WHAT IS THE SUPER CURRICULUM? Super curricular activities are those that take your regular curriculum further. They take the subject you study in the classroom beyond that which your teacher has taught you or what you’ve done for homework. On this app, there are a range of activities, suggested by teachers for you to stretch yourself and explore your subjects. IMPORTANCE OF SUPER CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES • To do well at A Level, it is important to have a) enthusiasm and curiosity for your subject and b) the capacity for independent study. • Super-curricular activities can help you: • Choose a subject to study. • Provide evidence on a personal statement or for an interview. • Develop important skills. THE SUPER CURRICULAR HOUR By just adding in an hour a week of super curricular activities, you could be enhancing your grades and opening more opportunities for your future simply by broadening your understanding of a particular subject area. The following gives you an example of how you might wish to break down that hour of Super Curricular. Mr M Young Head of Social Sciences ENGAGING, RELFECTING AND SHARING IN THE SUPER CURRICULUM By engaging, reflecting and sharing in the super curriculum, your will gain so much, not just more knowledge, but also a different way of viewing the world and sharing it! Go ahead and read/watch/listen etc the entire source. But don’t just read for the sake of it. Be intentional about it. Do your best to understand where the author is coming from and what points he/she is trying to get across. There should be at least one bit of new information in the content you are going to examine in this app. This might be new research, a fresh perspective, or an original approach. It may be something you don’t fully understand, especially if the topic is foreign to you. To analyse this source properly, you need to dig deeper. Research the authority of the author, the claims they’re making, and any words or content you don’t understand. The idea is to be able to fully comprehend the content contained in the source. If you don’t you won’t be able to analyse it. After engaging with the source you should be able to summarise the main points of the piece in your own words. If you can’t, go back and re-examine the source. You now need to critically think about what you have just examined, you might ask yourself the following questions; What do you think of the source you just engaged with and summarised? Was it well-written? Was the information presented in a clear and compelling way? More importantly, do you agree with the conclusions the author drew? Why or why not? After you’ve acquired new information, filtered it through your individual lens–the way you see the world and the people in it–and formed your own opinion on the topic, you can then implement your new knowledge. Write about it, bring it into lessons, essays where appropriate, talk to your mates and teachers about it and find more contrasting and comparable sources to see if your opinions, and critical reflections might change. “The menu of the Rushcliffe School Super Curriculum is excellent. Students should make the most of it. It lists in one place many resources that would prepare a student to any university’s degree” Gianni De Fraja, Professor of Economics, University of Nottingham "I think this is a great development and provides valuable opportunities for students to immerse themselves in the discussion and application of their subjects”. Dr Michael McCann Nottingham Trent University WATCH LISTEN • Infinite Monkey Cage Podcast • Wonders of Life with Brian Cox, first episode here • In Defense of Plants Podcast • Horizon documentaries with Michael Mosley • This Week in Microbiology Podcast • Amoeba Sister YouTube channel • This Week in Evolution Podcast • Biology Ted Talks • Origin Stories Podcast • Inside Natures Giants • Breaking Bio Podcast • Journey to the Microcosmos – YouTube channel • Big Biology Podcast featuring beautiful microscopy of wacky • Speaking Up for The Blue Ocean Podcast microorganisms • Marine Biologist Live Stream - this marine biologist RESEARCH streams her lab work during the day • Research Epidemiology and how Coronavirus • Our Secret Universe: The hidden life of the cell impacts on different groups in society • Incredible medicine: Dr Weston's Case Book • Research CRISPR, a genetic engineering technique research • Use New Scientist or Biological Science Review READ to research an area of Biology not covered by • The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins the specification. • Biological Science Review Magazine • The Double Helix by James Watson CREATE • A Life Decoded by Craig Venter • Fold it – protein folding game that allows you to • Bad Pharma by Ben Goldacre solve protein folding problems • Virolution by Frank Ryan • Genome by Matt Ridley • The Body - A guide for occupants by Bill Bryson COMPETITIONS • The Biologist Magazine- Royal Society of Biology • British Biology Olympiad • Wildlife magazine • Royal Society of Biology Prize • Science and Nature magazine • Peterhouse College “Kelvin” Science Essay – • New Scientist Cambridge University • Royal Scoiety of Biology Blog • Newnham College Essay Prize – Cambridge Uni - • The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Yr 12 Females Only. Skloot. About HeLa cells and the ethics behind it. • 'The Ancestors Tale' by Richard Dawkins. • The Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons, by Sam Kean WEBSITES • National Library of Medicine • Histology world • Virtual Galapagos Trip APPS • Anatomy Learning 3D Anatomy Atlas – free app • Practical Biology – Nuffield Foundation and RSB • Protein databank VISITS • Bird Watching at Attenborough or Skylarks • Visit a Botanical garden • Visit Twycross Zoo • Natural History museum • Visit a sea life centre WATCH READ • Amazon's Empire • Exploring Corporate Strategy, Johnson, Scholes • Bank that almost broke Britain and Whittington • The Bank that Bust The World • Principles and Practices of Marketing, David • The Stock Market Explained Jobber • The Corporation • Brick by Brick: How LEGO Rewrote the Rules of • How Africa Could One Day Rival China Innovation and Conquered the Global Toy • Topical Short Videos from The Economist Industry Publication • The Business Book (Big Ideas) Edited from • Topical Short Videos from The Financial Times various contributors, 2014 • Warren Buffett Documentary • Like A Virgin: Secrets They Won't Teach You at • How Starbucks Became an $80bn Business Business School Branson, Sir Richard, 2013 • The Rise of Nike • Leading. Ferguson, Alex and Moritz, Michael, • Inside McDonalds 2016 • Business Boomers: Rise of The Coffee Shops • The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People • Elon Musk Documentary Paperback Stephen R. Covey, 2004 • Enron: The Smartest Guys in the room (2005) • The Essence of Success: 12 Mini Biographies • What it takes to be a great leader, TED talk Includes Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Nelson • Steve Jobs, Stanford Speech Mandela, Steven Spielberg, Stephen Hawking, Chris Evans, Frank Sinatra, Tony Blair, Imran LISTEN Khan, Malcolm X, James Dyson, Margaret • In Business (Radio 4) and Global Business (BBC Thatcher, 2014 World Service) • What You See Is What You Get: My • The Bottom Line Podcasts with Evan Davis Autobiography Alan Sugar, 2011 • Business Daily • Strong Woman: The Truth About Getting To The • The Disrupters - Interviews with ground breaking Top Karren Brady, 2013 entrepreneurs • Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography Walter • World Of Business Isaacson, 2015 • Alibaba: The House that Jack Ma Built. Duncan RESEARCH Clark • If I Could Tell You Just One Thing...: Most • Research how shares, share prices and market Valuable Advice from Remarkable People. capitalization work Richard Reed • Research 11 of the most influential • The Upstarts: How Uber and Airbnb are changing entreprenuers of all time and what made them the world. Brad Stone so successful. • The World's Real Time Billionaires - see daily how much money the worlds biggest billionaires have made or lost today! • Research careers in business, including average salaries! CREATE APPS • Create a profile of one of the 11 of the most • The Economist influential entreprenuers of all time and what • Yahoo Finance made them so successful. • Bank of England • Create a virtual portfolio of shares from the • Bloomberg Trading App London Stock Exchnage and trade a fictional • Financial Times £10,000! VISITS COMPETITIONS • Bank of England, London • Set up a share trading league and compete vs • Museum of the Docklands, London your friends using a fictional £10,000 • Canary Wharf, London • Vodafone's Think Big Competition • Cadbury's World, Birmingham • LSE Essay Competition • Land Rover Manufacturing Tour, West Midlands • RES Essay Competition • Museum of Brands, London • Tour the Audi factory in Germany live - book your slot here WEBSITES • Sloman Economics News • Tutor2U Business • The Guardian - Business • Financial Times - ask teacher for free subsciption available through FT • BBC Business • Taking The Biz A Level Business Help WATCH LISTEN • Rough Science – The Open University • The Naked Scientist Podcasts • NurdRage - Practical Chemistry • Science in Action BBC Podcasts • The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures • BBC In Our Time Podcasts • The Imitation Game Movie– Alan Turing • A Beautiful Mind Movie– John Nash • Hidden Figures – African American Females vs RESEARCH NASA • Oxford Sparks – Find a topic of interest and do • Hawking – Stephen Hawking further research into it! • Periodic Videos - Nottingham University • Independent Learning Project for Chemistry