Understanding Target Audience

Lesson Overview

This 50-minute session is designed for Year 7 pupils (ages 11-12), focusing on understanding the concept of target audience and how it influences media products. The lesson aligns with the National Curriculum for England's Computing and Media Studies requirements, specifically addressing key literacy and analytical skills in media appreciation and production.

National Curriculum Links

Key Stage 3 Computing & Media Studies

Understand and apply the fundamental principles of media, including audience and purpose (NC KS3: Design, write and debug programs; understand computer systems).
Develop key communication and analytical skills through media texts (Reading and writing in KS3 English: including understanding audience and purpose).
Support literacy development and critical thinking by analysing different media forms and their target audiences.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson pupils will be able to:

Define ‘target audience’ and explain its importance in media production.
Identify specific target audiences for different media products (e.g., TV shows, adverts, websites).
Describe how understanding the target audience shapes media content, style, and language.
Demonstrate comprehension by designing a media concept tailored to a chosen target audience.

Resources Needed

Variety of media examples (clips, adverts, printouts from magazines, websites) diverse in genre and format
Large printed Target Audience Profiles template (age, gender, interests, values, accessibility needs)
Tablets or paper for drawing/design activity
Whiteboard and markers
Sticky notes
Timer

Lesson Structure

1. Starter Activity (10 minutes)

Think-Pair-Share: “Who watches what?”

Show three very different short media clips or adverts (e.g., kids’ cartoon, teen music video, adult news segment).
Ask pupils to write on sticky notes who they think the target audience is for each clip (age, interests, needs).
Pair pupils to discuss their answers, highlighting differences and similarities.
Collect and briefly share findings on the whiteboard.

Rationale: Engages all learners including those with ADHD and autism via visual, verbal, and social interaction; supports working memory by chunking information.

2. Main Activity (25 minutes)

Hands-On Group Work: "Design for Your Audience"

Pupils work as a team of three to create a media product concept (TV show, poster, social media campaign) tailored to a specific target audience profile chosen from the printed template.
Teams must address:
- Who is their target audience? (Demographics, interests, accessibility)
- What content & style will appeal to them? (Tone, language, imagery)
- How will the product engage or influence the audience?
Pupils sketch or storyboard their concept on paper or tablets. Use a checklist to plan content according to audience.
Teacher circulates, supporting and prompting deeper thinking about links between audience characteristics and media choices.

Rationale: Multi-sensory and collaborative activity engages visual and kinesthetic learners; clear structure and checklist supports pupils with autism; group work encourages social skills development.

3. Plenary (10 minutes)

Presentation & Reflection

Each group shares their media concept and explains how their understanding of the target audience affected their choices.
Class collectively discusses how different audiences influence media products and why this is important for producers.
Teacher highlights key terms and reinforces concepts on the whiteboard.

Rationale: Oral communication and reflection deepen understanding. Sharing helps build confidence and listening skills, accommodating a range of learner needs.

Assessment

Formative: Observation of group discussions and presentation; question prompts used to check understanding throughout.
Summative (exit ticket): Each pupil writes a brief definition of target audience and one way it affects media products on a sticky note before leaving.

Differentiation & Inclusion Notes

Provide clear, written instructions alongside verbal explanations.
Use visual aids and templates to support cognitive processing.
Allow pupils to choose roles within the group to suit their strengths (e.g., drawing, writing, speaking).
Use timer to support time management and maintain focus for pupils with ADHD.
Provide calm areas or sensory breaks as needed.

Extension Ideas

Invite pupils to analyse a favourite media product at home for its target audience.
Create a digital or physical “Media Audience Journal” collecting adverts, shows, or posts and note their target audience considerations.

This lesson plan empowers students to critically engage with the media they consume and encourages thoughtful creation tailored to diverse audiences, meeting curriculum goals while providing structure and accessibility for all learners.

Teaching Instructions