Magazine Production - Lesson

Lesson Plan

Level: Grades 11 - 12

Author: This lesson has been adapted by MediaSmarts from a unit created by P. Gray and A. Gray in the Saskatoon Board of Education's Media Literacy Guide ,1994. Used with permission.

Overview

In this lesson, students explore how magazines are developed to reach specific target markets. They begin with a class discussion about consumer magazines, and deconstruct magazines they have brought to class. In groups, students will learn about the publishing industry by assuming the roles of editors, writers,marketing staff and graphic designers to create a magazine geared to adolescents, young parents or seniors.

Outcomes

Students will:

• demonstrate understanding of the ways in which magazines, their sponsors and their advertisers target and attract audiences
• adapt messages for different audiences and explain how the characteristics of media forms and audiences influence production decisions and shape content
• select and use the conventions of magazine publishing and appropriate techniques to produce a magazine
• practice appropriate research and information handling and processing skills, including locating, analyzing, evaluating and communicating information from a variety of print and non-print sources
• practice specific skills involved in reading (locating key words, skimming and scanning, etc.), writing (a variety of literary forms including formal and personal essay, poetry, short story, report, etc.), listening, speaking, viewing and visual expression

This lesson and all associated documents (handouts, overheads, backgrounders) are available in an easy-print, pdf kit version.

Lesson Kit:

Lesson_Magazine_Production.pdf