
A complete OCR A-Level Media Studies lesson where students design their own Big Issue front cover using media language, representation and intertextuality.
This fully editable PowerPoint (.pptx) lesson focuses on The Big Issue for OCR A-Level Media Studies Component 1, Section B: Media Messages, supporting students with magazine conventions, media language, representation, audience, contexts and practical design.
Students recap what makes The Big Issue a social enterprise model, including its vendor system, ethos, target audience, pluralistic representation and use of intertextuality. They then apply this knowledge by creating their own Big Issue-style front cover using Canva, with a political/social focus based around Keir Starmer and contemporary UK issues.
The lesson asks students to include key magazine conventions such as masthead, issue number, cover lines, barcode, slogan, colour theme, fonts and main image, while also considering The Big Issue’s ethos, anti-government/anti-establishment tone, social responsibility and representation of marginalised groups.
The lesson includes a practical front cover design task, fact-pack style prompts, printable support slides and a convention recap plenary.
This lesson covers:
OCR A-Level Media Studies
Component 1: Media Messages
Section B: Magazines
The Big Issue
Magazine conventions
Front cover design
Media language
Representation
Intertextuality
Pluralistic representation
Social enterprise model
Big Issue ethos
Target audience
ABC1 readers
Political and social contexts
Anti-establishment ideology
Canva design task
Keir Starmer / UK politics focus
Cost of living crisis
Housing inequality
Public sector strikes
Climate crisis
Education reform
What is included:
Fully editable PowerPoint (.pptx) lesson
Do Now recap on The Big Issue
Teacher feedback/model answer slide
Lesson objectives
Key term recap: intertextuality
Key term recap: representation
Key term recap: pluralistic
Canva front cover design task
Required magazine convention checklist
Fact pack and possible focus slide
Printable support slide on political/social issues
“Think About” framework covering media language, representation, audience, industry and context
Mini plenary: name that convention
This resource can be used as:
A practical design lesson for The Big Issue
An OCR A-Level magazine set text lesson
A Component 1 Section B lesson
A media language and representation lesson
A magazine conventions recap lesson
A Canva-based practical task
A revision or cover lesson
A Year 12 or Year 13 Media Studies lesson
This resource is provided as a fully editable PowerPoint (.pptx) file.
This resource is independently created and is not endorsed by OCR.
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