Educational websites

Educational Websites > Social Subjects > Media Studies

BBC - Blast
Blast aims to inspire 13-19-year-olds to bring creative ideas to life by offering new and stimulating experiences and building their confidence and know-how through professional support. Blast focuses on music, dance, art, film, writing and digital creativity, and includes practical tips plus profiles of successful artists and performers.

BBC Learning
Wide range of subject areas and resources for schools, colleges and adults, with online learning courses in many areas and plenty of useful web links.

BBC NI - Eye Witness
Eyewitness from BBC Northern Ireland examines real-life conflict with an emphasis on citizenship, especially diversity and inclusion. You can hear the voices of ordinary people from the communities in the news and try out the interactive activities and games. There is also a Learning Zone section with teaching resources and guidance on how to use the site. Suitable for use with 11-16-year-olds and adult learners.

Breaking the news
Channel 4 and ITN offer the opportunity to go behind the scenes of broadcast news and make your very own version of Channel 4 News. This dynamic online course brings news-making and media literacy to life. Includes lesson plans, a free online video editing tool and real Channel 4 news footage. This is a highly flexible resource that can be used within the context of Media Studies, English, Citizenship and other lessons.

Film Education
Free online study guides for many well-known films, information about the latest film releases and a section on National Schools Film Week with free showings throughout Scotland.

Genetic Futures News
This new resource helps students, teachers and the public to understand ethical issues raised by current biomedical research. There are 6 fictionalised news stories (seen through the eyes of young people and their parents) with video, audio and background information, dealing with the topics of GM food, xenotransplantation (animal to human transplant), stem cell therapy and genetic selection.

Ingenious
If you are looking for images to illustrate a lesson, a presentation or a project, this must-see website has over 30,000 images to browse. Created by the National Museum of Science and Industry, it covers topics such as science, nature, society, trade and the media. You can save the images and create your own web galleries (but do check the terms of use). It also has debates on many topics and illustrated features – try 'The Beauty and Utility of Maths' for a start!

Musselburgh Grammar School Weblogs
Read the weblogs created by the pupils - highly recommended are the blogs on the visit to Auschwitz and the visit to France to see the Normandy landings beaches. The weblogs are accessible to everyone, allowing any pupil, teacher or website visitor to add comments. This award-winning website is an excellent example for everyone of what can be achieved by a team approach within a school.

My Study Guide
This website provides key resources, revision aids, textbooks, study guides and many web links to support learning, revision, coursework and exam performance. Suitable for Standard Grade, Intermediate 1 and 2, and Higher levels.

Scotland on Film
This website has twentieth century film and radio footage from the BBC and Scottish Screen archives. There are hundreds of video clips and reminiscences on a wide range of themes of Scottish life, such as shipbuilding on the Clyde (1936), domestic science teaching ('Housewives of Tomorrow' 1951) and crowd control at football matches (1961). Please note that the clips require Real Player and may take several seconds to download.

Society, Religion and Technology Project (SRT)
Set up by the Church of Scotland, the SRT project examines some topical issues such as GM crops, cloning, stem cell research and sustainable development. It aims to provide informed comment for technologists, educators, the media, the Church and the public on how technology is affecting our lives and the issues it raises. Factsheets and position papers can be downloaded free.

Teachit's English Teaching Resources
Try the interactive self-marking activities for learners, including quizzes, spelling tests and worksheets for English and media studies.

It must be emphasised that inclusion of these web links does not in any way represent endorsement by Learning and Teaching Scotland, nor are we responsible for the content of external websites.