school newsletter: "Picture day is Thursday. Wear your best smile!"
A popular gamer posts: "I only play with the TurboPad controller! Use my code TURBO10 for a discount." There is no #ad label.
Handout A for Ad or Info?
Ad, Info, or Clickbait?: cards to sort
Cut apart the strips. Sort each one onto the mat and be ready to explain why.
Sheet 2 of 2
A homework helper app answers a question about plants, then ends: "For even better grades, upgrade to BrightPath Premium today!"
The top search result has a small "Sponsored" label: "SnackStar Chips: The Crunch Everyone Loves!"
Handout B for Ad or Info?
Persuasion Detective
Use this checklist on any strip, video, or AI-written ad. Mark each clue Found it or Not here.
| Found it | Not here | |
|---|---|---|
| Someone is paid: #ad, Sponsored, Partner, or a special promo code | ||
| Hurry words: now, today only, ends soon, a countdown timer | ||
| Bandwagon: "everyone has it," "everyone loves it" | ||
| A famous or favorite person or character is selling it | ||
| Too good to be true: run faster, never do homework, best ever | ||
| ALL CAPS and lots of !!! to grab attention | ||
| Mystery headline: "You won't believe…," "Number 7 will shock you" | ||
| A sales pitch hiding inside something helpful | ||
| I can tell who made it and what they want me to do |
Notes
Handout C for Ad or Info?
Make an Honest Ad
Pick a made-up product (Pencil Pal, the eraser that never smudges, or invent your own). Persuade honestly!
Our product and what it really does:
Draw our honest ad. Include a clear AD label.
The persuasion techniques we used (no more than 2) and why they're honest:
Now write an INFO version about the same product. Just the facts:
What is the biggest difference between our ad and our info version?
Partner check: Which techniques did the other pair spot in our ad?
Facilitator only for Ad or Info?
Answer key and notes
Handout A: Ad, Info, or Clickbait?
| Item | Sort | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A kid unboxes ZoomBlaster sneakers on video: "These make you run faster!" Small text: #ad Paid partnership with ZoomBlaster. | Ad (wants you to buy) | The #ad label shows he is paid. "Run faster" is a too-good-to-be-true promise. |
| A library web page: "How to Care for a Pet Hamster," written by a veterinarian, with no products for sale. | Info (wants you to know) | An expert explains; nothing is being sold. |
| "You WON'T BELIEVE what this cat did next!!! Click NOW!" | Clickbait (wants you to click) | Mystery headline, ALL CAPS, and exclamation points to get a click. |
| In a free game: "Get 500 gems now! Only $4.99! Offer ends in 10 minutes!" | Ad (wants you to buy) | Hurry words and a price. The timer pushes you to buy fast. |
| A kids' news article: "Pinewood Opens New Public Pool This Summer," with the date and the reporter's name. | Info (wants you to know) | It names who wrote it and when, and reports news. |
| The weather page says: "Tomorrow: sunny, high of 85°F." | Info (wants you to know) | Just facts you need; nothing to buy or click. |
| "Kids HATE this one weird trick to never do homework again!" | Clickbait (wants you to click) | A "weird trick" and a promise that sounds too good to be true. |
| A cartoon character in a free app says: "Ask your parents to buy Sparkle Slime Deluxe today!" | Ad (wants you to buy) | A favorite character is used to sell a product to kids. |
| A museum website explains how volcanoes erupt, with a labeled diagram. | Info (wants you to know) | It teaches; nothing is for sale. |
| "Top 10 Scariest Animals: Number 7 Will SHOCK You!" with a blurry photo. | Clickbait (wants you to click) | Built to make you click through a list to find out. |
| The school newsletter: "Picture day is Thursday. Wear your best smile!" | Info (wants you to know) | The school is sharing a date you need. |
| A popular gamer posts: "I only play with the TurboPad controller! Use my code TURBO10 for a discount." There is no #ad label. | Ad (wants you to buy) | A personal discount code is a clue he may earn money from sales, even without a label. |
| A homework helper app answers a question about plants, then ends: "For even better grades, upgrade to BrightPath Premium today!" | Ad (wants you to buy) | A sales pitch is hiding at the end of a helpful answer. |
| The top search result has a small "Sponsored" label: "SnackStar Chips: The Crunch Everyone Loves!" | Ad (wants you to buy) | "Sponsored" means the company paid to be at the top. "Everyone loves" is bandwagon. |