1 - Introduction ~5 mins
Welcome
Today you save a plan called {{code:sm2_two_format_plan}} with two different formats locked in for your project. One of them has to work in the Vocational Education Task interview, where you present your work to an examiner; the other is for a second audience or a different purpose. Deciding this properly now stops you rebuilding everything halfway through the module.
What you are aiming for today
- Two formats locked, and they are genuinely different from each other, both on the same topic or closely related ones
- The first one is something you could actually open and present in the interview room
- A written reason for each one: what it is for, and who it is for
Warm-up
With a partner (or on a sticky note), name one format that would suit an interview and one format that would suit someone scrolling on a phone. If you already made notes about presenting or about choosing a format in an earlier lesson, pull them out and use them. If not, borrow from these: for the interview, a slide deck, a short video you can play without internet, or a Canva pitch; for the phone, an infographic, a carousel, or a short social clip. Be ready to say your pair when your teacher asks.
2 - Key Concepts ~6 mins
Start with the pass/fail check, then Aoife's locked plan. Keep the decision strip in mind when you write your own plan later.
Board contrast (non-negotiable): two slide decks with different titles = fail. A slide deck plus a carousel, short video, infographic, or podcast clip = pass. The formats must differ in medium or structure, not only in colour or title.
Worked example: Aoife
Fictional student Aoife is building a small enterprise pitch for custom phone cases sold locally. Her locked plan:
- Format 1 (VET): six-slide deck — purpose: persuade the examiner she can plan and cost a real product; audience: SEC examiner and teacher; why: structured, timed, easy to present live offline.
- Format 2: Instagram carousel (Canva) — purpose: attract first customers; audience: secondary-school students in her town; why: vertical, scannable, matches where that audience already looks.
- Shared topic: the same phone-case enterprise from two angles (viability vs customer hook).
Purpose–audience–format fit: match what the piece is for and who will see it to the medium that carries it best. A great infographic fails in a live interview if the examiner needs you to talk through decisions; a dense slide deck fails on a phone screen.
Quick decision strip:
- Inform or persuade an examiner in a timed interview → slide deck or offline Canva pitch
- Catch 30 seconds of phone attention → carousel, short vertical video, or one-page infographic
- Reach a club committee, workplace, or noticeboard → one-page Canva flyer or data-led infographic
| Concept | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Different, not decorative — the two formats must differ in medium or structure, not only in colour or title | Two near-identical slide decks will not meet KA1; the second format should do a job the first cannot | Slide deck plus podcast clip, or Canva pitch plus data-led infographic, both on the same Something Real topic |
3 - Step-by-step Task ~12 mins
Build the structure of Aoife's Two Format Plan, not every full sentence. Your teacher keeps the finished sample on the classroom screen (and may share a read-only sample file). Match headings and one model bullet per section; use the screen for the rest of the wording.
You will use this same shape for your own Something Real project in Independent Practice.
That was careful structure work. Good. You will end with a live model open. Independent Practice is the same shape with your project, not Aoife's; use the sample only for structure.
4 - Common Issues ~5 mins
Common Issues
Skim the two traps that block KA1. Your teacher will circulate on the rest if you get stuck.
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| My two formats are both slide decks with different titles | KA1 needs different formats. Keep one deck for the VET if that is your strength, and pick a second medium such as a Canva infographic, short CapCut video, podcast clip, or carousel. |
| I want a TikTok or live Instagram post as Format 1 for the VET | Risky for interview day. Use a short video only if you can export an {{code:.mp4}} and play it offline. Otherwise keep social formats for Format 2 and use a deck or Canva pitch for Format 1. |
Before you start writing:
- First, get your Something Real topic confirmed with your teacher. Do not open the file until you know what your topic is — no placeholders.
- Then, as a class, call out a purpose and an audience for a Format 2 using the stem "This format fits because…".
- Your teacher will leave a few example Format 1 / Format 2 pairs up where you can see them. If you stall while writing, take one of those as a starting point and change it to suit your own topic.
5 - Independent Practice ~22 mins
Independent Practice
- Topic locked with teacher — do not create the file until your Something Real topic is confirmed (no placeholders).
- Open {{code:Project_Portfolio/09_specialism/sm2}} and create {{code:sm2_two_format_plan}} (or open the support template if your teacher gave you one).
- Add these headings with Heading 1 / Heading 2: Title (Two Format Plan); Student / project / shared topic; Format 1 (VET interview); Format 2 (second audience); How the two connect; Decision check.
- Format 1: short labelled lines are fine for format type, purpose, and audience. Write full sentences for why it fits the VET interview and what they should walk away knowing. Format 1 must open offline and run in about two minutes.
- Format 2: same field pattern: short labels for type / purpose / audience; full sentences for why it fits and walk-away. Must be a genuinely different medium or structure on the same or closely related topic.
- Write How the two connect and the Decision check in full sentences (not yes/no). Do not copy Aoife's short sample labels into why / walk-away / Decision check.
If you stall: use the board starter pairs and the stem "This format fits because…".
If you are stuck between two Format 1 ideas, pick the one you can open offline and rehearse in two minutes.
A clear medium today beats a perfect paragraph. You can polish wording later; what matters now is a pair you can actually build.
- {{code:sm2_two_format_plan}} is saved inside {{code:Project_Portfolio/09_specialism/sm2}} with Heading 1 and Heading 2 sections matching the required structure
- Format 1 names a VET-usable medium, purpose, real interview audience, plus full-sentence why (offline / live) and walk-away message
- Format 2 is a genuinely different medium or structure with its own audience and purpose on the same or closely related topic, including full-sentence why and walk-away
- How the two connect and the Decision check answer all three checks in full sentences, not just yes or no
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