Magazine articles

4. School lunches - writing a magazine article

Required Resources

• Student Worksheet 4
• Slide 8

Delivery

• Distribute Student Worksheet 4, which gives students an editorial briefing on producing their own magazine article. The article is to be aimed at their peer group, and headed either 'school dinners, cool dinners (serving up good health)' or 'school plates are in a state (an unhealthy portion)'.
• Drawing on the factual information on Worksheet 4, the notes from their interviews with their classmates and their own personal experience of school dinners, students should write a short piece on the subject. Students should aim to build a strong piece, backing any assertions with fact or personal experience and identifying vocabulary that might resonate with their target audience. Slide 8 can be used to suggest helpful linguistic techniques for writing a magazine article.

Differentiation

Lower Ability:

Students may struggle with creating an article. They should concentrate on preparing opening and closing paragraphs for their article instead of on drafting a framework.

Working on a PC may be more useful to lower ability students and those without good presentational skills.

Higher Ability:

If students have access to a PC they could layout their article as it would look in a magazine (accompanied by pictures).

You may like to ask students to write for a specific magazine title instead (either one that you specify or that they choose themselves) on the subject of school dinners nationwide.

Higher ability students could write both positive and negative articles in order to emphasise the skills of writing persuasively to a brief.