Profiler
Module 1, Activity 8.2 - Profiling a Magazine
Teacher Page
(student page for this lesson)

Introduction:

Magazines are one of the most popular mediums in print journalism. With so many different types of magazines, and their wide circulation, there is something for everyone. In this lesson, students will have the chance to differentiate between general-interest and special-interest magazines as well as profile a magazine.

Resources:

- student magazines from home (school appropriate selections)
- magazines from the library
- magazine profile handout (.doc) or (.rtf)

Activities:

Task One - What's interesting?
Students will need to begin by understanding the difference between general-interest magazines and special-interest magazines.

Asking students in advance to bring a magazine with them to class should provide you with a wide range of material to use. However, you may also want to head to the library and take out a selection of general-interest and special-interest magazines, in case students have forgotten to bring magazines.

Common General Interest Magazines
1. Maclean's
2. National Geographic
3. Newsweek
4. People
5. Reader's Digest
6. Time

Possible Special Interest Magazines
(May vary by area)
1. American Snowmobiler
2. Car and Driver
3. Elle/Elle Girl
4. Mountain Bike Action
5. Outdoor Canada
6. Popular Science
7. Psychology Today
8. Quill and Quire
9. Road and Track
10. Seventeen
11. Ski Canada
12. Western Horseman
13. Wired
14. Young Miss

Give the students the brief definitions of special- interest magazines and general-interest magazines from the student version of this page.

Ask students to determine what type of magazine they brought with them or have them choose a magazine and do the same thing.

Once each student has categorized his/her magazine, have the class create a pile for the special-interest magazines and one for the general- interest magazines. Since the majority of circulation is special-interest magazines, the pile for these should be substantially larger.

Discuss the questions regarding types of magazines, on the student version of this page. You will want to help students see that while general-interest magazines may reach a wider range of readers, special-interest magazines have the advantage of reaching readers who are specifically interested and likely knowledgable about their subject.

Task Two - Profiling
Working in partners, students should choose three different magazines, including at least one special- interest and one general-interest magazine, to profile. Once students have chosen the magazines, they need to fill in the profile handout.

When students have completed the profile handout, have them discuss the questions from the student version of this page and come to a concensus with their partners.

Spend some time discussing, as a class, the impact that magazines can have on society as a whole. You may want to begin by asking the students how often they see magazines and how often they buy them. Having spent some time in a previous lesson looking at magazine covers, you may also want to discuss how corporations hook young consumers for long-term readership.

Task Three - Reflect
Students will need time to reflect on the impact that magazines have on their lives. They should write the reflective piece suggested on the student version of this page.

Task Two and Three allow the students to profile magazines and then reflect on the impact of magazines on their lives. Again, you will have the chance to assess understanding through discussion. You may want to have students have in the profiles or the reflective writing in order to give a completion mark.