Magazine cover
Summary of task
Students studied the conventions and technical and symbolic elements of magazine covers and how they engage an audience. They explored how the media creates meaning and engages particular audiences with precision on magazine covers. In particular, students analysed symbolic elements that identify a target audience for the marketing of a magazine. Students were later engaged in a process of analysis and planning to help them to design their own magazine cover. This was a summative assessment in a broader five-week unit in which learning to use desktop publishing software was also a key outcome. The final copies of the magazine covers were displayed in the students’ classroom.