Pick a side
Choose one question. Think quietly, compare in pairs, then give a reason. Fictional examples are welcome.
- What makes you stop scrolling?
- Have you remembered an advert but forgotten its product?
- Which persuades you most: jokes, stories or numbers?
Get the story
Read to find one benefit, one problem and one idea you want to challenge.
A short clip appears between a dance video and a football highlight. It is funny, memorable and designed to make you feel something. Then you realise it is a political advert. People who would never watch a long speech may watch it twice. Does that make the message powerful, or just entertaining?
When beef prices rose in Mississippi, Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith suggested that people struggling to pay for beef could choose another source of protein. The advice seemed practical to some people, but others thought it showed too little understanding of their worries.
Her Democratic opponent, Scott Colom, made a short campaign advert about the remark. Several local people react with surprise and make a joke: rather than choosing different meat, they would prefer a different senator. The advert connects a simple slogan with the real cost of shopping.
The video spread widely on social media. According to Colom, the idea came from people in Mississippi and the advert was made cheaply by local creatives, not a large Washington advertising company. That local voice might explain why some viewers found it natural and memorable.
Spanish students will recognize part of the argument. Beef has a strong place in food culture, and shoppers notice rising prices. However, cattle farmers also pay for feed, diesel, transport and other costs. Food can become more expensive for a family while farmers still struggle to make a fair profit.
The story also had an unexpected election ending. On November 11, Colom's narrow victory was reported. He became Mississippi's first Black US senator since Reconstruction, a period after the American Civil War. Most observers had expected the Republican candidate to win. That historical background is the subject of Lesson 4.
But it would be a mistake to say that the advert won the election by itself. Voters could have been influenced by prices, the candidates' records, local campaigns and several other issues. Millions of views do not tell us how many people changed their vote.
Another 2026 candidate, Abdul El-Sayed, used a different style of online humor in Michigan. He made a parody of Love Island, a popular dating reality show, to introduce his healthcare ideas. Some viewers enjoyed the joke; others thought the format was too silly for politics.
Both examples raise an interesting question: are political adverts most useful when they make people laugh, or when they give people enough information to make an informed decision?
The same questions help with influencer adverts. Who made it, who paid, what evidence is offered and what is missing? A joke may be clearly fictional while its main claim still needs checking. Before sharing, describe the message in one plain sentence. Is it still convincing without the music, editing and punchline?
Original classroom writing, with a teen-focused introduction and reflection. Election reporting is a dated November 2026 story; being elected does not mean taking office immediately.
Word power
Explain a word to a partner, check its meaning, then use it in a new example.
Prove it
Choose an answer, then find the sentence that supports it. Guessing is only the start.
Watch. Notice. Question.
A politician suggests choosing a different protein when beef costs too much. A rival campaign shows residents rejecting the advice and suggesting a different senator. The slogan links a joke with a real household concern. This neutral summary is the default teen activity; no social media account or video is needed.
Which part is a factual claim? Which is a joke? What would you need to check?
The challenge board
Two teams, one screen, no student devices. Choose a tile. Explain your answer before revealing it. Use the score buttons to award points; opinions earn points for reasons, not agreement.
Choose a challenge to begin.
Have something to say
This or that?
- Funny message or serious explanation?
Choose. Give a reason. Ask your partner one follow-up question.
- Share now or check first?
Choose. Give a reason. Ask your partner one follow-up question.
- A million views or a strong source?
Choose. Give a reason. Ask your partner one follow-up question.
- Reply or avoid boosting a misleading clip?
Choose. Give a reason. Ask your partner one follow-up question.
- A personal story or a useful statistic?
Choose. Give a reason. Ask your partner one follow-up question.
- Delete a mistake or publish a correction?
Choose. Give a reason. Ask your partner one follow-up question.
Go deeper
Pick the questions that interest you. You can defend a fictional view.
- Why share content you disagree with?
- Can humour make weak claims stronger?
- What should political adverts explain?
- Do a million views mean a million supporters?
- How does music change a message?
- Should paid political promotion always be labelled?
- What disappears when clips are shortened?
- Can replying spread the original message?
- How can you check a surprising claim?
- Would a serious message work better without jokes?
- Should brands and politicians follow the same advertising rules?
- When would you correct something you shared?
- I would choose ... because ...
- One advantage is ..., but ...
- I see your point. However, ...
- What evidence supports that?
- Could we agree on ...?
- I used to think ..., but now ...
Make your case
Storyboard a fictional 20-second campaign about reducing school litter. Include a hook, one supportable claim and an action. Swap with another group to identify techniques and missing evidence.
Plot twist — open when your plan is ready
No shocking images, insults or invented statistics. Keep the campaign interesting.
Final outcome: Present three frames, evidence for the claim and one honest limitation. No filming or public posting is required.
- I would choose ... because ...
- One advantage is ..., but ...
- I see your point. However, ...
- What evidence supports that?
- Could we agree on ...?
- I used to think ..., but now ...
One more idea
Rewrite an invented slogan in plain English. Add the question a careful viewer should ask next.
Exit ticket
One useful word. One idea you changed or questioned. One question you still have.
Follow the story
- Associated Press · Colom's historic Mississippi victory (11 Nov 2026)
- Mississippi Today · Election reporting (11 Nov 2026)
- Cook Political Report · Mississippi Senate race rating (Oct 2026)
- Mississippi Public Broadcasting · Colom on how the advert was made (Oct 2026)
- ABC News · Hyde-Smith and the 'protein' remark (2026)
- ASAJA · Spanish agricultural diesel costs (Sep 2026)
- ASAJA / Provacuno · Spanish beef prices and farming costs (2026)
- Mediaite · El-Sayed's reality-TV campaign parody (Sep 2026)
- National Archives · Reconstruction, Black senators and voting rights
- The Democrats · Original advert on YouTube Shorts