Truth vs. Hype

This worksheet helps students in Grades 5, 6, and 7 build media literacy, critical reading, and analytical thinking skills by examining a passage about a bottled water brand. Students closely read the text to separate persuasive advertising language from factual, informational statements, learning how tone, purpose, and word choice influence readers’ perceptions and decisions.

Learning Goals

• Fact vs. Persuasion (Grades 5-7)
  Distinguish between objective information and promotional or exaggerated claims.
• Author Purpose & Tone
  Analyze how language reveals whether a text is meant to inform or persuade.
• Advertising Techniques
  Identify persuasive wording commonly used in marketing and branding.
• Critical Media Literacy
  Evaluate claims made by companies using evidence-based reasoning.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource
  Designed by educators to support ELA and media literacy standards.
• Active Annotation Practice
  Students underline persuasive language and highlight factual statements for clarity.
• Real-World Application
  Uses a familiar consumer topic to strengthen relevance and engagement.
• Flexible Classroom Use
  Ideal for independent work, partner activities, discussion, or assessment.
• Low-Prep Format
  Print-and-go worksheet for classroom or homeschool instruction.

This printable worksheet strengthens students’ ability to analyze advertising language, identify bias, and separate facts from hype within a single text. By learning how promotional wording differs from evidence-based information, learners become more informed readers and more thoughtful consumers. It’s a practical, engaging resource for building media literacy in both classroom and homeschool settings.

This worksheet is part of our credibility of sources worksheets collection.