Lessons in glory gold

These are three pages from Aiming At Progress, a KS3 skills series I edited for Collins. (2nd edition - go to www.collins.co.uk for how to order the series - which has three ability levels Books 3/4/5- for your school) I imagine such pages might go down well with classes inspired this summer by Bolt, Mo and Jess at the Bejing World Championships. Students can painlessly absorb language skills while admiring sporting greats. I've always believed (against the prevailing literacy trend) language is about what you say first, then how. If it's of interest to them, if it enables and empowers them in fact or imagination, they'll learn it.

Here is a bonus lesson spread that had to be taken out of the book as it went to press because Collins couldn't get permission for the picture we were going to use. It's level 4 - very simple. You'll have to provide your own picture of the sublime Jess.

3.5 Present your work effectively on the page

This lesson will

·       show you how to make your work look attractive on the page

·       show you how to present a magazine article.

As well as planning, structuring and keeping your writing organised, it is really important that your work looks good on the page.

Getting you thinking

Have a look at this extract from You magazine, about Jessica Ennis 15 September 2013

 

Now imagine if the article was set out with words and sentences and nothing else. It might look something like this:

Olympic gold, fairy-tale wedding, CBE – it’s been a glittering two years for JESSICA ENNIS-HILL. And, despite her recent injury setback, the future’s looking even more dazzling.

BECOMING OLYMPIC CHAMPION demands extremes of dedication and hard work, but in many ways that is the more straightforward side of the job for Jessica Ennis-Hill. Six days a week, injuries permitted, she is at the track or gym honing her tautly contoured body. It’s on the seventh, when she attends her sponsorship commitments, that things can get complicated.

1 Discuss with the person next to you which version you would be more likely to read and why.

Now you try it

Find a magazine of your choice. Look at one page with an article on it.

1 Make a list of exactly what is on the page. Try to include everything you see from the heading to the pictures.

2 How much of the page is taken up by

·         the heading

·         pictures

·         subheadings

·         the writing in the article?

3 What colours have been used on the page? Why?

4 Does the layout of the page make you want to read the article?

Development activity

Work in pairs. Imagine that you work for a magazine. Your editor has asked you to include an article about a famous celebrity (your partner) in the latest issue.

5 Take it in turns to interview each other. The reporter should ask at least three searching questions and the celebrity should give some interesting answers.

6 Now you know your subject, what should you include on the page to make it attractive to the reader?

·         Draft out how your page would look.

·         Roughly draw in where the headings, pictures and other features would be on the page and put in boxes where you would want the writing to appear.

·         What colours would you use? Why?

Check your progress

Level 3            I can use headings to present my work clearly on the page.

Low Level 4     I can use pictures, headings and colour to present my work effectively on the page.

High Level 4    I can use a range of presentational features that suit the purpose and audience of my text.