Make genre theory engaging with this creative and interactive “Genre Cake” worksheet - a fun, visual way for students to explore the codes and conventions of media genres.
 
Perfect for GCSE Media Studies, this A4 worksheet invites students to treat genre like a recipe: identifying the key ingredients (conventions) and how much of each they need to include in a media product to suit a particular genre.
 
Students will:
Select a genre (e.g. horror, sci-fi, rom-com)
List conventions like setting, character types, music, iconography, themes, narrative structures and tone
Decide on quantities for each element (e.g. “2 parts suspense, 1 part jump scare”)
Colour and decorate their genre cake to visually reflect their choices
 
Extension Task:
Students can also create a Hybrid Genre Cake, combining two genres (e.g. horror-comedy or sci-fi-action) and adjusting their “ingredients” accordingly - great for critical thinking and genre comparison!
 
Ideal for:
Revision of media language and genre theory
Induction lessons or creative homework
Extension/enrichment activities
All exam boards (Eduqas, AQA, OCR)
 
Flexible:
Black-and-white format for easy printing and colouring
Encourages creative and visual learning
Suitable for GCSE but flexible enough for KS3 or A Level entry tasks
Flexible - can be used digitally (via note-taking app) or as a printable worksheet (PNG)
 
What’s Included:
1 x Genre Cake worksheet with extension task