Wednesday 18 October 2023

Year 11 Paper 1 assessment: Learner response

The Paper 1 assessment was a great opportunity to revise some of the content from last year and develop our exam technique. 

Every time we do a paper like this it helps us to learn how the questions are structured, how to answer social and cultural context questions and how to manage our time.

We now need to complete a learner response to the assessment to help reflect on what we are learning and how we can improve our exam technique. You may find reading the mark scheme useful for reflecting on these exams - you'll need your Greenford Google login to access these documents:

Year 11 Paper 1 assessment: Learner Response

Create a blogpost called 'Paper 1 assessment learner response'.

1) Type up your feedback in full (you do not need to write mark/grade if you do not wish to).

2) Look at the mark scheme for this assessment. For Question 2 (12 mark unseen) use the indicative content in the mark scheme to identify three points that you could have referred to in your answer.

3) For Question 3 (Galaxy - narrative features) use the mark scheme to write down the main narrative theories and how we can link them to the Galaxy advert CSP. 

4) Now look at Question 4 - Tatler and social/cultural contexts. Use the mark scheme to identify three points you could have made in your answer here.

5) On Section B, focus on Question 7 - film industry and Black Widow. Use the mark scheme to identify three ways Black Widow was marketed to its audience.

6) Finally, write down three things you are going to work on before your next mock exam in December (e.g. time management; revising CSPs etc.)

If you don't finish this LR in the lesson your papers are returned, complete for homework - due date on Google Classroom.

Monday 16 October 2023

Coursework: Statement of Intent

The first 10 marks of our coursework are for a written Statement of Intent.

This is simply a Word or Google Document in which we write what we are planning to make for our coursework. Your completed summer project will give you most of the information you need for this - particularly the planning section - but you may have changed or developed your idea since the summer. Your preliminary exercise learner response may also help you consider what you plan to create for your real video production coursework.

Our coursework brief for 2024 can be found here - we are working on Brief 5 - Television.

The Statement of Intent word count is 300 words - you can go slightly above this if you want to but you need to keep it close to 300.

This Statement of Intent guidance will help you if you're not sure what to write - you'll need your Greenford Google login to access it. The most important thing is that you cover media language, representations and the target audience in your Statement of Intent.

Another tip is that you can use subheadings and bullet points in your Statement of Intent - it doesn't need to all be in paragraphs. In fact, bullet points are very useful for keeping the word count down. 

Finally, here is an example statement of intent from a previous year - note this was a different brief but the layout and use of media terminology and theory may help you. 

Here's the Statement of Intent mark scheme: 

Statement of Intent: task

1) Write your Statement of Intent on a Word or Google Doc - word count 300 words. Use this Statement of Intent guidance document to help you.

Submit your Statement of Intent to your teacher by emailing them the Word or Google Document. 

Due date: on Google Classroom

Wednesday 4 October 2023

Year 11 Media assessment: revision and preparation

All subjects have to run a Year 11 assessment before the next set of interims. As we're focused on coursework currently, we are going to give you a mini-Paper 1 assessment to help revise content from last year.

Your assessment will be similar to the exam you did at the end of last year but this time will focus on Paper 1. Your exact date will depend on the timetable as these assessments are in-class. Your Media teacher will be able to tell you when your assessment will run.  

Below is a full guide to what you need to revise for this assessment.   

Know your exams

One of the most important aspects of preparing for examinations is knowing exactly what topics could come up in each exam. For your Paper 1 assessment, this is what might come up:

Paper 1

Paper 1 Section A: Language and Representation

Paper 1 Section B: Audience and Industry
Your real Paper 1 exam will also contain a 20-mark essay on either Film, Radio, Music Video, Newspapers or Videogames/Online, Social and Participatory Media but this will not be part of this assessment. 


Paper 2

You will not be taking Paper 2 as part of this assessment but we will take on a full 90-minute Paper 2 as part of the December mock exams. More details on that nearer the time!  

How to revise

Revision is a very personal thing and everyone has different techniques. 
Personally, I strongly recommend using flash cards (they are often called record cards if you are trying to buy them online or in WHSmiths). The simple act of distilling topics into a few key words or phrases to put on the card will seriously help in remembering the key information in the final exams. We recommend having three sections to your revision cards:
  1. Media terminology and key words
  2. Media theories
  3. CSPs
I have spare flash cards in DF07 if you'd like some.  

Good luck with your revision and give this assessment your best shot!

Preliminary exercise feedback and learner response

The preliminary exercise is a brilliant opportunity to learn the basics of filmmaking before creating your actual coursework project.

After the screening of the preliminary exercises in class, you need to create a blogpost called 'Preliminary exercise learner response' and complete the following tasks as your feedback and learner response:

1) Type up your teacher's feedback in full plus a summary of the comments you received from other students in the class. If you've received your feedback via email, you can simply cut and paste it from the email into your blog.

2) Using a combination of your own reflection on the preliminary exercise and the feedback you were given, write three WWW bullet points (What Went Well) and three EBI bullet points (Even Better If) for your preliminary exercise. 

3) What have you learned from the preliminary exercise that will help you in the actual coursework project? List three things you have learned or will do differently as a result of this exercise. You may want to comment on organisation, actors, filming, editing or something else entirely but be specific.

Deadline on Google Classroom.