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Home > Media and Influence > Sponsored Content: Who's Paying?
Lesson Plan
Media and Influence

Sponsored Content: Who's Paying?

6-8
9-12
One class period
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Learning Objectives

  • Identify sponsored content 
  • Consider how organizations influence the content of the posts they sponsor
  • Practice lateral reading 
  • Understand the importance of asking, "Who’s behind the information?"
Is that article original content or is it a sponsored ad? In this lesson, students learn why sponsored content is designed to be so hard to spot.
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Overview

Is that article original content or is it… a sponsored ad? Sponsored content can blur the lines between information and advertising because it’s fashioned to look like publishers’ traditional or original content. In this lesson, students learn why sponsored content exists and why it’s designed to be so hard to spot. Students then practice civic digital literacy skills as they investigate the companies and organizations sponsoring the content they see.

This lesson plan is part of the Civic Digital Literacy Project from iCivics and the Digital Inquiry Group. Civic Digital Literacy equips students with evidence-based strategies to discern online information, find trustworthy sources, and be better-informed citizens within the rapidly changing online environment. 

Explore the full collection of Civic Digital Literacy resources.

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