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Activity Sheet for English 8

Quarter 3 – Week 1 – MELC 1
Examining Biases in Written
works

REGION VI – WESTERN VISAYAS

English 8
Activity Sheet No. 1
First Edition, 2020

Published in the Philippines

By the Department of Education
Region 6 – Western Visayas

Republic Act 8293, section 176 states that: No copyright shall subsist in any work of
the Government of the Philippines. However, prior approval of the government agency
or office wherein the work is created shall be necessary for exploitation of such work
for profit. Such agency or office may, among other things, impose as a condition the
payment of royalties.

This Learning Activity Sheet is developed by DepEd Region 6 – Western Visayas.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this learning resource may be reproduced or

transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical without written
permission from the DepEd Regional Office 6 – Western Visayas.

Development Team of English Activity Sheets

Writer: Vivian L. Doromal

Editor: Salvador Dale B. Artates
Layout Artist: Camille V. Vestidas

Division of Capiz Management Team:

Salvador O. Ochavo, Jr., EdD, CESO V

Segundina F. Dollete, EdD
Shirley A. De Juan
Salvador Dale B. Artates

Regional Management Team:

Ramir B. Uytico, EdD, CESO IV

Dr. Josilyn S. Solana, CESO V
Dr. Elena P. Gonzaga
Donald T. Genine
Nestor Paul M. Pingil, EdD, PhD

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INTRODUCTORY MESSAGE

Welcome to English 8!

The Learning Activity Sheet is a product of the collaborative efforts of

the Schools Division of Capiz and DepEd Regional Office VI - Western Visayas
through the Curriculum and Learning Management Division (CLMD). This is
developed to guide the learning facilitators (teachers, parents and responsible
adults) in helping the learners meet the standards set by the K to 12 Basic
Education Curriculum.
The Learning Activity Sheet is self-directed instructional materials
aimed to guide the learners in accomplishing activities at their own pace and
time using the contextualized resources in the community. This will also assist
the learners in acquiring the lifelong learning skills, knowledge and attitudes for
productivity and employment.

For learning facilitator:

The English 8 Activity Sheet will help you facilitate the teaching-
learning activities specified in each Most Essential Learning Competency
(MELC) with minimal or no face-to-face encounter between you and learner.
This will be made available to the learners with the references/links to ease the
independent learning.

For the learner:

The English 8 Activity Sheet is developed to help you continue

learning even if you are not in school. This learning material provides you with
meaningful and engaging activities for independent learning. Being an active
learner, carefully read and understand the instructions then perform the
activities and answer the assessments. This will be returned to your facilitator
on the agreed schedule.

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 Quarter 3, Week 1

LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEETS (LAS) NO. 1 IN ENGLISH 8

Examining Biases (for or against) Made by the Author

Name: ________________________ Grade and Section: ________ Date: ________

I. Learning Competency

Examine biases (for or against) made by the author

II. Background information for learners

Welcome, Grade 8 students to Quarter 3 of your Distance

Learning. Congratulations, you have gone this far. A little more
push, and you’ll surely finish this year successfully.
Our first lesson in this quarter needs critical reading skills since
you already have different reading experiences in the previous
quarters.
Critical Reading requires that a reader recognize bias in
writing. Without this recognition, the reader may become the victim
of the writer’s propaganda. To identify bias in a passage or article,
the reader must read through the material and ask “What does the
writer want me to think or to do?”
Bias is a subjective way of thinking that tells only one side
of a story, sometimes leading to inaccurate information or a false
impression. When reading the information, you must be able to
evaluate whether the author is biased in giving out information; and
you must be able to identify the level of bias in potential sources.
An Author’s bias is any opinion or prejudice that affects the
author’s writing. It prevents the author from being completely
neutral about the topic or issue about which s/he is writing.

Some Possible Sources of Bias

• The writer is relying on incomplete information
• The writer is trying to deceive the reader
• The writer wants the reader to believe what he or she is saying
• The writer’s past experience is influencing his or her thinking.
• The writer is trying to persuade the reader.
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 Quarter 3, Week 1

Bias is often present in editorials, advertisements, religious

publications, and political materials.

Common Devices or techniques used by writers of

propaganda and biased materials:
1. Use of words for emotional effect – words like “commie”,
“racist”, “hippie”, “liberal”, “pinko” or words that appeal to the
emotion like “happy”, “wonderful” to promote either a positive or
negative response to the reader.
Example: An example of bias in an advertisement of a beverage
is that if you open it and drink it, you become happy.

2. Repetition – The most frequently used propaganda and

advertising technique. Repetitive exposures of ads and
propaganda to gain familiarity and popularity among the
audience.

3. Flattery – The writer may use praise to try to gain a positive

reaction from the reader.
Example: The man of the hour is the superman of this agency. Without
him, this company would be in the drain. His smile captures the spirit.
His voice is an authority, and his actions, exemplary.

4. Stacking the Cards – Instead of giving an objective description,

the writer may give evidence to support only one side of a
question and may deliberately omit any opposing ideas.
Example: Pots Potato chips are 100% homegrown organic
potatoes, freshly baked and fried in healthy fats and oils, with
less sodium, less artificial flavorings, picked and packed on the
same day to ensure freshness.

5. Bandwagon – The writer might suggest that everyone is doing

something or thinking in a certain way and that the reader
should do the same.
Example: You believe that High School students should take the Drug Test,
but your friends and schoolmates disagree with the idea, so you joined them
and didn’t take the drug test yourself.

6. Testimonial - when a product is endorsed by using words from famous

people or figures of authority
Examples: People believed and preferred generic drugs because
it is being endorsed by a celebrity

7. Transfer - when a product is endorsed using the picture of a

famous person, things, ideas, or symbolisms but no words from
the said person, thing, ideas, or symbolisms
Example: People prefer to eat at a fast-food chain because they
saw pictures of a happy family and children of celebrities eating
there.

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 Quarter 3, Week 1

III. Reference for Learners

• https://www.google.com/search?q=www.+sjsu.edu%3Efaculty%3Emar
y.warner%3EIdentifying+Bias&rlz=1C1CHBF_enPH876PH876&oq=ww
w.+sjsu.edu%3Efaculty%3Emary.warner%3EIdentifying+Bias&aqs=chr
ome..69i57.84641j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
• https://www.gpisd.org/cms/lib01/TX01001872/Centricity/Domain/2148/
Week%209.pdf
• https://www.qacps.org/cms/lib02/MD01001006/Centricity/Domain/857/b
ais%20cell%20phone%20articles.pdf

IV. ACTIVITIES

Activity 1.
Identify the propaganda used in the following advertisements

1.
a. transfer
b. emotional
c. testimonial
d. flattery

a. transfer
2. b. emotional
c. testimonial
d. flattery

a. card stacking
3. b. bandwagon
c. testimonial
d. flattery

4. Brand A Tuna Flakes in Oil. With Omega 3. Good for the Heart Good
for the Health. Fresh from the Sea to the Can. Lavish in nature’s
health provided by Brand A Tuna Flakes in Oil.

a. Card stacking b. bandwagon c. testimonial d. flattery

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 Quarter 3, Week 1

5. Brand X Bactericidal soap. Kills 99.9 percent of bacteria and viruses.

Approved by the Epidemiologist Association of the Philippines. Join
the 90% Filipino Families who use Brand X Bactericidal Soap and
stay safe and clean in a germ-free environment.

a. Card stacking b. bandwagon c. testimonial d. flattery

Activity 2
As you read each paragraph, be ready to determine and identify
the bias made by the author.
1. During this time of the pandemic, the majority of communications rely
on using cellphones. Even students are now relying heavily on
cellphones - to reach and be reached as well as to continue learning.
But according to Thomas Sherman- A Virginia Tech Professor of
education said, “Cellphones don’t contribute to learning and are
potentially a distraction.” He further said that there are already
enough distractions; there’s no need to add another.

a) The Tech Professor is relying on incomplete information.

b) The Tech Professor is trying to deceive the reader.
c) The Tech Professor wants the reader to believe what he or she is
saying.
d) The Tech Professor's experience is influencing his or her thinking.
e) The Tech Professor is trying to persuade the reader.

2. Reports on certain people who were tested positive of SARS-CoV1 – a

causative-agent of COVID19 in a particular community, shocked the
townspeople. The residential area was locked down for 2 weeks and
contact tracing was intensively implemented. One of the residents,
manifested early stages of cough and sore throat without a fever. He
was not listed among the contacts, but one of the Brgy. Officials
insisted to report him to the Local Health Center for swab testing and
quarantine.
a. The Brgy. Official is relying on incomplete information.
b. The Brgy. Official is trying to deceive residents.
c. The Brgy. Official wants the residents to believe what he or she
believes.
d. The Brgy. Official past experience is influencing his or her
thinking.

e. The Brgy. Official is trying to persuade health officials that he is

right.
3. A local radio station reported and posted on their FB page about
a fire that broke out in an urbanized slum area.

The report mentioned the alleged cause of the fire, number of

houses affected, value of damaged properties, and the interviews among
the residents and the firefighters who were sent to the incident. The report

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 Quarter 3, Week 1

went viral and the netizens flooded the page with different comments
saying that the cause of the fire was faulty electrical wiring and not
negligence on the part of the residents.

a. The netizens are relying on incomplete information.

b. The netizens are trying to deceive the readers.
c. The netizens want the residents to believe what they believe.
d. The netizens past experience is influencing his or her thinking.
e. The netizens are trying to persuade the readers that they are
right.

Activity 3. Identify the following statement as objective or biased. Write

(O) if it is objective and (B) if it is biased.
1. COVID19 cases in the Philippines breached 352 thousand.
2. Students to stay at home and mulling on modules are really
boring.
3. According to DOH, physical distancing, wearing face mask & face
shield cuts virus transmission by 96%.
4. The government has wasted far too much money on a COVID19
cases.
5. According to CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention),
COVID-19 vaccination will help keep you from getting COVID-19.
6. It is still fun in the Philippines despite this pandemic.
7. Rubbing alcohol is a natural bactericidal treatment. This means
it kills bacteria but doesn’t necessarily prevent their growth.

V. Reflection

Guide Questions:

1. What is bias?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

2. How can you detect bias in a certain article?

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

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Activity 1.
1. B
2. A
3. C
4. A
5. B
Activity 2.
1. C
2. E
3. A
Activity 3.
1. O
2. B
3. O
4. B
5. O
6. B
7. O
Answer Key VI.
Quarter 3, Week 1