Media literacy IEP goals: ads, persuasion and propaganda
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
A media literacy IEP goal names the media type, the technique or judgment the student makes, and a criterion out of a fixed set. Example: given 8 print or video ads, the student will name the persuasion technique and the target audience for each, scoring at least 7 of 8 correct on 3 of 4 monthly probes. Below are 12 goals from ads to online claims.
Students with disabilities spend as much time with ads, videos and social media posts as their peers, and many find it hard to look past what a message says on the surface. A student who reads every sentence as a fact, or cannot tell an ad from an article, is at real risk online and in stores. Media literacy goals turn the comprehension skills of author's purpose, fact and opinion and evidence into habits a student can use on a phone.
The 12 goals below are grouped by the kind of media judgment involved. Each has a fictional baseline and a template link. Numbers are illustrations, not benchmarks. For the full set of comprehension strategies, see the pillar guide on reading comprehension strategies.
Decision table: from student profile to goal
| What you see | Sub-skill to target | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Believes ad claims ("the best phone ever") | Persuasion techniques in ads | Items correct out of a fixed set |
| Cannot tell sponsored posts or ads from content | Ads vs content | Items correct |
| Treats opinion columns as news | News vs opinion; fact vs opinion | Items correct |
| Shares claims without checking | Checking sources and claims | Rubric points |
| Misses emotional or loaded wording | Loaded language and propaganda | Items correct; rubric |
| Reads graphs in ads or news as neutral | Misleading visuals | Items correct |
Federal guidance on adolescent literacy recommends direct, explicit comprehension strategy instruction and extended discussion of text meaning.[1] Both fit media literacy well: model the question to ask, then talk through real examples.
Ads and persuasion techniques
- 1. Name the technique. Baseline: 2 of 8 correct. Goal: Given 8 print or video ads, the student will name the persuasion technique (bandwagon, testimonial, expert, emotional appeal, scarcity, glittering words) and the target audience for each, scoring at least 7 of 8 correct on 3 of 4 monthly probes. Template: name the persuasion technique in an ad.
- 2. Break down a social media ad. Baseline: 1 of 6 on the rubric. Goal: Given a social media ad, the student will explain what is being sold, who it targets, which technique it uses and what it leaves out, scoring 5 of 6 on a media rubric on 3 of 4 monthly probes. Template: break down a social media ad.
- 3. Audio and video persuasion. Baseline: 3 of 8 correct. Goal: Given 8 short audio or video clips, the student will identify the persuasive technique and one piece of music, image or wording that supports it on 7 of 8 clips on 3 consecutive monthly probes. Template: identify persuasive techniques in audio and video.
Weak: "Will understand advertising." Measurable: goal 1. List the techniques the student must name.
Ads vs content, and news vs opinion
- 4. Ads vs content on a web page. Baseline: 4 of 10 correct. Goal: Given screenshots of 10 web pages or feeds, the student will circle every ad or sponsored post and leave content unmarked, with 9 of 10 pages correct on 3 consecutive biweekly probes. Template: tell ads from content on a web page.
- 5. News vs opinion. Baseline: 5 of 12 correct. Goal: Given 12 headlines and opening paragraphs, the student will sort each as a news report or an opinion piece and point to one clue, on 11 of 12 items on 3 of 4 biweekly probes. Template: tell news reports from opinion pieces.
- 6. Opinions dressed as facts. Baseline: found 2 of 8 opinion sentences. Goal: Given a 1-page article or review, the student will highlight sentences that state opinions as if they were facts, finding at least 7 of 8 on 3 consecutive monthly probes. Template: spot opinions dressed up as facts.
Weak: "Will know the difference between fact and opinion." Measurable: goal 6. For the basic skill, see fact and opinion IEP goals.
Checking sources and claims
- 7. Judge a website. Baseline: 2 of 8 on the checklist rubric. Goal: Given a website on a school topic, the student will use a 4-question checklist (who made it, why, when, can it be checked elsewhere) and rate its reliability with a reason, scoring at least 7 of 8 on the rubric on 3 of 4 monthly probes. Template: judge a website's reliability.
- 8. Check a claim with other sources. Baseline: checked 0 of 4 claims. Goal: Given 4 claims from social media posts, the student will search for 2 other sources on each and state whether the claim is supported, contradicted or unclear, on 4 of 4 claims across 3 of 4 monthly probes. Template: check an online claim using other sites.
- 9. Reliable or not. Baseline: 3 of 8 correct. Goal: Given 8 online sources on one topic (news site, encyclopedia, personal blog, ad, government page), the student will sort them as more or less reliable and give one reason each on 7 of 8 sources on 3 consecutive monthly probes. Template: judge whether an online source is reliable.
Weak: "Will use reliable sources." Measurable: goal 7. A short checklist makes the judgment teachable and scorable.
Loaded language, propaganda and misleading visuals
- 10. Loaded words. Baseline: 3 of 10 correct. Goal: Given a persuasive passage, the student will underline loaded words and replace 4 of them with neutral words, finding at least 9 of 10 loaded words on 3 of 4 biweekly probes. Template: find loaded words in persuasive text.
- 11. Propaganda techniques. Baseline: 1 of 6 on the rubric. Goal: Given a historical poster or modern political message, the student will name the technique (name-calling, fear, us vs them, repetition, card stacking), the intended audience and the action it wants, scoring 5 of 6 on a media rubric on 3 of 4 monthly probes.
- 12. Misleading graphs. Baseline: identified 1 of 5. Goal: Given 5 graphs from news or ads, the student will name the misleading feature (cut-off axis, uneven scale, missing labels, cherry-picked time range) in 4 of 5 graphs on 3 of 4 monthly probes. Template: spot misleading news graphs.
Weak: "Will recognize propaganda." Measurable: goal 11. For the purpose behind any text, see author's purpose IEP goals.
The literary analysis page holds the persuasion and fact-and-opinion templates, the digital literacy page covers online safety, scams and source checking, and the comprehension goals page holds 100 more.
How to measure progress: rubric scoring
Item goals (sorting, naming, circling) are scored as items correct out of a fixed set. Judgment goals (breaking down an ad, judging a site) need rubric scoring. Use a 3-criterion rubric with 2 points each, and keep it the same all year. Probe monthly for judgment goals and every two weeks for item goals, always with new examples so the student cannot memorize answers. Real ads and posts go stale fast, so keep a bank of 40 to 50 examples at the right level and rotate them.
A 3-criterion media rubric for goal 2, 2 points each (6 total): what is sold and who it targets; technique named with evidence from the ad; what the ad leaves out or exaggerates.
A filled-in rubric scoring sheet for goal 2:
| Probe date | Ad | Product and audience | Technique with evidence | What is left out | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 25 (baseline) | Sneaker video | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 of 6 |
| Oct 23 | Energy drink post | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 of 6 |
| Nov 20 | Game app ad | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 of 6 |
| Dec 18 | Phone plan ad | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 of 6 |
The last column is where most students stay low longest; asking "What would the company not want you to know?" is a useful prompt to fade. For rubric design, see how to create a rubric for IEP goals. Paste adapted goals into the goal checker.
Writing short-term objectives
Split by media type or support. For goal 1: name the technique from a choice of 3 in print ads; then name it with no choices in print ads; then in video ads.
Adapting by grade
| Grade band | Typical focus | Goals on this page |
|---|---|---|
| Grades 3 to 5 | Ads vs content, simple techniques, fact and opinion | 1, 4, 6 |
| Middle school | Social media ads, news vs opinion, loaded words | 2, 3, 5, 10 |
| High school and transition | Checking claims, propaganda, misleading graphs | 7, 8, 9, 11, 12 |
For transition-age students, pair these goals with scam and phishing goals on the digital literacy page. Students who struggle with persuasion in their own writing may also need opinion writing IEP goals. Federal guidance on reading in grades 4 to 9 supports building the background and word knowledge that makes judging a text possible.[2]
Frequently asked questions
What is a media literacy IEP goal?
A comprehension goal applied to ads, news, social media and websites. It names the media type, the judgment the student makes, such as naming a persuasion technique or checking a claim, and a criterion out of a fixed set of examples.
How do I keep media literacy probes fresh?
Build a bank of 40 to 50 ads, posts and headlines at the right reading level and rotate them, so the student never sees the same example twice in a short period. Keep the rubric the same so scores can be compared.
Are media literacy goals only for older students?
No. Younger students can work on telling ads from content and naming simple techniques like bandwagon. Older and transition-age students move to checking claims, propaganda and scams.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Comprehension goals (reading)
- Literary analysis goals (reading)
- Digital literacy goals
- Rubric scoring measurement guide
- IEP goal checker
Related guides
- Reading comprehension strategies for struggling readers
- Reading comprehension IEP goal examples
- IEP goals for main idea and details
- How to measure reading comprehension without a percent-of-questions trap
- Fact and opinion IEP goals: 20 examples from sorting to writing
- IEP goals for author's purpose and point of view
Sources
- Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices, What Works Clearinghouse, Institute of Education Sciences
- Providing Reading Interventions for Students in Grades 4–9, What Works Clearinghouse, Institute of Education Sciences
Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.