Keith Langton, an experienced GCSE Media Studies teacher, has kindly agreed to begin developing this new area on MediaEdu.

The Cover Zone will contain one-off lessons and activities which can be used by non-specialist Media staff during periods of absence and for students who need independent and educational tasks to get on with if they have been isolated for any reason.

We will add these one-off activities below, when we receive new...

Design the front cover of a new music paper intended to appeal to a Target Audience of 12-16 year olds. The most important decision to make is what to call your paper – think of as many different appropriate names as possible before you decide – remember rude words will not be allowed in shops such as W.H.Smith. Think about a logo design for the title block on your front cover.

Include bands and artists that will appeal to that age range...

Imagine that you have created and produced a film and you are now involved in the promotion and marketing of that film. You should imagine that your film has been made for your own age group – that means that it must follow age restrictions and certificate rules.

Design a poster for a film of your own creation.

You should try and follow the Conventions for film posters - particularly the genre Conventions of picture backgrounds.

You...

Write a review of a film that you have seen recently – it could be at the cinema, on television or on DVD / computer.

You should explain briefly what the story was about (but don’t spoil the ending by telling the reader what happened in the end). You could describe who the main characters were and what role they played in the film’s narrative (storyline). If you know the names of the starring actors in the film, include them in your...

Design and produce a new logo for your school.

You should produce several rough drafts of ideas before you finalise your design.

Think about images and text that are associated with your school – you might include a motto or slogan that you think is appropriate for the school. You might want to include representations of the local geographical area of the school – trees, rivers, etc. Perhaps the town that your school is in has particular...

Design and draw a magazine advertisement for a new healthy juice drink. The advertisement should appeal to parents and early teenagers.

You need to consider the Target Audiences for this product in your design – bright colours and simple language will appeal to young people, while emphasis on healthiness and the lack of additives will make the drink more appealing to parents.

When you are happy with your design, annotate (make notes),...