Using Magazines for PSE

During a long-awaited trip to the hairdressers last week, I picked up a copy of January 2008's Elle magazine and it struck me what a good PSE lesson you could make out of studying it.

I think a Year 8 or Year 9 class could come up with some really interesting points for discussion just by looking through such a magazine and saying what they do or don't like about it.

Personally, I found nothing to like about the magazine, but maybe I am just cynical. I have listed below some of the things that could be discussed:

· What percentage of the magazine is given to a) written articles b) pictures c) advertising? (When considering advertising, look at the 'articles' on what is available on the high street and think about whether this is a different form of advertisement - would it make you buy the items?)
· Are the products they are recommending ethical? What do you feel about (for example) the handbags that are shown being made out of snake/crocodile/alligator/pony skin? Would you buy a bottle of Coke because it has added vitamins and is being marketed as 'healthy'?
· What do you think about the people pictured in this magazine? Do the models look healthy/beautiful? Would you aspire to look like them? What percentage of women do you think look like that in 'real' life? (In this particular magazine, there is a series of pictures of a model who is so emaciated that she looks like she has walked out of Munch's 'The Scream'.)
· What sort of person do you think would read this magazine? How old would they be? What would their income be? How do you think this magazine might make them feel?
· Do you think the magazine is good value at £3.30?
· What magazines, if any, do you read? What are the good/bad points about them? How do they make you feel?
· What other things that we come across in every day life could make people feel this way? Do you think this is right? If not, what do you think we could do about it?