doing homework psa

share this!

August 16, 2021

Is it time to get rid of homework? Mental health experts weigh in

by Sara M Moniuszko

The pandemic made the conversation around homework more crucial

'get organized' ahead of back-to-school.

©2021 USA Today Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Explore further

Feedback to editors

Blue Origin flies thrill seekers to space after two year hiatus

5 hours ago

Composition of gut microbiota could influence decision-making

May 18, 2024

Researchers realize multiphoton electron emission with non-classical light

Saturday Citations: Mediterranean diet racks up more points; persistent quantum coherence; vegan dogs

Physicists propose path to faster, more flexible robots

Scientists develop new geochemical 'fingerprint' to trace contaminants in fertilizer

May 17, 2024

Study reveals how a sugar-sensing protein acts as a 'machine' to switch plant growth—and oil production—on and off

Researchers develop world's smallest quantum light detector on a silicon chip

How heat waves are affecting Arctic phytoplankton

Horse remains show Pagan-Christian trade networks supplied horses from overseas for the last horse sacrifices in Europe

Relevant physicsforums posts, physics education is 60 years out of date.

May 16, 2024

Is "College Algebra" really just high school "Algebra II"?

May 14, 2024

Plagiarism & ChatGPT: Is Cheating with AI the New Normal?

May 13, 2024

Physics Instructor Minimum Education to Teach Community College

May 11, 2024

Studying "Useful" vs. "Useless" Stuff in School

Apr 30, 2024

Why are Physicists so informal with mathematics?

Apr 29, 2024

More from STEM Educators and Teaching

Related Stories

Smartphones are lowering student's grades, study finds

Aug 18, 2020

Doing homework is associated with change in students' personality

Oct 6, 2017

Scholar suggests ways to craft more effective homework assignments

Oct 1, 2015

Should parents help their kids with homework?

Aug 29, 2019

How much math, science homework is too much?

Mar 23, 2015

Anxiety, depression, burnout rising as college students prepare to return to campus

Jul 26, 2021

Recommended for you

First-generation medical students face unique challenges and need more targeted support, say researchers

Investigation reveals varied impact of preschool programs on long-term school success

May 2, 2024

Training of brain processes makes reading more efficient

Apr 18, 2024

Researchers find lower grades given to students with surnames that come later in alphabetical order

Apr 17, 2024

Earth, the sun and a bike wheel: Why your high-school textbook was wrong about the shape of Earth's orbit

Apr 8, 2024

Touchibo, a robot that fosters inclusion in education through touch

Apr 5, 2024

Let us know if there is a problem with our content

Use this form if you have come across a typo, inaccuracy or would like to send an edit request for the content on this page. For general inquiries, please use our contact form . For general feedback, use the public comments section below (please adhere to guidelines ).

Please select the most appropriate category to facilitate processing of your request

Thank you for taking time to provide your feedback to the editors.

Your feedback is important to us. However, we do not guarantee individual replies due to the high volume of messages.

E-mail the story

Your email address is used only to let the recipient know who sent the email. Neither your address nor the recipient's address will be used for any other purpose. The information you enter will appear in your e-mail message and is not retained by Phys.org in any form.

Newsletter sign up

Get weekly and/or daily updates delivered to your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time and we'll never share your details to third parties.

More information Privacy policy

Donate and enjoy an ad-free experience

We keep our content available to everyone. Consider supporting Science X's mission by getting a premium account.

E-mail newsletter

Public Service Announcement (PSA) for grades 6-12

This activity was selected for the On the Cutting Edge Reviewed Teaching Collection

This activity has received positive reviews in a peer review process involving five review categories. The five categories included in the process are

For more information about the peer review process itself, please see https://serc.carleton.edu/teachearth/activity_review.html .

Expand for more detail and links to related resources

Activity Classification and Connections to Related Resources Collapse

Grade level, related links.

Learn about the CAM Approach to media projects.

Learning Goals

Content/concepts goals for this activity.

The PSA lesson assignment allows students to choose from a wide range of climate change topics and questions. Here are some examples of key questions they can address with their PSAs:

• What is climate change?
• What causes climate change? Are humans responsible?
• What are the impacts (current and predicted) of climate change at global, hemispheric, regional and local levels?
• What is the evidence for climate change?
• How do scientists "know what they know" about climate change?
• What actions and policies can be taken to adapt or mitigate for climate change?
• How can we use a PSA to motivate people to change?

Higher order thinking skills goals for this activity

PSAs rely on a number of higher-order thinking skills including:

• Research, analysis and synthesis of complex climate science content, data, images and ideas
• Collaboration with other students
• Using twenty-first century communication skills
• Using compelling story telling, metaphors and images to deliver a message

Skills goals for this activity:

When creating a PSA, students learn and apply the following media skills:

• Background internet research from vetted sources
• Pitching a PSA proposal to peers
• Storyboarding and script writing
• Filming and video production
• Researching and importing audio and video assets
• Collaborating on pre-planning, production and film screening
• Critiques (peer review) of others work

Context for Use

The climate change PSA lesson is suitable for students in middle school and high school. Examples of content areas that are natural fits for a climate change PSA include:

• Ecology and environmental science
• Weather and climate
• Earth Science
• Media Studies
• Societal issues

Skills and concepts that students must have mastered

The PSA activity may be more meaningful for students if they have previously had some background in climate science and media production skills. However, creating a PSA can serve as a powerful vehicle to learn important climate science content knowledge and media skills regardless of prior experience.

How the activity is situated in the unit or course

The climate climate PSA project is well suited for a culminating project to a unit of study. Alternatively, a unit on climate change may be structured around creating the PSA. In this approach, the student's ability to research, evaluate, organize and structure climate science information in order to create the PSA becomes the primary focus for assessment.

Description and Teaching Materials

The climate change PSA lesson follows a sequence of activities. Some of the activities can be done for homework. Pre-teaching climate change science content will differ from class to class based on age and needs. In groups, students will:

• Identify a climate change topic
• Do the research and craft a PSA message
• Identify visuals and sounds to use on PSA
• Draft a storyboard and script
• Pitch the PSA draft to the teacher and peers
• Create a production plan and present it to the teacher
• Film and edit the PSA
• Show rough cut to peers for feedback (optional)
• Present final PSA to peers for a critique

Materials and resources:

CAM PSA Project Handout for Grades 6-12 (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 660kB Dec5 13)

CAM Storyboard Template (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 558kB Dec3 13)

CAM Shot List (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 552kB Dec3 13)

CAM - Powerful PSAs (PowerPoint 745kB Dec3 13)

CAM Before You Tape (PowerPoint 24.7MB Dec3 13)

CAM Field Production Cheat Sheet (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 1.1MB Dec3 13)

CAM Peer Review Form for Video Projects (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 111kB Dec3 13)

Teaching Notes and Tips

Teaching Tips and Notes:

• Creating a climate change PSA is very student-centered which puts you in the role of facilitator.
• Familiarize yourself with the two PowerPoints and the handouts. The CAM Powerful PSAs PowerPoint has links to five PSA videos that form the basis of class discussions in the pre-production phase. You will use the CAM Before You Tape PowerPoint to review tips on shooting techniques (ex. Rules of Thirds, lighting, sound etc.)in the beginning of the production phase.
• Review the project's student handouts and the rubrics with students before they begin pre-production.
• Make sure you spend enough time understanding the equipment and software you will be working with before beginning the PSA lesson.
• Check in with students often to ensure that the science they are presenting is scientifically accurate and rigorous enough for their age group. There are multiple times during pre-production when you can check-in with students to assess whether they are on-track in meeting their learning goals. For example, reviewing students' storyboard and script will allow you to ask clarifying questions and uncover any science misconceptions before the PSA is done.
• Students should critique each other's work respectfully and with a collective goal of having all projects in the class be strong. When critiquing other students' work, students should explicitly acknowledge excellent work by their classmates. Make sure you review ground rules for critiquing other students' work before you begin. Your fellow art teachers would be a good resource for help with critiquing.
• Ask students to consider how they might take their work beyond the classroom.
• The PSA Script can be assessed for clarity, creativity, scientific accuracy and planning
• The pitch, rough cut(optional) and final critique offer numerous opportunities to assess the following:
• creation and use of audio and visual assets to communicate a key message
• editing skills
• scientific accuracy
• oral presentation skills (as students explain what they are trying to convey, especially during the pitch and rough cut screenings).
• quality of visual and audio aspects of the video as well as editing of the final cut
• the efficacy of the PSA message to inform and motivate
• effective critique skills
• Peer review of team members to review each others' roles and contribution to the team effort.
• Group screenings with constructive feedback provided by a wider audience (classmates, other students, families). Group screening offer students an opportunity to refine their climate science knowledge and public speaking skills.

References and Resources

CAM Climate Science Resources -good websites for climate science information and images

See more Bring Student Media Production Into Your Courses »

Campaigning for Fair Use: Public Service Announcements on Copyright Awareness

• Resources & Preparation
• Instructional Plan
• Related Resources

Who owns what you compose? Who controls what happens with the words, images, music, sounds, videos that you create? What rights do you have to use other people's compositions? This unit plan focuses on helping students find answers to these questions. Students explore a range of resources on fair use and copyright then design their own audio public service announcements (PSAs), to be broadcast over the school's public address system. Students begin by completing a survey about fair use. Students discuss their responses to the survey and then research facts about fair use and copyright. Next, students become familiar with PSAs before writing and producing their own announcements, which are shared with other students. Work can also be published as podcasts on the Internet.

Featured Resources

Persuasion Map : Use this online tool to map out and print your persuasive argument. Included are spaces to map out your thesis, three reasons, and supporting details.

From Theory to Practice

In her description of a student-centered program to address issues of copyright in her school, Barbara Giorgio explains, "The key factor in the success of Marple Newtown's Committee for Academic Integrity is ownership of the process by students. They are committed, not preachy or self-righteous, simply committed to helping others make the right decisions. It has worked in Marple Newtown, and it can work wherever there are such dedicated students" (17). This lesson plan provides a similar opportunity for students to take the lead in educating one another about the issues of copyright and intellectual property rights while simultaneously asking them to practice fair use of the resources that they use in their finished work. Further Reading

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

• 1. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
• 4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
• 5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
• 6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
• 7. Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and nonprint texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.
• 8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
• 11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
• 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

Materials and Technology

Stop watch or timer

• Fair Use Survey
• PSA Production Process
• Public Service Announcement Rubric

Preparation

• Gather audio recording equipment—cassette tape recorders and blank cassette tapes, a computer with audio recording software and a microphone, or an MP3 player (e.g., an iPod) with a microphone.
• The podcasting tutorials in the Websites section can provide useful information on how to set up and manage recordings in the classroom. For Mac users, try  GargageBand Support . PC users should try Create Podcasts Using Your PC . The Nuts and Bolts of Creating Podcasts can help with either platform.
• Be sure to review any music download sites that you will share with students to ensure that they are appropriate for your particular classroom. Some include advertisements. Sites may also include language that is not appropriate for the classroom.
• Make copies of the Fair Use Survey and Public Service Announcement Rubric . If desired, make copies of the PSA Production Process for students to refer to as they work.
• If desired, also make an overhead of the Fair Use Survey to tally class responses on. Alternatively, you can tally the results on the board or on chart paper.
• Test the Persuasion Map and Fair Use Travelogue on your computers to familiarize yourself with the tools and ensure that you have the Flash plug-in installed. You can download the plug-in from the technical support page.

Student Objectives

Students will

• conduct research on copyright and intellectual property rights.
• identify key points to communicate to peers about their research.
• establish criteria for effective audio announcements.
• compose original audio announcements to share with peers.

Session One

• Explain that you are about to begin an exploration of fair use and intellectual property rights and that the first step will be to complete a survey.
• Distribute copies of the Fair Use Survey , and ask students to fill out the sheet.
• After students have responded to all of the questions, compile the results on the board, chart paper, or an overhead.
• Begin class discussion with the statements for which there is the most disagreement. Encourage students to explain the reasoning behind their responses and to debate differing opinions.
• Be sure to challenge students’ views of fair use as you discuss the responses to the survey. Many students have an oversimplified view of fair use and intellectual property rights. Urge students to think about the “fairness” of the uses that are described on the survey.
• As students discuss the survey results, invite them to share any personal experiences that have shaped their opinions.
• Once you have discussed most or all of the questions on the survey, ask students to read begin the process of researching the facts about Fair Use and Copyright.
• Working individually or in small groups, have students explore the Web resources included in the Fair Use Travelogue . If time is short or computer resources limited, students can work in groups, with each group exploring only one of the sites listed. Explain that students should be ready to discuss their findings at the beginning of the next class session.
• As students work, circulate through the classroom, providing support and feedback. Remind students to print out their notes so that they can refer to them in later sessions.
• Allow as many additional sessions as necessary for students to complete their research, or ask students to complete their research for homework.

Session Two

• Gather the class and ask volunteers to share the findings they noted in their exploration of the Fair Use Travelogue . Urge students to make connections between the facts that they found and the issues raised on the survey they completed during the first session.
• Return to the survey responses and ask students to consider whether their answers to any of the questions have changed. Give students an opportunity to compare their original feelings about fair use and copyright and their feelings after they completed their research.
• Explain that students will complete 60-second audio public service announcements (PSAs) to tell others at the school what they have learned about fair use and copyright.
• Increase awareness of what fair use encompasses.
• Establish/promote an honor code.
• Serve as a deterrent against dishonest or illegal practices.
• Improve understanding of personal ownership of all types of text (e.g., audio, video, print, image).
• If students do no naturally do so, encourage them to provide specific, concrete examples for the topics and goals of their PSAs. For instance, topics might include “Legally using images on your Facebook page,” “Downloading music legally,” and “Documenting sources in research papers.”
• The More You Know Website
• First browse through some of the example PSAs. You might use the Historic Campaigns to get started or choose a specific topic that the class will be familiar with. It's likely that students will recognize examples such as the Crash Test Dummies PSAs, Smoky the Bear PSAs, and McGruff the Crime Dog PSAs.
• Choose and play a sample PSA for the class. 
• What makes a PSA grab your attention?
• What makes people in a PSA strong and interesting?
• How does a conflict or problem influence whether a PSA is vivid and interesting?
• What makes a setting appropriate?
• How is the underlying message of the PSA?
• What persuasive techniques does the PSA use to communicate that message?
• To summarize the discussion, ask students to create a working checklist of the criteria for a good story, based on their responses so far. Record the information on chart paper or an overhead transparency.
• Review the items and, with students, phrase the criteria in yes/no questions.
• For homework, ask students to view or listen to another PSA of their choice (on one of the Websites or on a radio or television broadcast). After viewing or listening to the PSA, ask students to compare the qualities of the PSA to the criteria on the class checklist.

Session Three

• Gather the class, and review the checklist of criteria for an effective PSA from the previous session.
• Ask students to share their observations on the PSA that they analyzed for homework.
• Make adjustments to the class criteria based on students’ homework observations.
• Introduce the characteristics of effective persuasive writing by playing the example PSA used in the previous session again.
• Ask students to identify the audience and purpose of the PSA. As students provide responses, record the information on the board or on chart paper.
• What specific details in the PSA reveal the audience and purpose?
• Are there specific words or phrases that reveal the audience?
• Does the organization of the PSA reveal anything about the audience and purpose?
• Ask students to suggest why audience and purpose are important in persuasive writing. Why does a writer have to appeal to the reader? Students should be able to point to the evidence that they’ve gathered by viewing or listening to the PSA. Use their responses to emphasize the importance of audience and purpose in persuasive writing. Be sure that students understand that effective persuasive writing focuses on the needs, wants, and desires of the audience.
• Once the role of audience and purpose are established, return to the criteria that the class established for effective PSAs, and make any additional changes to emphasize the role of audience and purpose in persuasive messages.
• Pass out the Public Service Announcement Rubric , and compare students’ checklist with the requirements for the project. Make any adjustments and discuss the expectations for student work.
• With the characteristics of effective PSAs established, students can begin drafting scripts for their own PSAs. Arrange students in small groups, and ask each group to choose a specific topic for their PSAs and to begin brainstorming ideas for their piece.
• Allow students to work on their drafts for the remainder of time during this session. As students work, circulate through the classroom, providing support and feedback.

Session Four

• Outline the PSA.
• Identify key scenes and characters.
• Compose script.
• Choose any sound effects.
• Practice the script.
• Set up equipment (including anything needed for sound effects).
• Record the segment in short segments.
• If working online, save often!
• Edit the audio as necessary.
• If working online, add any additional music or sound effects.
• Review the completed recording.
• Share the final piece with class.
• Provide a recording to be played over the school’s public address system.
• Explain that students began work on preproduction during the last session when they chose a topic and began gathering ideas. Now it’s time to identify the specific background arguments for their PSAs.
• Demonstrate how to use the Persuasion Map to begin gathering and organizing underlying ideas for PSAs using the tool. Remind students that while they probably will not use all of the text that they record with the Persuasion Map , it is useful to think through the reasons for the actions that their PSAs recommend.
• Allow students the rest of the session to establish the background arguments for their PSAs with the Persuasion Map .
• As students work, circulate through the classroom, providing support and feedback.

Session Five

• Discuss the criteria for the PSAs that apply to background music and sound effects. Ensure that students understand how these aspects should blend with rather than distract from the rest of the message.
• Ask students to discuss how fair use and copyright restrictions apply to the possible sound files that they use in their PSAs. The Fair Use Chart is a useful resource at this point.
• Creative Commons
• Podsafe Music Directory
• Answer any questions that students have about sounds for their PSAs.
• Ask students to return to the process of composing their scripts.
• As students work, circulate through the classroom, providing support and feedback. Encourage students to try out short excerpts from their script for you.
• Allow as many additional sessions as necessary for students to complete their scripts and finalize their plans for their PSAs.
• Ask students to come to the next session ready to begin production of their PSAs.

Sessions Six to Nine

• Explain that students will record their PSAs during the next four sessions.
• Remind students of any technical details regarding the equipment that is available for their productions. If no one in a group has a watch with a second hand, provide a stop watch or timer for students to time their scripts as they work.
• Encourage students to record in small segments and, if working online, to save often. It’s easier to rerecord a short segment if something goes wrong than it is to have to rerecord the entire production. Working in small pieces allows students to save their work often (so that they avoid losing any data is there is a technical problem).
• Discuss any options for editing the recorded audio files (e.g., how to splice smaller segments together, how to add background music if working online).
• Answer any questions and allow students to work freely on their PSAs during these periods.
• Provide support and feedback during the session. If students run into any challenges that cannot be easily resolved, explain that they can modify the script as necessary.
• At the end of the last session, students should have a broadcast that is ready to share with the rest of the class. If students have created online files, ask that all are published on your network or given to you on a CD or floppy disk before the next session.

Session Ten

• Set up the technical equipment necessary for students to share their PSAs (e.g., computers, iPod and speakers, computers).
• Give groups a few minutes to make any last minute preparations.
• Ask individuals or groups to describe their work briefly as an introduction.
• Play the related recording. Encourage audience response.
• Rotate through the class until all PSAs have been played.
• Ask students to return to the class checklist and rubric , and assess the work of other groups—which PSAs were particularly vivid and compelling? why were they vivid and memorable?
• How did the process of creating this PSA influence your understanding of the copyright and fair use?
• What was the most interesting thing about your PSA, and why?
• Choose the PSA of another group or student, and reflect on what made that presentation particularly vivid.
• If you were to produce a PSA on another topic, what would you do differently and why? Imagine that you have whatever technical equipment you need to complete your task.
• While this lesson plan focuses on audio recordings, public service announcement campaigns frequently involve a range of media, including videos, posters, public appearances, and magazine advertisements. As an alternative or an extension, ask students to create a PSA in a different media. Students might make posters that are displayed in the school during the week when their PSAs are broadcast, for instance.
• To focus students’ attention on a particular issue, try the ReadWriteThink lesson Copyright Infringement or Not? The Debate Over Downloading Music , which invites students to debate the ethics of downloading and sharing music files.

Student Assessment / Reflections

• Focus on observation and anecdotal note taking as students work on their projects to provide ongoing assessment of their progress.
• Use the Public Service Announcement Rubric to assess students’ recordings.
• Calendar Activities
• Strategy Guides
• Student Interactives
• Professional Library
• Lesson Plans

This Strategy Guide describes the processes involved in composing and producing audio files that are published online as podcasts.

The Persuasion Map is an interactive graphic organizer that enables students to map out their arguments for a persuasive essay or debate.

Add new comment

• Print this resource

Explore Resources by Grade

• Kindergarten K

• My Storyboards

Public Service Announcement Templates

Customize psa templates.

If you're assigning this to your students, copy the poster to your account and save. When creating an assignment, just select it as a template!

PSA Infographics

A public service announcement is often most effective when paired with data and visuals. Information like "1 out of 10 people" can be easily visualized and created as a result of a research project or a school-wide initiative. Simple statements, graphics, and charts relay information much better than a piece of paper with blocks of text and lots of numbers. The call to action is simple and effective.

A professional services agreement can also be used in a public service announcement. This will provide more accountability for your organization's actions and its members. A clear document that outlines the expectations and responsibilities of both parties can help ensure that everyone involved understands their roles and is held accountable for taking action.

The goal of any public service announcement should be to motivate people to take action, and data visualization can be a great way to do just that. Whether it's through an infographic or something more creative, make sure the visuals are eye-catching and the message is clear.

Remember: When creating public service announcements, take the time to research what resources you need and create visuals that your audience will find informative and inspiring. This will help you effectively reach more people and make a real impact.

Public Service Announcements

Public service announcements are important for raising awareness and advocating for change. With the right template, you can create informative, engaging visuals that have a lasting impact on your audience.

Public Service Announcement Checklist

Creating an effective public service announcement requires more than just an eye-catching design. Here are some tips to help you create your own PSA:

• Define the goal of your message
• Research and gather relevant information
• Use visuals to communicate data clearly
• Focus on one key message or idea
• Ensure that the call to action is clear and concise

PSA Poster Examples

• Recycling initiative
• Bullying statistics
• Drunk driving awareness
• Healthy eating habits
• Voter registration drive
• Creating a blanket agreement
• Youth volunteer program
• Seatbelt safety
• Smoking cessation program
• Drug abuse prevention information
• Mental health awareness campaign

How to Make a PSA Infographic Poster

Choose One of the Premade PSA Infographic Poster Templates

We have lots of amazing templates to choose from. Take a look at our PSA Infographic poster example for inspiration!

Click on "Copy Template"

Once you do this, you will be directed to the storyboard creator.

Give Your Poster a Name!

Be sure to call it something related to the topic so that you can easily find it in the future.

Edit Your Poster

This is where you will include details, text, images, and make any aesthetic changes that you would like. The options are endless!

Click "Save and Exit"

When you are finished with your ;;;;; poster, click this button in the lower right hand corner to exit your storyboard.

From here you can print, download as a PDF, attach it to an assignment and use it digitally, and more!

Public Service Announcement Poster Tips

Creating an effective PSA requires more than just a nice design. Here are our tips for creating an eye-catching public service announcement poster:

• Choose colors that stand out and will grab people’s attention
• Keep text minimal, but make sure it is easy to read
• Use high-quality visuals to illustrate your message
• Make sure the call to action is clear and direct
• Add a logo or other branding elements to make your poster recognizable.

With these tips in mind, you’re ready to create an effective PSA poster to help get your message out. Check out our poster template gallery for some PSA ideas of what posters you could make using our templates.

Why Use Our PSA Templates?

Creating a public service announcement can be daunting, especially if you’re just starting out. That’s why Storyboard That provides templates to make your life easier. Our templates are designed with the best practices in mind and feature colors, fonts, and visuals to help your message stand out. Plus, they are easy to use and customizable, so you can tailor them to your needs.

Once you have chosen the public service announcement template most suited to you, you can start creating your very own PSA poster. All you need to do is use our easy-to-use software to create your unique announcement from our PSA maker. With Storyboard That, you have the tools and resources to create a powerful and effective message that will reach your target audience and inspire them to take action.

How to Use the PSA Maker

Using our PSA maker is simple and straightforward. Just follow these steps:

• Select your template
• Edit the text, colors, visuals, and more to customize it to your needs
• Add images, a logo, or other branding elements if desired
• Make sure to add data and statistics to give your message more credibility
• Preview it and make sure everything looks perfect
• Print or download your finished project

What Is a PSA Poster Template?

A PSA poster template is a pre-made design that can be used to create an effective public service announcement. It contains all the elements needed to make your message stand out, such as colors, fonts, visuals, and more. All you need to do is customize it with your content or data, and you’re ready to go.

Using a PSA template from Storyboard That can help you create an attractive and compelling vision that will grab people’s attention and get them interested in your cause at a specific period in time. With our easy-to-use tools and customizable templates, you can quickly create an engaging PSA poster that will have maximum impact on your target audience but doesn't need hours and hours of design work put into it before you can distribute your finished product.

The PSA creator from Storyboard That is an easy and efficient way to create a powerful public service announcement poster. Many businesses, schools, and educational groups use our software to create effective PSAs that reach their target audience and inspire them to take action.

Is Storyboard the Same As a PSA Storyboard Template?

In short, no. Storyboard That is a digital storytelling platform that provides user-friendly templates for creating visual stories and projects. While Storyboard That provides some PSA templates, these differ from the traditional storytelling format used in filmmaking.

In a Storyboard That PSA template, all elements you need to create an effective public service announcement are included, such as colors, visuals, and text. All you need to do is customize it with your own content or data, print it out, or download it, and you’re ready to share your message with the world.

The Storyboard That PSA maker makes creating effective public service announcements more effortless than ever before. With our user-friendly software and customizable templates, you can quickly create a powerful PSA poster. The software you use to create both storyboards and your PSAs is the same, so you should already be familiar with the platform and be able to get right to work.

PSA Infographic Template Benefits

The Storyboard That PSA Infographic Template offers many benefits that traditional storyboards cannot. Here are just a few of the advantages:

• Customizable templates make it easy to create effective PSAs without hours of design work
• Text and visuals can be easily edited to meet your exact needs
• Data and stats can be easily incorporated into your project
• Logos and other branding elements can be added to give your message more credibility
• The finished product can be printed or downloaded for easy distribution
• You will be familiar with the software if you have used any of our other services before

Check out our education infographic templates and our lists infographic templates here.

Public Service Announcement Examples

Public service announcements are used by businesses, schools, and other organizations to help spread awareness about pressing issues. Here are some examples of effective PSAs:

• The Red Cross PSA focuses on the importance of blood donations during the pandemic.
• The US EPA PSA encourages people to conserve energy to reduce their environmental impact.
• The CDC PSA calls attention to the importance of wearing a mask during the pandemic.
• The National Fire Prevention Association PSA helps spread awareness about the dangers of fires and how to prevent them.
• The American Heart Association PSA encourages people to eat healthily and exercise regularly in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Public service announcements are important for spreading awareness of issues, causes, and initiatives.

Some of the most compelling public service announcement examples

• The World Health Organization PSA stresses the importance of handwashing and other hygiene practices to prevent the spreading of diseases like Covid-19. It includes visuals of people washing their hands and visuals of the virus.
• The United Nations PSA encourages people to donate money to help fight poverty and hunger worldwide. It includes a call-to-action at the end, asking people to take action.
• The American Cancer Society PSA focuses on increasing awareness about cancer prevention and early detection measures. It includes visuals of medical professionals and patients.
• The American Red Cross PSA emphasizes the importance of blood donations to save lives. It includes visuals of medical staff, donors, and recipients.
• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration PSA focuses on safe driving practices such as wearing seat belts and not drinking and driving.

These are just a few examples of effective PSAs. With its easy-to-use tools and customizable templates, you too can create an attractive and compelling vision that will grab people’s attention and get them interested in your cause by using our templates.

With Storyboard That, you can also use our flow charts infographic templates and ”How To" infographic templates to create PSAs so you have even more choices!

PSAs for Students

Creating public service announcements is an excellent way for students to learn more about important issues while cultivating their creativity and communication skills. Storyboard That PSA Maker makes it easy for students of all ages to create compelling PSAs that get the message out there.

A PSA template gives students a structure to build upon and allows them to customize the visuals, text, and other elements of their project. This will enable students to explore different aspects of an issue or cause without having to spend too much time on the design process.

The public service announcement maker also gives students an opportunity to be heard and make a difference in their communities. By creating a public service announcement infographic, students can spread awareness about important issues that mean something to them. This makes for an incredibly powerful learning experience that will stay with them long after the project is completed.

PSA Poster Ideas for Students

Students can create posters for use around their school or community. A PSA template for students can also be used to make posters to give away at events or hang up in public spaces such as parks, libraries, or bus stops.

Here are some PSA poster ideas that students could design:

• The importance of recycling
• Ways to conserve energy
• The effects of climate change
• The dangers of distracted driving
• Benefits of physical activity and healthy eating habits
• Water conservation practices
• Mental health awareness and how to seek help

These are just a few PSA examples that students could tackle, but it's essential to let the students make up their own minds on what they want to create. Storyboard That’s PSA Maker allows students to customize their posters in any way they choose about the topic that interests them most.

Happy Creating!

Frequently Asked Questions about PSA Infographic Templates

How to make a psa poster.

Using a PSA poster template from Storyboard That is the easiest and most efficient way to create an effective public service announcement poster.

What is a PSA infographic template?

A PSA infographic template is a pre-made design that can be used to create an effective public service announcement poster. It contains all the elements needed to make your message stand out, such as colors, fonts, visuals, and more. All you need to do is customize it with your own content or data, and you’re ready to go.

How do I make my PSA stand out?

To make your PSA stand out and get noticed, use high-quality visuals to illustrate your message, focus on one key message or idea, add data and statistics to give your message more credibility, and make sure the call to action is clear and concise.

Why use a public service announcement?

Public service announcements are a great way to spread awareness about an important issue, educate people on their rights and responsibilities, and inspire people to take action. They are also relatively inexpensive to create and can be distributed quickly and easily.

Is it easy to make a public service announcement?

Yes, with the right tools and resources, it’s easy to create a powerful and compelling message that will reach your target audience. Using a PSA maker from Storyboard That is the easiest and most efficient way to make an efficient public service announcement.

• • OpenClipart-Vectors • License Free for Commercial Use / No Attribution Required (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0)
• • sarajuggernaut • License Free for Commercial Use / No Attribution Required (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0)
• 1152155 • Samuel1983 • License Free for Most Commercial Use / No Attribution Required / See https://pixabay.com/service/license/ for what is not allowed
• 1557238 • Jim • License Free To Use / No Attribution Required / See https://www.pexels.com/license/ for what is not allowed
• 1568607 • Zaksheuskaya • License Free To Use / No Attribution Required / See https://www.pexels.com/license/ for what is not allowed
• 2832432 • Anni Roenkae • License Free To Use / No Attribution Required / See https://www.pexels.com/license/ for what is not allowed
• 575530 • OpenClipart-Vectors • License Free for Most Commercial Use / No Attribution Required / See https://pixabay.com/service/license/ for what is not allowed
• 5847518 • Monstera Production • License Free To Use / No Attribution Required / See https://www.pexels.com/license/ for what is not allowed

Try 1 Month For

30 Day Money Back Guarantee New Customers Only Full Price After Introductory Offer

Learn more about our Department, School, and District packages

• Thousands of images
• Custom layouts, scenes, characters
• And so much more!!

Create a Storyboard

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, how to do homework: 15 expert tips and tricks.

Coursework/GPA

Everyone struggles with homework sometimes, but if getting your homework done has become a chronic issue for you, then you may need a little extra help. That’s why we’ve written this article all about how to do homework. Once you’re finished reading it, you’ll know how to do homework (and have tons of new ways to motivate yourself to do homework)!

We’ve broken this article down into a few major sections. You’ll find:

• A diagnostic test to help you figure out why you’re struggling with homework
• A discussion of the four major homework problems students face, along with expert tips for addressing them
• A bonus section with tips for how to do homework fast

By the end of this article, you’ll be prepared to tackle whatever homework assignments your teachers throw at you .

So let’s get started!

How to Do Homework: Figure Out Your Struggles 

Sometimes it feels like everything is standing between you and getting your homework done. But the truth is, most people only have one or two major roadblocks that are keeping them from getting their homework done well and on time. 

The best way to figure out how to get motivated to do homework starts with pinpointing the issues that are affecting your ability to get your assignments done. That’s why we’ve developed a short quiz to help you identify the areas where you’re struggling. 

Take the quiz below and record your answers on your phone or on a scrap piece of paper. Keep in mind there are no wrong answers! 

1. You’ve just been assigned an essay in your English class that’s due at the end of the week. What’s the first thing you do?

A. Keep it in mind, even though you won’t start it until the day before it’s due  B. Open up your planner. You’ve got to figure out when you’ll write your paper since you have band practice, a speech tournament, and your little sister’s dance recital this week, too.  C. Groan out loud. Another essay? You could barely get yourself to write the last one!  D. Start thinking about your essay topic, which makes you think about your art project that’s due the same day, which reminds you that your favorite artist might have just posted to Instagram...so you better check your feed right now. 

2. Your mom asked you to pick up your room before she gets home from work. You’ve just gotten home from school. You decide you’ll tackle your chores: 

A. Five minutes before your mom walks through the front door. As long as it gets done, who cares when you start?  B. As soon as you get home from your shift at the local grocery store.  C. After you give yourself a 15-minute pep talk about how you need to get to work.  D. You won’t get it done. Between texts from your friends, trying to watch your favorite Netflix show, and playing with your dog, you just lost track of time! 

3. You’ve signed up to wash dogs at the Humane Society to help earn money for your senior class trip. You: 

A. Show up ten minutes late. You put off leaving your house until the last minute, then got stuck in unexpected traffic on the way to the shelter.  B. Have to call and cancel at the last minute. You forgot you’d already agreed to babysit your cousin and bake cupcakes for tomorrow’s bake sale.  C. Actually arrive fifteen minutes early with extra brushes and bandanas you picked up at the store. You’re passionate about animals, so you’re excited to help out! D. Show up on time, but only get three dogs washed. You couldn’t help it: you just kept getting distracted by how cute they were!

4. You have an hour of downtime, so you decide you’re going to watch an episode of The Great British Baking Show. You: 

A. Scroll through your social media feeds for twenty minutes before hitting play, which means you’re not able to finish the whole episode. Ugh! You really wanted to see who was sent home!  B. Watch fifteen minutes until you remember you’re supposed to pick up your sister from band practice before heading to your part-time job. No GBBO for you!  C. You finish one episode, then decide to watch another even though you’ve got SAT studying to do. It’s just more fun to watch people make scones.  D. Start the episode, but only catch bits and pieces of it because you’re reading Twitter, cleaning out your backpack, and eating a snack at the same time.

5. Your teacher asks you to stay after class because you’ve missed turning in two homework assignments in a row. When she asks you what’s wrong, you say: 

A. You planned to do your assignments during lunch, but you ran out of time. You decided it would be better to turn in nothing at all than submit unfinished work.  B. You really wanted to get the assignments done, but between your extracurriculars, family commitments, and your part-time job, your homework fell through the cracks.  C. You have a hard time psyching yourself to tackle the assignments. You just can’t seem to find the motivation to work on them once you get home.  D. You tried to do them, but you had a hard time focusing. By the time you realized you hadn’t gotten anything done, it was already time to turn them in. 

Like we said earlier, there are no right or wrong answers to this quiz (though your results will be better if you answered as honestly as possible). Here’s how your answers break down: 

• If your answers were mostly As, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is procrastination. 
• If your answers were mostly Bs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is time management. 
• If your answers were mostly Cs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is motivation. 
• If your answers were mostly Ds, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is getting distracted. 

Now that you’ve identified why you’re having a hard time getting your homework done, we can help you figure out how to fix it! Scroll down to find your core problem area to learn more about how you can start to address it. 

And one more thing: you’re really struggling with homework, it’s a good idea to read through every section below. You may find some additional tips that will help make homework less intimidating. 

How to Do Homework When You’re a Procrastinator  

Merriam Webster defines “procrastinate” as “to put off intentionally and habitually.” In other words, procrastination is when you choose to do something at the last minute on a regular basis. If you’ve ever found yourself pulling an all-nighter, trying to finish an assignment between periods, or sprinting to turn in a paper minutes before a deadline, you’ve experienced the effects of procrastination. 

If you’re a chronic procrastinator, you’re in good company. In fact, one study found that 70% to 95% of undergraduate students procrastinate when it comes to doing their homework. Unfortunately, procrastination can negatively impact your grades. Researchers have found that procrastination can lower your grade on an assignment by as much as five points ...which might not sound serious until you realize that can mean the difference between a B- and a C+. 

Procrastination can also negatively affect your health by increasing your stress levels , which can lead to other health conditions like insomnia, a weakened immune system, and even heart conditions. Getting a handle on procrastination can not only improve your grades, it can make you feel better, too! 

The big thing to understand about procrastination is that it’s not the result of laziness. Laziness is defined as being “disinclined to activity or exertion.” In other words, being lazy is all about doing nothing. But a s this Psychology Today article explains , procrastinators don’t put things off because they don’t want to work. Instead, procrastinators tend to postpone tasks they don’t want to do in favor of tasks that they perceive as either more important or more fun. Put another way, procrastinators want to do things...as long as it’s not their homework! 

3 Tips f or Conquering Procrastination 

Because putting off doing homework is a common problem, there are lots of good tactics for addressing procrastination. Keep reading for our three expert tips that will get your homework habits back on track in no time. 

#1: Create a Reward System

Like we mentioned earlier, procrastination happens when you prioritize other activities over getting your homework done. Many times, this happens because homework...well, just isn’t enjoyable. But you can add some fun back into the process by rewarding yourself for getting your work done. 

Here’s what we mean: let’s say you decide that every time you get your homework done before the day it’s due, you’ll give yourself a point. For every five points you earn, you’ll treat yourself to your favorite dessert: a chocolate cupcake! Now you have an extra (delicious!) incentive to motivate you to leave procrastination in the dust. 

If you’re not into cupcakes, don’t worry. Your reward can be anything that motivates you . Maybe it’s hanging out with your best friend or an extra ten minutes of video game time. As long as you’re choosing something that makes homework worth doing, you’ll be successful. 

#2: Have a Homework Accountability Partner 

If you’re having trouble getting yourself to start your homework ahead of time, it may be a good idea to call in reinforcements . Find a friend or classmate you can trust and explain to them that you’re trying to change your homework habits. Ask them if they’d be willing to text you to make sure you’re doing your homework and check in with you once a week to see if you’re meeting your anti-procrastination goals. 

Sharing your goals can make them feel more real, and an accountability partner can help hold you responsible for your decisions. For example, let’s say you’re tempted to put off your science lab write-up until the morning before it’s due. But you know that your accountability partner is going to text you about it tomorrow...and you don’t want to fess up that you haven’t started your assignment. A homework accountability partner can give you the extra support and incentive you need to keep your homework habits on track. 

#3: Create Your Own Due Dates 

If you’re a life-long procrastinator, you might find that changing the habit is harder than you expected. In that case, you might try using procrastination to your advantage! If you just can’t seem to stop doing your work at the last minute, try setting your own due dates for assignments that range from a day to a week before the assignment is actually due. 

Here’s what we mean. Let’s say you have a math worksheet that’s been assigned on Tuesday and is due on Friday. In your planner, you can write down the due date as Thursday instead. You may still put off your homework assignment until the last minute...but in this case, the “last minute” is a day before the assignment’s real due date . This little hack can trick your procrastination-addicted brain into planning ahead! 

If you feel like Kevin Hart in this meme, then our tips for doing homework when you're busy are for you. 

How to Do Homework When You’re too Busy

If you’re aiming to go to a top-tier college , you’re going to have a full plate. Because college admissions is getting more competitive, it’s important that you’re maintaining your grades , studying hard for your standardized tests , and participating in extracurriculars so your application stands out. A packed schedule can get even more hectic once you add family obligations or a part-time job to the mix. 

If you feel like you’re being pulled in a million directions at once, you’re not alone. Recent research has found that stress—and more severe stress-related conditions like anxiety and depression— are a major problem for high school students . In fact, one study from the American Psychological Association found that during the school year, students’ stress levels are higher than those of the adults around them. 

For students, homework is a major contributor to their overall stress levels . Many high schoolers have multiple hours of homework every night , and figuring out how to fit it into an already-packed schedule can seem impossible. 

3 Tips for Fitting Homework Into Your Busy Schedule

While it might feel like you have literally no time left in your schedule, there are still ways to make sure you’re able to get your homework done and meet your other commitments. Here are our expert homework tips for even the busiest of students. 

#1: Make a Prioritized To-Do List 

You probably already have a to-do list to keep yourself on track. The next step is to prioritize the items on your to-do list so you can see what items need your attention right away. 

Here’s how it works: at the beginning of each day, sit down and make a list of all the items you need to get done before you go to bed. This includes your homework, but it should also take into account any practices, chores, events, or job shifts you may have. Once you get everything listed out, it’s time to prioritize them using the labels A, B, and C. Here’s what those labels mean:

• A Tasks : tasks that have to get done—like showing up at work or turning in an assignment—get an A. 
• B Tasks : these are tasks that you would like to get done by the end of the day but aren’t as time sensitive. For example, studying for a test you have next week could be a B-level task. It’s still important, but it doesn’t have to be done right away.
• C Tasks: these are tasks that aren’t very important and/or have no real consequences if you don’t get them done immediately. For instance, if you’re hoping to clean out your closet but it’s not an assigned chore from your parents, you could label that to-do item with a C.

Prioritizing your to-do list helps you visualize which items need your immediate attention, and which items you can leave for later. A prioritized to-do list ensures that you’re spending your time efficiently and effectively, which helps you make room in your schedule for homework. So even though you might really want to start making decorations for Homecoming (a B task), you’ll know that finishing your reading log (an A task) is more important. 

#2: Use a Planner With Time Labels

Your planner is probably packed with notes, events, and assignments already. (And if you’re not using a planner, it’s time to start!) But planners can do more for you than just remind you when an assignment is due. If you’re using a planner with time labels, it can help you visualize how you need to spend your day.

A planner with time labels breaks your day down into chunks, and you assign tasks to each chunk of time. For example, you can make a note of your class schedule with assignments, block out time to study, and make sure you know when you need to be at practice. Once you know which tasks take priority, you can add them to any empty spaces in your day. 

Planning out how you spend your time not only helps you use it wisely, it can help you feel less overwhelmed, too . We’re big fans of planners that include a task list ( like this one ) or have room for notes ( like this one ). 

#3: Set Reminders on Your Phone 

If you need a little extra nudge to make sure you’re getting your homework done on time, it’s a good idea to set some reminders on your phone. You don’t need a fancy app, either. You can use your alarm app to have it go off at specific times throughout the day to remind you to do your homework. This works especially well if you have a set homework time scheduled. So if you’ve decided you’re doing homework at 6:00 pm, you can set an alarm to remind you to bust out your books and get to work. 

If you use your phone as your planner, you may have the option to add alerts, emails, or notifications to scheduled events . Many calendar apps, including the one that comes with your phone, have built-in reminders that you can customize to meet your needs. So if you block off time to do your homework from 4:30 to 6:00 pm, you can set a reminder that will pop up on your phone when it’s time to get started. 

This dog isn't judging your lack of motivation...but your teacher might. Keep reading for tips to help you motivate yourself to do your homework.

How to Do Homework When You’re Unmotivated 

At first glance, it may seem like procrastination and being unmotivated are the same thing. After all, both of these issues usually result in you putting off your homework until the very last minute. 

But there’s one key difference: many procrastinators are working, they’re just prioritizing work differently. They know they’re going to start their homework...they’re just going to do it later. 

Conversely, people who are unmotivated to do homework just can’t find the willpower to tackle their assignments. Procrastinators know they’ll at least attempt the homework at the last minute, whereas people who are unmotivated struggle with convincing themselves to do it at a ll. For procrastinators, the stress comes from the inevitable time crunch. For unmotivated people, the stress comes from trying to convince themselves to do something they don’t want to do in the first place. 

Here are some common reasons students are unmotivated in doing homework : 

• Assignments are too easy, too hard, or seemingly pointless 
• Students aren’t interested in (or passionate about) the subject matter
• Students are intimidated by the work and/or feels like they don’t understand the assignment 
• Homework isn’t fun, and students would rather spend their time on things that they enjoy 

To sum it up: people who lack motivation to do their homework are more likely to not do it at all, or to spend more time worrying about doing their homework than...well, actually doing it.

3 Tips for How to Get Motivated to Do Homework

The key to getting homework done when you’re unmotivated is to figure out what does motivate you, then apply those things to homework. It sounds tricky...but it’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it! Here are our three expert tips for motivating yourself to do your homework. 

#1: Use Incremental Incentives

When you’re not motivated, it’s important to give yourself small rewards to stay focused on finishing the task at hand. The trick is to keep the incentives small and to reward yourself often. For example, maybe you’re reading a good book in your free time. For every ten minutes you spend on your homework, you get to read five pages of your book. Like we mentioned earlier, make sure you’re choosing a reward that works for you! 

So why does this technique work? Using small rewards more often allows you to experience small wins for getting your work done. Every time you make it to one of your tiny reward points, you get to celebrate your success, which gives your brain a boost of dopamine . Dopamine helps you stay motivated and also creates a feeling of satisfaction when you complete your homework !  

#2: Form a Homework Group 

If you’re having trouble motivating yourself, it’s okay to turn to others for support. Creating a homework group can help with this. Bring together a group of your friends or classmates, and pick one time a week where you meet and work on homework together. You don’t have to be in the same class, or even taking the same subjects— the goal is to encourage one another to start (and finish!) your assignments. 

Another added benefit of a homework group is that you can help one another if you’re struggling to understand the material covered in your classes. This is especially helpful if your lack of motivation comes from being intimidated by your assignments. Asking your friends for help may feel less scary than talking to your teacher...and once you get a handle on the material, your homework may become less frightening, too. 

#3: Change Up Your Environment 

If you find that you’re totally unmotivated, it may help if you find a new place to do your homework. For example, if you’ve been struggling to get your homework done at home, try spending an extra hour in the library after school instead. The change of scenery can limit your distractions and give you the energy you need to get your work done. 

If you’re stuck doing homework at home, you can still use this tip. For instance, maybe you’ve always done your homework sitting on your bed. Try relocating somewhere else, like your kitchen table, for a few weeks. You may find that setting up a new “homework spot” in your house gives you a motivational lift and helps you get your work done. 

Social media can be a huge problem when it comes to doing homework. We have advice for helping you unplug and regain focus.

How to Do Homework When You’re Easily Distracted

We live in an always-on world, and there are tons of things clamoring for our attention. From friends and family to pop culture and social media, it seems like there’s always something (or someone!) distracting us from the things we need to do.

The 24/7 world we live in has affected our ability to focus on tasks for prolonged periods of time. Research has shown that over the past decade, an average person’s attention span has gone from 12 seconds to eight seconds . And when we do lose focus, i t takes people a long time to get back on task . One study found that it can take as long as 23 minutes to get back to work once we’ve been distracte d. No wonder it can take hours to get your homework done! 

3 Tips to Improve Your Focus

If you have a hard time focusing when you’re doing your homework, it’s a good idea to try and eliminate as many distractions as possible. Here are three expert tips for blocking out the noise so you can focus on getting your homework done. 

#1: Create a Distraction-Free Environment

Pick a place where you’ll do your homework every day, and make it as distraction-free as possible. Try to find a location where there won’t be tons of noise, and limit your access to screens while you’re doing your homework. Put together a focus-oriented playlist (or choose one on your favorite streaming service), and put your headphones on while you work. 

You may find that other people, like your friends and family, are your biggest distraction. If that’s the case, try setting up some homework boundaries. Let them know when you’ll be working on homework every day, and ask them if they’ll help you keep a quiet environment. They’ll be happy to lend a hand! 

#2: Limit Your Access to Technology 

We know, we know...this tip isn’t fun, but it does work. For homework that doesn’t require a computer, like handouts or worksheets, it’s best to put all your technology away . Turn off your television, put your phone and laptop in your backpack, and silence notifications on any wearable tech you may be sporting. If you listen to music while you work, that’s fine...but make sure you have a playlist set up so you’re not shuffling through songs once you get started on your homework. 

If your homework requires your laptop or tablet, it can be harder to limit your access to distractions. But it’s not impossible! T here are apps you can download that will block certain websites while you’re working so that you’re not tempted to scroll through Twitter or check your Facebook feed. Silence notifications and text messages on your computer, and don’t open your email account unless you absolutely have to. And if you don’t need access to the internet to complete your assignments, turn off your WiFi. Cutting out the online chatter is a great way to make sure you’re getting your homework done. 

#3: Set a Timer (the Pomodoro Technique)

Have you ever heard of the Pomodoro technique ? It’s a productivity hack that uses a timer to help you focus!

Here’s how it works: first, set a timer for 25 minutes. This is going to be your work time. During this 25 minutes, all you can do is work on whatever homework assignment you have in front of you. No email, no text messaging, no phone calls—just homework. When that timer goes off, you get to take a 5 minute break. Every time you go through one of these cycles, it’s called a “pomodoro.” For every four pomodoros you complete, you can take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.

The pomodoro technique works through a combination of boundary setting and rewards. First, it gives you a finite amount of time to focus, so you know that you only have to work really hard for 25 minutes. Once you’ve done that, you’re rewarded with a short break where you can do whatever you want. Additionally, tracking how many pomodoros you complete can help you see how long you’re really working on your homework. (Once you start using our focus tips, you may find it doesn’t take as long as you thought!)

Two Bonus Tips for How to Do Homework Fast

Even if you’re doing everything right, there will be times when you just need to get your homework done as fast as possible. (Why do teachers always have projects due in the same week? The world may never know.)

The problem with speeding through homework is that it’s easy to make mistakes. While turning in an assignment is always better than not submitting anything at all, you want to make sure that you’re not compromising quality for speed. Simply put, the goal is to get your homework done quickly and still make a good grade on the assignment! 

Here are our two bonus tips for getting a decent grade on your homework assignments , even when you’re in a time crunch. 

#1: Do the Easy Parts First 

This is especially true if you’re working on a handout with multiple questions. Before you start working on the assignment, read through all the questions and problems. As you do, make a mark beside the questions you think are “easy” to answer . 

Once you’ve finished going through the whole assignment, you can answer these questions first. Getting the easy questions out of the way as quickly as possible lets you spend more time on the trickier portions of your homework, which will maximize your assignment grade. 

(Quick note: this is also a good strategy to use on timed assignments and tests, like the SAT and the ACT !) 

#2: Pay Attention in Class 

Homework gets a lot easier when you’re actively learning the material. Teachers aren’t giving you homework because they’re mean or trying to ruin your weekend... it’s because they want you to really understand the course material. Homework is designed to reinforce what you’re already learning in class so you’ll be ready to tackle harder concepts later.

When you pay attention in class, ask questions, and take good notes, you’re absorbing the information you’ll need to succeed on your homework assignments. (You’re stuck in class anyway, so you might as well make the most of it!) Not only will paying attention in class make your homework less confusing, it will also help it go much faster, too.

What’s Next?

If you’re looking to improve your productivity beyond homework, a good place to begin is with time management. After all, we only have so much time in a day...so it’s important to get the most out of it! To get you started, check out this list of the 12 best time management techniques that you can start using today.

You may have read this article because homework struggles have been affecting your GPA. Now that you’re on the path to homework success, it’s time to start being proactive about raising your grades. This article teaches you everything you need to know about raising your GPA so you can

Now you know how to get motivated to do homework...but what about your study habits? Studying is just as critical to getting good grades, and ultimately getting into a good college . We can teach you how to study bette r in high school. (We’ve also got tons of resources to help you study for your ACT and SAT exams , too!)

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

Improve With Our Famous Guides

• For All Students

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points

How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 800 on Each SAT Section:

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading

Score 800 on SAT Writing

Series: How to Get to 600 on Each SAT Section:

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading

Score 600 on SAT Writing

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For?

15 Strategies to Improve Your SAT Essay

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points

How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 36 on Each ACT Section:

36 on ACT English

36 on ACT Math

36 on ACT Reading

36 on ACT Science

Series: How to Get to 24 on Each ACT Section:

24 on ACT English

24 on ACT Math

24 on ACT Reading

24 on ACT Science

What ACT target score should you be aiming for?

ACT Vocabulary You Must Know

ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score

How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League

How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA

How to Write an Amazing College Essay

What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?

Is the ACT easier than the SAT? A Comprehensive Guide

Should you retake your SAT or ACT?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Stay Informed

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Looking for Graduate School Test Prep?

Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here:

GRE Online Prep Blog

GMAT Online Prep Blog

TOEFL Online Prep Blog

Holly R. "I am absolutely overjoyed and cannot thank you enough for helping me!”

Log in to our secure, personalized website to manage your care (formerly myMDAnderson).

Request an Appointment

If you are ready to make an appointment, select a button on the right. If you have questions about MD Anderson’s appointment process, our information page may be the best place to start.

• Donate Today

• Clinical Trials
• Our Doctors

Prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels by age: What to know

March 18, 2024

BY Lisly Chéry, M.D.

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a protein made by the prostate, a walnut-shaped gland that’s part of the human male reproductive system. It is located inside the pelvis and wrapped around the urethra, the tube leading from the bladder outside the body that drains urine through the penis. 

PSA levels can be measured in the bloodstream, and elevated PSA levels can sometimes be a symptom of prostate cancer . So, this antigen gives doctors a starting point to evaluate your risk of having that disease.

But what constitutes a normal PSA level? Why might your PSA levels be elevated? And, is there such a thing as a “dangerously high” PSA level? 

Here are answers to these and three more questions I get asked frequently.

What’s a “normal” PSA level?

Doctors tend to categorize PSA levels in terms of “elevated” or “non-elevated,” rather than “normal” or “abnormal.” That’s because the range of what’s normal varies by age. Technically, someone with any PSA level can have prostate cancer; that’s not the only thing we look at when assessing a patient. 

Generally speaking, though, PSA levels for men who are:

• Age 60 or older : should be at or below 4.0 mg/mL
• Age 59 or younger : should be at or below 2.5 mg/mL

The average PSA for men in the younger group is <1.0 mg/mL.

Why are my PSA levels elevated?

Your PSA levels could be elevated for many reasons. For one thing, the size of your prostate continues to grow as you age, so that can increase the amount of antigen it releases. Other common factors that may cause elevated PSA levels include: 

• prostatitis/inflammation
• a recent urological or pelvic procedure, such as a cystoscopy or a colonoscopy
• medications, especially testosterone replacement therapy

Less common factors that may contribute to elevated PSA levels include:

• sexual activity in the last 1-2 days
• riding a bicycle, which puts pressure on the perineum

These last two are not usually the cause for elevated PSA levels in most men, though. So, urologists will typically recheck levels about a month later to confirm that nothing made them go up temporarily.

Is there a threshold PSA level that requires biopsy? 

No. But a PSA above 4.0 in anyone over age 60, or above 2.5 in anyone younger than 60, will likely prompt additional testing. 

At MD Anderson , that typically means an MRI . These scans are great, non-invasive ways of determining whether someone needs a biopsy , and, if so, what kind. We now can take samples from very specific areas that look abnormal.

What is considered a dangerously high PSA level?

Technically, there is no upper limit. PSA levels can go into the tens or even hundreds of thousands. But generally speaking, these are the ranges of elevation: 

• 4-10: minimally elevated
• 11-20: moderately elevated
• 21+: high elevation

Your doctor will likely investigate anything over 10. Anything greater than 20 starts pointing more toward cancer. Anything above 50 is usually a very strong indicator of prostate cancer. Levels that high are usually not due to an infection or some other thing going on. 

When should I start getting screened for prostate cancer, including a PSA test? 

For people at average risk , MD Anderson recommends talking with your doctor about the benefits of prostate cancer screening beginning at age 45. 

Black men and others at higher risk should start the conversation at age 40. High-risk populations include those with:

• Black heritage
• a first-degree blood relative ( brother/father ) who’s had prostate cancer 
• either BRCA1 or BRCA2 genetic mutations

How often should I get screened for prostate cancer? 

Generally, it’s once a year, but in some instances, it could be every two. 

If your PSA level has been stable for a long time, for instance, it might be two. But if your PSA levels have been steadily creeping up over time, you might need to get screened every six months. Everyone is different, so talk to your doctor to find out what’s best for you. 

Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or call 1-877-632-6789.

Technically, someone with any PSA level can have prostate cancer.

Lisly Chéry, M.D.

Share Your Story

Coronavirus precautions, help #endcancer, donate blood.

Our patients depend on blood and platelet donations.

Shop MD Anderson

Show your support for our mission through branded merchandise. 

• Breaking & Current Events
• Industry News
• Politics & Legislation
• Just For Fun
• Every Day Carry – EDC
• Prepping, Camping, & Survival
• Hunting and Fishing
• Gunday Brunch
• The Great Wild West Giveaway
• Taurus – Spring Time Tracker Giveaway
• Lucky Six Shooter Giveaway
• Contest Winners

The PSA Micro Dagger Mags – The G43X and G48 Solution

I got a Glock 43 X a few years ago, and I have become a bigger and bigger fan of the gun every month that passes. It brings you a slim, easy-to-carry pistol with Gloc k reliability and capability. I often joke that the mix of a long grip and a short barrel makes it the Central A/C of handguns. It’s comfortable to carry and comfortable to shoot. I like the little gun so much that I even used it as a base for a PDW Projec t . The downside is the 10-round capacity, but that might be cured by the PSA Micro Dagger mags. 

The Micro Dagger Mags Mean More Ammo 

I wasn’t the only one who had this problem, and the market took note. Shield Arms produced some metal magazines that were capable of holding 15 rounds. I’ve used them and think they work great, but they do require you to swap your magazine release, or the magazines will eat it up. It’s a pain, and the Shield mags can be tough to find in stock. I had heard of the Micro Dagger but honestly didn’t know that it utilized Glock 43X and G48 pattern magazines, and I didn’t know they held 15 rounds either. 

The next fact that took me by surprise was that they were a polymer and metal hybrid design. This polymer, metal design allows for 15 rounds of capacity but doesn’t require you to swap your magazine release. It won’t eat at your magazine release and won’t cause your gun to fall apart. 

Once that all became evident, I had five of them showing up at my house before I could say nay. At 30 bucks a pop, they aren’t the cheapest option, but they also aren’t that expensive. If they worked, I’ve solved my biggest issue with the Glock 43X. If not, I still have the OEM option. 

First Impressions 

Lo and behold I arrived home from work to find a bundle of joy in the form of some ammo and my mags! In all my excitement I couldn’t wait to hit the range and find out if these things work. As I unwrapped them I didn’t find myself all that impressed. The magazines looked rough. There was some clear flashing left over on the mags. Full on strings of the stuff on the front of the magazine, and around the magazine latch. 

I broke them open, and there were rough burrs of plastic inside the magazines. I used a file and precision knife to clean them up. I blew them out with some canned air and reassembled the magazines. Admittedly, I didn’t have a lot of hope, but I loaded each magazine and hit the range. These magazines just so happened to coincide with my PDW testing, which involved the Glock 43X. This gave me a two-for-one in testing and made my ammo go a little further. 

To The Range With the Micro Dagger Mags 

The Micro Dagger mags are tough to load. Getting rounds one through thirteen into the gun wasn’t bad, but rounds 14 and 15 were a thumb wrestling match. You really gotta shove and fight, but my arthritis wasn’t too bad, so I managed. With the magazines fully loaded, they could be inserted fairly easily into a Glock 43X with the slide forward. They don’t slide in as smoothly as the OEM models, but a slight thump sends them home and locks them in. 

The next thing I could do was start throwing lead and throw it I did. I exercised my reloads and let those mags hit the dirt when empty. I wasn’t gentle, and I didn’t clean them. Five Micro Dagger mags of 15 rounds went flawlessly, and so did the next 60 rounds. It was in the third 60 rounds I ran into one magazine that failed to lock the slide open when the last round was fired. I know for an absolute fact that my thumb wasn’t riding the slide lock. 

I marked that magazine to keep an eye on it. In the next 60 rounds, I ran into that issue again, but it was a different magazine. This time, my thumb could have been riding the slide lock, but I don’t think so. I marked that mag as well. Afterward, I loaded all five magazines, one round each, and fired them. I repeated the test over and over. It wasn’t a consistent problem, but it did occur with my two marked magazines every so often. The other three were problem-free. 

Worth the Squeeze? 

The Micro Dagger mags seem to be an interesting conundrum. They are rough, and I think cleaning them up helped a fair bit. They had no problems feeding, but the occasional failure to lock the slide back is interesting. I’m going to file a bit around the front of the feed lips to see if there is a burr I can remove that might be preventing the follower from reaching the top spot. 

For me, they work and I won’t feel shy about carrying them. I do suggest you do your own testing with the Micro Dagger mags and make sure yours work well. I’m not confident enough to blindly trust them, but they can be a seemingly awesome option as long as you do your homework. 

RELATED ARTICLES MORE FROM AUTHOR

The BTS 12 – The Ukrainians Adopted What Shotgun?

FN Rush 9Ti

The Kit Gun – Weird Gun Genres

• Cookie Policy
• Do Not Sell My Information
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Designed by GAT Marketing

• Homework Videos

Rinoplastia é uma boa solução para o 'nariz de batata'?

A rinoplastia, procedimento cirúrgico que modifica o formato do nariz, se tornou uma das cirurgias plásticas mais procuradas no brasil, segundo a sociedade brasileira de cirurgia plástica (sbcp). entre os principais motivos para buscar a rinoplastia está a insatisfação com o formato conhecido popularmente como "nariz de batata", caracterizado por ponta arredondada e achatada, além de asas nasais largas. para jamisson melo, cirurgião especialista em rinoplastia, o procedimento oferece resultados estéticos e funcionais significativos para quem possui "nariz de batata". "a rinoplastia para 'nariz de batata' visa refinar a ponta nasal, diminuindo seu volume e projetando-a para cima. além disso, as asas nasais podem ser reduzidas, proporcionando um aspecto mais harmônico ao rosto. é importante ressaltar que o procedimento deve ser individualizado, respeitando as características étnicas do paciente e buscando um resultado natural”, ressalta o especialista..

Últimas notícias

12 dicas para você se destacar em uma carreira de IA

Senhas com emojis: as vantagens e as desvantagens de usá-lo

Influenciadora consegue via SUS tratamento para diabetes que custa R$ 20 mil

Cancelado em 2023, GP da Emília-Romanha volta forte neste fim de semana

Pesquisa revela o que jornalistas pensam sobre uso de IA generativa

Startup quer redistribuir riqueza amazônica com população local

Recomendado para você.

Emo Caipira: Chococorn and the Sugarcanes lança álbum

Tom Cruise deixa de pagar pensão milionária após Suri completar 18 anos

Kate Middleton em retirada: a princesa encontra um forte apoio e não é o príncipe William...

Sandy mostra como usar meia-calça azul com estilo

O que é a "Porta do Inferno" e por que ela cresce sem parar?

Felipe Neto divulga lista de processos que já venceu e manda recado: 'Vocês vão pagar'

Rebeca Abravanel surpreende e mostra filho pela primeira vez em 4 meses

Lucy Alves e Indira Nascimento puxam a lista de atrizes de novela que namoram (ou namoraram)

Quanto custa a feijoada do Copacabana Palace e o que inclui?

Angélica é madrinha de casamento de vestido azul com flor 3D

EL Education Curriculum

You are here.

• ELA G5:M4:U1:L9

Writing a PSA: Planning and Drafting the Introduction

In this lesson, daily learning targets, ongoing assessment.

• Technology and Multimedia

Supporting English Language Learners

Universal design for learning, closing & assessments, you are here:.

• ELA Grade 5
• ELA G5:M4:U1

Like what you see?

Order printed materials, teacher guides and more.

How to order

Help us improve!

Tell us how the curriculum is working in your classroom and send us corrections or suggestions for improving it.

Leave feedback

These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

• W.5.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
• W.5.2a: Introduce a topic clearly, provide a general observation and focus, and group related information logically; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
• W.5.2b: Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.
• W.5.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
• W.5.5: With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
• I can plan the key points of a PSA that raises awareness how to stay safe during a natural disaster. ( W.5.2a, W.5.2b, W.5.4, W.5.5 )
• I can write the introduction for the script of my PSA. ( W.5.2a, W.5.4, W.5.5 )
• PSA Planning note-catcher ( W.5.4 )
• Draft PSA Script ( W.5.2a, W.5.2b, W.5.4, W.5.5, L.5.2a )
• Pre-determine pairs for Work Time B.
• Post: Learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials).

Tech and Multimedia

• Continue to use the technology tools recommended throughout Modules 1-3 to create anchor charts to share with families, to record students as they participate in discussions and protocols to review with students later and to share with families, and for students to listen to and annotate text, record ideas on note-catchers, and word-process writing.

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 5.I.A.4, 5.I.C.10, 5.I.C.11, 5.I.C.12, 5.II.A.1, 5.II.A.2, 5.II.B.4, 5.II.B.5, 5.II.C.6, 5.II.C.7

Important points in the lesson itself  

• The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs by building on work begun in the previous lesson, providing students with an opportunity to analyze the introduction paragraph of the Model PSA Script before writing their own; and inviting students to refer to the World Cafe charts, their Natural Disasters Research note-catcher and the Model PSA as they plan and draft their introduction.
• ELLs may find it challenging keep pace with the class during Work Time A to determine the most relevant key points to use in their PSAs, as well as to keep pace with the class in completing their introductions. Consider working with a small group of students as they plan and write their introductions. Furthermore, consider providing additional time for students to orally process their scripts before writing (see Levels of Supportand the Meeting Students' Needs column).

Levels of Support

For lighter support:

• During the Closing, invite students to create sentence starters to begin each sentence of the introduction paragraph outline in For heavier support. Invite students who need heavier support to use these sentence starters, along with the paragraph outline.
• During the Closing, remind students that they are writing in short, simpler sentences because their target audience is children, and they want their PSA to be easy for children to understand. Explicitly note that this is different from the complex sentences they generally strive to produce.

For heavier support:

• During the Closing, consider providing an outline for students to organize their introduction paragraphs. (Example: [Question to Engage Reader and Introduce Natural Disaster] __________. [Brief Description of the Natural Disaster] _________. [Destruction #1 Caused by Natural Disaster] __________. [Destruction #2 Caused by Natural Disaster] ___________. [Focus Statement] ____________________.)
• Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): Continue to support comprehension by activating prior knowledge and scaffold connections for students.
• Means of Action & Expression (MMAE): Continue to provide formative feedback to support students in monitoring their progress to guide their learning.
• Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Continue to support sustained effort by prompting students to restate the goal for each learning activity in this lesson.

Key : Lesson-Specific Vocabulary (L); Text-Specific Vocabulary (T); Vocabulary Used in Writing (W)

• key points, focus statement (L)
• affected, impacted, destructive, important, safe (W)
• Natural Disasters PSA prompt (from Lesson 8; one per student)
• Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
• Model PSA (from Lesson 8; one per student and one to display)
• Paper (lined; several pieces per student)
• Natural Disasters Research note-catcher (completed in Lesson 5; one per student and one to display)
• Class World Cafe anchor charts (begun in Lesson 1)
• Example Planning note-catcher (example, for teacher reference)
• Organizing the Model: Introductory Paragraph strips (one strip per pair)
• Characteristics of PSAs anchor chart (begun in Lesson 8; added to during Work Time B; see supporting materials)
• Characteristics of PSAs anchor chart (begun in Lesson 8; example, for teacher reference)
• Informative Writing Checklist (one per student and one to display)
• Domain-Specific Word Wall (begun in Lesson 1)

Each unit in the 3-5 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize their understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

Copyright © 2013-2024 by EL Education, New York, NY.

Get updates about our new K-5 curriculum as new materials and tools debut.

Help us improve our curriculum..

Tell us what’s going well, share your concerns and feedback.

Terms of use . To learn more about EL Education, visit  eleducation.org