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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
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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: Shanika Isagan
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:

Ma. Gemma M. Ledesma, CESO V

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

Name: _________________________________Grade and Section: ____________

Date: _________________________________

Activity Sheets in English 8

Examining Biases (for or against) Made by the Author

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.

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 Quarter 3, Week 1

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.

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 

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 Quarter 3, Week 1

Examples: People believed and preferred generic drugs because

it is being endorsed by Susan Roces, the wife of Fernando Poe Jr.
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.

III. Reference for Learners

 https://www.google.com/search?q=www.+sjsu.edu%3Efaculty
%3Emary.warner
%3EIdentifying+Bias&rlz=1C1CHBF_enPH876PH876&oq=www.
+sjsu.edu%3Efaculty%3Emary.warner
%3EIdentifying+Bias&aqs=chrome..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

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 Quarter 3, Week 1

4. Centurion 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 Centurion Tuna Flakes in Oil.

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

5. Germ Guard 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 Germ Guard
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 – a co-

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.

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 Quarter 3, Week 1

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

certain Juan de la Cruz not his real name) who went amok and
started terrorizing the village holding and waving a Bolo (a big
sharpened blade used for cutting sugar cane). The report mentioned
the name of the person, the place, the interviews among the residents
and the police who was sent to the incident. The report went viral and
the netizens flooded the page with different comments but the
majority of their comments were that Juan was under the influence of
drugs and liquor.

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. The front-line workers like the nurses and the doctors are the first
people to be hit by the virus.
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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 Quarter 3, Week 1

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

VI. Answer Key

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. B
6. B
7. O