AGSB Sixth Form
Pre A-Level Preparation
for Year 11
Contents page
Pg. 3 Introduction
Pg. 4 Art
Pg. 5 Biology
Pg. 6 - 7 Business Studies
Pg. 8 – 9 Chemistry
Pg. 10 Computer Science
Pg. 11 - 12 Economics
Pg. 13 - 14 English Language
Pg. 15 - 16 English Literature
Pg. 17 - 21 Geography
Pg. 22 Geology
Pg. 23 German
Pg. 24 - 45 History
Pg. 46 Maths & Further Maths
Pg. 47 - 59 Philosophy
Pg. 60 Physical Education
Pg. 61 - 62 Physics
Pg. 63 - 85 Politics
Pg. 86 -87 Product Design
Pg. 88 - 89 Spanish
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Introduction
This A-Level preparation pack is designed to make sure that Year 11 are not at a disadvantage when starting their A-Levels. We are lucky at AGSB that the vast majority of our students carry on to the Sixth Form. This means we can provide a tailored programme of work that is suited to your level of ability and the A-Levels that you will be studying.
A greater emphasis on independent Study is the main difference between your GCSE and A-level studies. At GCSE level concentrating in class, doing the homework and completing some final revision would almost certainly be enough to get good grades. At A-Level you MUST do more than this if you wish to be successful.
You should aim to complete 2 – 3 hours of related A-level preparation per working day. There should be plenty of work in your A-level packs to keep you going and more that is referenced in the Sixth Form Independent Study guide should you finish early. As your examinations were due to finish in mid-June you are not expected to work beyond this point and once you have completed the work should enjoy your extended holiday before you make a fresh start in September.
How much pre A-Level preparation work should you be completing?
These are A-level subjects that you have chosen to study for the next two years so you should be keen to start work and investigate some of the associated skills and topics. You will also be expected to show evidence of your A-Level preparation work when you start lessons in September. If the work to be completed is not made explicit in the subject sections of the A- Level preparation pack then make sure you have made notes and have these organised into separate folders for each subject.
All of the information in this folder is saved in the Sixth Form student part of Office365. They can be accessed with this link Office365 A Level Preparation. Whilst you are there why not familiarise yourself with other sources of information we have available to Sixth Formers in the documents section of Sixth Form Office 365. If you need any help or guidance please feel to contact the Sixth Form team or the relevant Head of Department.
Best wishes
T Murray ([email protected])
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Art
Dear Artists,
We are very excited to start the A-Level Course with you in September. As I am sure you are aware the structure of A-Level Art is similar to that of GCSE with four assessment objectives still being the main focus for the structure of any project. In order to best prepare you for the inevitable 'step up' we feel it would be worth while focusing your time in two areas.
Firstly - Drawing, it is vital that you continue to draw on regular basis. Drawing is like fitness if you stop for a while it will take you time to get back to optimum. It is best as often as possible to draw from observation. We would recommend that you set yourself a mini project or target. For example, a 3 minute drawing a day, a visual diary of time in lockdown.
Secondly - At A-Level greater depth is required in researching the work of artists and art movements. A greater understanding allows you in tern to go deeper within your own personal investigations. We would like you to investigate an Art Movement from the 20th Century. In the Autumn term you will be asked to deliver a 10-minute presentation on your chosen art movement, finishing your presentation with a response you have created to this chosen movement.
The presentation must contain:
A general outline of this art movement supported by key imagery. Context to what was happening around the world at the time of this movement. A brief summary of the art movements that precede and proceed your chosen topic. A detailed look into the work of a key figure in this art movement. Personal thought and comment about at least 3 specific pieces of artwork Present your response to the movement and explain the choices and thought process that resulted in the piece you made. A bibliography of at least 5 websites/books/online videos. (Look to the main art galleries as a reliable source of information.
Please keep an eye on your school email account. If we come across articles of interest, we will pass them on. Please email Miss Cooke or Miss Lee if you need any further clarification or advice.
The A-Level Preparation Task for Art can be accessed via the link below https://agsfb.sharepoint.com/:b:/s/stusixthform/EeVprpuF7OdEjCtltmj0i9 0BxpEBqP8zt_G2q7fkkuBPJw?e=GEKdbX
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Biology
The Biology department will be setting a series of scheduled lessons to all A-Level Biologists over the next 6 weeks. These will mainly be focused on the mathematical content of the specification so that students can start their studies with a clear understanding of the requirement.
All Year 11 students who have signed up to do Biology A-Level must complete all of the lessons. Students should check Show My Homework and their school email account regularly for updates.
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Business Studies
Introduction
Congratulations on choosing Business Studies as one of your A-level subjects. We hope you find it both challenging and interesting. It is a subject which can lead on to an array of courses at university, we have seen students go on to study International Business, Accountancy and Finance, Business Leadership, Human Resources, Marketing among many others. Please remember that you do not have to have studies GCSE Business to do this A-level, but if you haven’t you may want to undertake extensive reading of the GCSE Business Course companion on the STU GCSE Business Pages on Office 365 to help build up a general idea of what Business Studies is about.
The course is separated in to ten main parts:
1. What is business? 2. Managers, leadership and decision making 3. Decision making to improve marketing performance 4. Decision making to improve operational performance 5. Decision making to improve financial performance 6. Decision making to improve human resource performance 7. Analysing the strategic position of a business 8. Choosing strategic direction 9. Strategic methods: how to pursue strategies 10. Managing strategic change
You will have two teachers and there are three examinations at the end - each of which will combine topics taught by both teachers. The examination board followed is AQA. One teacher will start with ‘What is Business, and Managers, leadership and decision making’ and the other will start with ‘Decision making to improve Marketing performance’ so these should be areas you concentrate on
Resources:
There are a number of resources which I recommend you become familiar with before September: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/business - here you will find the specification for the whole A-level, along with question papers and mark schemes. It is a good idea to have a look at these to see what you are aiming towards. https://www.tutor2u.net/business - here you will find revision notes, a Business blog, relevant and up to date business news as well as revision videos and guides. You will also find the ‘Biz Quiz’ here – again have a go at some of the previous quizzes to test your knowledge. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business - with all that is going on at the moment it is a very interesting time to see the crisis management approaches a number of businesses are putting in place to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic. It is also important that you build up a knowledge of key businesses and their leaders. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006s609 - here you will find a number of short programmes covering relevant business topics such as adopting to working at home, managing supply chains during Covid-19 and making the fashion industry sustainable.
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https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=taking+the+biz – Search ‘Taking the Biz’ on YouTube and you will see a number of videos explaining a variety of Business topics. Watch a few – see what you think.
STU A-Level Business page – this is a resource which teachers use all year. Here you will be able to download the course companion – I recommend that you do this
Compulsory Tasks:
1. For those who haven’t studied Business Studies before – join the STU GCSE Business Studies page and download the GCSE Course companion. Have a read through a number of chapters to get a better understanding of what Business Studies is all about. 2. Join the STU A-Level Business student page on Office 365. 3. Download the specification from AQA’s website, read over the first sections of the course you will be undertaking. 4. Download at least one copy of a paper 1, 2 and 3. Familiarise yourself with the structure of each paper and the style of questions asked. The case studies are often an interesting read and can help to expand your understanding of challenges businesses face. 5. Research the following entrepreneurs: Anita Roddick, Martha Lane Fox, Bill Gates, Elon Musk & Duncan Goose Produce a minimum of half a page on each entrepreneur detailing the following: what business have they founded, how did they start their business? What is their educational background? What do they credit for their entrepreneurial abilities? What does their company sell? How much are they worth? How have they amassed this wealth? 6. Research the following leaders: Adam Crozier, Jeff Bezos, Mike Asley, Debora Meadon & Karen Brady Produce a minimum of half a page on each detailing the following: who do they work for? Where have they work previously? What are they known for? How much do they earn? What do their colleagues say about them – are they seen as a good leader? 7. Pick three high street businesses of your choice and create a report – two pages per company – on the impact Covid-19 is having on them. How has it changed: The way they sell their products, What they are selling Their delivery options Their staffing Their supply chains Their share price Company value Level of sales Their refund and warranties policies 8. Have a go at some of the Biz quizzes – see how well you do: https://www.tutor2u.net/business/collections/the-biz-quiz 9. Watch the news – paying particular attention to the impact Covid-19 is having on business and the high street. (This will help massively with the report you have to complete above)
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Chemistry
Introduction
Congratulations on choosing Chemistry A-level. You will find it challenging but if we do our job correctly you should also find it interesting. We take a lot of the basic concepts and ideas learned at GCSE and extend them to make them more useful. This may be treating a topic such as equilibrium in a more quantitative manner or refining our concept of electron arrangement.
The demands of practical work are increased. You will often be expected to work on your own and you will be required to handle multiple pieces of apparatus accurately. You will also be expected to take a much more pro-active approach to safety, occasionally preparing your own risk assessments.
Resources
The Chemistry department make use of teacher explanation and written notes within lessons that students are encouraged to develop further on a regular basis. This could be done using textbooks that you can purchase, but we find that there are numerous free websites that do the job better and respond quicker to changes in syllabus.
A selection of these are: www.chemguide.co.uk – a great source of relevant content written in a relatively easy to access style. www.physicsandmathstutor.com – with more revision notes and questions then anybody could realistically do. https://chemrevise.org/ – a source of printable revision notes, questions and a basic online textbook. https://edu.rsc.org/student - a selection of resources from the Royal Society of Chemistry that is free but requires you to register. www.scisheets.co.uk – this one does require a small annual cost but the signin details can be shared within a small group, so you can share the pain.
YouTube is good although some resources are of dubious quality and unfortunately ‘Freesciencelessons’ guy does not have any A level clips on his channel.
We also sell CGP revision guides covering the A level content at school prices.
There is a dedicated A level folder within STU Chemistry on O365 with worksheets, revision sheets and a few presentations.
I want to start now….
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I don’t blame you. It’s always good to get a little ahead of the game. The best thing you can be doing is to ensure that you have an in-depth knowledge of your GCSE course. There are also a few ideas below for further study:
Download the syllabus – It will not make a great deal of sense to you now, but it will contain some familiar GCSE ideas and how they are extended.
Balancing Equations – these might be half equations, ionic equations or reaction equations.
Atomic structure – GCSE electron arrangement ideas are very basic. Try looking up the Aufbau principle and see where that takes you.
Quantitative Chemistry – Go back and attempt some worksheets from GCSE unit 3 on mole calculations.
For those that want a bit of stretch and challenge, you can access an introductory level Open University course that covers a lot of Year 1 Chemistry content and more besides. Obviously, this is not syllabus specific and there will be sections that are less relevant and even some that go beyond A level. https://www.open.edu/openlearn/science-maths-technology/chemistry/discovering- chemistry/content-section-overview?active-tab=description-tab
In order to commence the course, you will have to create an account with the Open University- follow their online instructions. The course will provide you with a ‘statement of completion’ which you can print off and share with your ‘new’ teacher at the start of the course in September.
It’s quite an undertaking at 24 hours work but if you break it up into a couple of hours a week then you will have it done by the end of June/early July.
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Computer Science
There are lots of resources for you on Office 365 Sharepoint A Level, suggest you follow it. There is a folder that contains pre-A level work. Look over the specification, ZigZag documents and Programming Elements. Zig Zag password is zz2ghc4.
GCSE Units to revise The A Level continues from the GCSE so making sure you have a good knowledge of the GCSE spec is important: 1.1 System Architecture, 1.2 Memory, 1.3 Storage, 1.4&1.5 Networks 1.7 Operating Systems, 1.8 Laws 2.1 Algorithms, 2.2 Programming, 2.3 Robust Programs, 2.4 Logic, 2.5 Translators, 2.6 Data
Review and add to notes supplied in class, you will continue to use OneNote at A Level so would be worth going through it and updating making smaller notes.
Programming Program as much as you can, this will really help you! Start to move on to Graphical programming. At A level your project will need to be graphical. Look into how to program using, Pygame, TKinter or Unity. See Mr Carr’s guide to Pygame to create PacMan on O365 Sharepoint.
Videos Good old Craig and Dave have videos for the A Level spec so you can always have a watch.
Keep up to date Keep an eye on Computer Science related topics. Read BBC news and watch Click each week.
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Economics
Introduction
Congratulations on choosing this very relevant and current subject as one of your A-level choices. We hope this you find it challenging and interesting, as well as useful in your everyday life. Students who have studied Economics have gone on to complete degrees in a number of different fields such as PPE and Pure Economics at LSE, and Economics and Politics at Manchester University.
If you have not studies Economics before, don’t worry we teach the A-level as if you have no prior knowledge of Economics, however to put yourself at ease and to get a better understanding of what Economics is all about you may wish to download and read some parts of the GCSE Economics Course companion from the STU Economics GCSE page.
For your A-level you will have two teachers, one will specialise on Macro and the other on Micro topics. You will sit three examination papers at the end of year 13, one concentrating on Macro, one on micro with the final paper incorporating elements of both. The examination board we follow is AQA.
Your Macro teacher will begin the course by studying section 4.2.1 The measurement of macroeconomic performance from the AQA specification and your Micro teacher will begin with sections 4.1.1 Economic methodology and the economic problem. These may then be key areas you want to spend the next few months reading up on and preparing some notes for.
Resources: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/economics/as-and-a-level/economics-7135-7136 - here you can download the course specification as well as access past papers and mark schemes https://www.tutor2u.net/economics - here you will find revision notes and videos for the whole course as well as up to date economic data and information. https://www.tutor2u.net/economics/reference/head-start-economics-introduction-to- macroeconomics - This is a fantastic new resource the Tutor2U are developing – I strongly recommend that you watch all the ‘Head start’ videos, make notes on them and undertake the interactive activity underneath. https://www.economicshelp.org/ - here you will find notes to help with your understanding https://www.economicsonline.co.uk/ - here you will find more notes to help with your understanding
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https://www.physicsandmathstutor.com/economics-revision/a-level-aqa/ - more detailed revision notes https://www.physicsandmathstutor.com/past-papers/a-level-economics/ - here you will find a large number of past papers and mark schemes – just remember that the exam board we follow is AQA.
Compulsory tasks:
1. If you have not studied Economics before, download the GCSE Course companion from the STU Economics GCSE page 2. Join the STU A-level Economics page and download the A-level Course companion. It is in four parts: Year 1 (AS) Micro, Year 1 (AS) Macro, Year 2 Micro and Year 2 Macro – download all of them. Although I suggest you stick to reading just the year 1 (AS) ones at the moment. 3. Download the specification from AQA’s website, read over the first sections of the course you will be undertaking. (outlined above) 4. Download at least one copy of a paper 1, 2 and 3. Familiarise yourself with the structure of each paper and the style of questions asked. The case studies are often an interesting read and can help to expand your understanding of the topics and industries Economics covers. 5. https://www.tutor2u.net/economics/reference/head-start-economics-introduction-to- macroeconomics watch all of the ‘Head start’ videos, make notes on each and undertake the interactive quiz/activities. Teachers will expect to see these notes. 6. It has been recently reported in the news that the current lock down situation in the UK will cause the worse economic recession that the country has faced in the last 300 years. Write a report (no longer than 1-page of A4 on each) on two recessions that this country has faced in the last 100 years. Include information such as what caused the recession, how bad it was in terms of unemployment, inflation, poverty, economic growth – what data/statistics can you find? How did the economy recover – what policies did the government introduce? 7. Watch the news and collect snippets on the state of the Economy – what is happening to unemployment? What does being ‘furloughed’ mean? How are businesses changing their supply chains? How have logistics been changed? What practises are the Government encouraging the public to follow and how are businesses supporting theses practises? What has happened to the London Stock market? Which businesses have been most or lease effected by Covid-19? How can the economy recover from the economic shock of Covid-19? Evidence of collation of information is expected to be seen at the start of the course.
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English Language
A-LEVEL ENGLISH LANGUAGE – PREPARATION
Language shapes and defines our lives. The A-level course encourages you to study language from all perspectives across a wide range of situations. There are five areas of the course to prepare for:
1. Individual Variation
This is about how individual people or organisations use language to represent themselves – how they create an identity and an image, and how that identity is viewed by others. TASK: Read the sample “idiolect”: Then write your own using the sample to guide you. TASK: Read about how language was key in the cases of Unabomber and the miscarriage of justice regarding Derek Bentley – and see how a real transcript is annotated and analysed TASK: Analyse the representation of Billie Eilish in Lad Bible, and Dave the Rapper in crackmagazine,net
2. Variation Over Time
We study how the English language has changed over time, from 1550 (Shakespeare’s time) to the present day. We compare older texts with modern day texts across a range of topics such as food and drink, sport, gender, entertainments, disease and medicine, schools, crime and punishment and many more. TASKS: A range of tasks including a look at the history of coffee adverts - designed to give a taster of the breadth and depth of English language history and change
3. Child Language
This is one of the most fascinating parts of the course where we study how babies acquire spoken language, and how children learn to read and write. TASK: Read the transcripts and watch the videos of two year old Evie in the process of acquiring language – and make your first observations about how language develops TASK: Watch the video about feral children and consider the core debate between nature and nurture
4. Investigating Language
We examine an aspect of language and power. What makes some people or organisations so powerful – and what keeps some people feeling so powerless? The sub-topic changes every year for the exam but recent topics have been: behaviour management of teachers, charity adverts, powerful public speakers… TASKS: Watch the example extracts from ‘Educating Essex’ and a speech by Al Pacino in ‘Any Given Sunday’ and gather evidence about what makes someone a powerful - or a powerless - user of language. AGSB Pre A-Level Preparation Pack V1/2020 13
5. Crafting Language
This is the NEA (coursework) element of the course where you get the freedom to write creatively in a genre of your own choice: short stories (science fiction, horror, comedy, thriller…) or journalism (politics, sport, lifestyle, music, film…) TASK: Read and analyse the ‘style model’ sample. Then, write a 400-500 word film review in the style of Empire magazine.
All completed tasks should be brought to your first A-level English language lesson of the year.
All resources and tasks can be found at: https://agsfb.sharepoint.com/:f:/s/stuenglish/EiX4bv9sxxhJrwLk0DVYSlAB2xKBcCa6aF1v8i84 wdi31Q?e=IhOrkP
Specification: Edexcel-Pearson 9ENO – this is included in the link above for your information.
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English Literature
A study of Literature is a study of the human condition. The A-level course encourages you to think critically and develop nuanced ways of reading texts. There are three areas of the course to prepare for:
1. Literary Genres: Aspects of Tragedy
Just as meanings of texts are not fixed, neither are definitions of genre, which develop and become blurred. Tragedy has its origins in the ancient world, with a specific emphasis on drama. This genre study involves thinking about a wide range of relevant contexts; the production of the text at its time of construction, how a text has been received over time and more importantly, how a text can be interpreted and hold a mirror up to readers and audiences today.
TASK: Read about Tragic Theory and how definitions of tragedy have developed over time. TASK: Apply these theories to a modern image, writing a short analysis. TASK: Research Shakespeare’s Quartos and Folio. TASK: Read a Shakespearean extract then watch a range of interpretations, analysing their effects. TASK: Read ‘Tragedy and the Common Man’ and watch an extract from ‘Death of a Salesman.’ TASK: Write a short personal reflection on something that has been left unsaid.
2. Texts and Genres: Elements of Protest
Protest narratives are foregrounded in oppression and domination. The dichotomy of power and powerlessness is at the core of this modern genre study, with political and social protest issues central to each text. Here we explore how protest writing is used to comment on society and invites reflection on our own world.
TASK: Research 6 acts of social and political protest. TASK: Watch representations of oppression and protest in clips from ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’. TASK: Read the sample analysis of ‘The Jungle.’ TASK: Annotate ‘Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life’ and complete the unseen analysis template.
3. Theory and Independence
This is the NEA (coursework) element of the course where you study a range of undergraduate ways of reading texts by applying literary theories and models of critical analysis.
TASK: Read introductions to the canon and ways of reading. Create your own canon criteria. TASK: Complete a short ‘A Book I love’ piece of writing. TASK: Read and analyse the extract from ‘Jane Eyre’. Write a 750 word critical analysis, considering different ways of reading.
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All completed tasks should be brought to your first A-level English Literature lesson of the year.
All resources can be found here, including a list of set texts you may want to purchase in advance of the course starting: https://agsfb.sharepoint.com/:f:/s/stuenglish/EuJhQK1NVGJNk5T5Dlfv4z8B4E5kJ_OoWXf0OT hQifFD4Q?e=CPG9Da
Specification: AQA – Spec B – this is included in the link above for your information.
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Geography
Geography – pre A-Level pack
“Geography is a living, breathing subject, constantly adapting itself to change. It is dynamic and relevant. For me geography is a great adventure with a purpose.” Source: Michael Palin
An Introduction to A-Level - Congratulations for choosing the most relevant and up-to-date subject available today! Over the next two years you will increase your awareness of the world around you, and equip yourself with transferable skills for university and work beyond. You will be assured to know that Russell Group universities and employers value A-Level geography and, as such, Geography is recognised as a facilitating subject by the best universities. When you enter the workplace, employers will value your transferable skills that, as a geographer, you will have equipped yourself with. A Level geographers are required to work both independently and in group situations. You will develop your data handling skills through analysis, interpretation, evaluation and the use if ICT. You will also need to develop your written skills to meet the demands of written work. Clearly, there is a big step-up from GCSE to A Level. There are two main differences. The first is the increase in the quantity and quality of information that you are required to learn. The second is the level of interpretation, analysis and evaluation that you are expected to undertake. By the examinations, you will not only need exceptional knowledge of geographical issues (definitions, processes, events, case studies), you will also need to analyse and evaluate a variety of relevant material to demonstrate your understanding. To be successful, you will need to be committed and highly organised. You will be expected to take your own notes during lessons and must realise the more effort you put into lessons, the more you will get out of them. Geography lessons are not the time to be passive – you are expected to take an active role in discussion. After deciding to take the subject at A Level, you should already have a genuine interest and enthusiasm for the subject. To consolidate your understanding, it is imperative that you read widely to develop your knowledge and form your own opinions on geographical issues.
Summer term 2020 transition work
Your task – you are expected to purchase and read at least two of these core geography texts. For each, the department asks you to write a summary of key content from each chapter/section. I will take in your work in September as evidence that this work has been done and you have a record of key points. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I did!
1. Marshall, T Prisoners of Geography. ISBN: 9781783962433
'One of the best books about geopolitics you could imagine: reading it is like having a light shone on your understanding.' - Nicholas Lezard, The Evening Standard
2. Rosling, H. Factfulness: Ten reasons we're wrong about the world - and why things are better than you think. ISBN: 9781473637498.
BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week 'One of the most important books I've ever read - an indispensable guide to thinking clearly about the world.' - Bill Gates AGSB Pre A-Level Preparation Pack V1/2020 17
3. Empty Planet: The Shock of Global Population Decline. ISBN-10: 1472142950
**A SUNDAY TIMES MUST-READ** 'A gripping narrative of a world on the cusp of profound change' - Anjana Ahuja, New Statesman. Empty Planet offers a radical, provocative argument that the global population will soon begin to decline, dramatically reshaping the social, political and economic landscape
Other tasks – there may be other work set by the department later this half term. This work will follow on SMHW in due course.
Text books – AGSB Geography department will issue you with a Hodder textbook in September (unfortunately I can’t do this before).
In the meantime, you may like to consider getting hold of the Oxford Year 1 textbook. I know students find this text very useful to have at home as it’s very clearly structured and written. The AGSB geography department does not have enough copies of this textbook to issue you with a personal copy. The Hodder ISBN is: 9780198366454
Edexcel Geography Specification Follow this link to get an overview of the specification and past exam papers – you should spend an hour going over the content and getting to grips with the style of exam questions. https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-a-levels/geography-2016.html
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Suggestions for independent work As part of your Geography A-level, you are expected to carry out a few hours of independent reading and research. You should use a variety of information sources to help you do this:
Books and articles - A variety of books and articles are available in the Library. They should be one of your first sources of information. Don’t always rely on the Internet. To broaden your geographical understanding you should read at least one book from the reading list per term, throughout you’re a level course. See Section 8 for further details. Internet - Some websites like S-cool revision provide superb summaries of A-level content. Some website provide accurate up-to-date information about natural disasters. However, there is also a lot of weak information to sift through which can be unproductive. Many of websites are aimed below the level you require. In addition, some websites that seem accessible may provide unreliable information. You should never rely on the internet for your information – a good geographer can efficiently sift to find relevant and reliable information. Media - There is a huge amount of geographical information available through the media. This can be useful in collecting facts and figures about current events which aids the construction of case studies. However, you need to be aware of bias in reporting and film making. If something is not disastrous/controversial it usually doesn’t make the news. You need to consider the degree of truth in the story and whether it has been altered to make it plausible/politically acceptable. Fieldwork and primary data collection – A significant part of your A level course requires you to collect your own primary data. Therefore you will be given plenty of opportunity to develop your fieldwork skills. Fieldtrips are essential if you want to do well at AS (e.g. Blencathra, Lake District).
Geography Reading and Watching List Reading widely is imperative if you are to develop the depth and breadth of knowledge and understanding in the subject. A well read A-Level geographer will also be able to make synoptic links between different aspects of the subject. These books are available to purchase relatively cheaply on Amazon. Once read, you could organise swaps with other geographers to keep your reading costs affordable!
Human: Globalisation, Superpowers, Migration and Regeneration
Goodhard, D The Road to Somewhere
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Blood River: A Journey to Africa’s Broken Heart, Tim Butcher Chasing the Devil: The Search for Africa’s Fighting Spirit, Tim Butcher Chasing the Devil: On foot through Africa’s Killing Fields, Tim Butcher Held, D. (ed) 2004 A Globalizing world? Culture, Economics, Politics, Routledge / Open University Press, 2nd edition Murray, W.E. 2006 Geographies of Globalization, Routledge Gough, J., Eisenschitz, A. and McCulloch, A. 2006 Spaces of Social Exclusion, Routledge For Historical Geography Davis, M. 2000 Late Victorian Holocausts: El Nino Famines and the Making of the Modern World Economy, London: Verso Graham, B and Nash, C (eds) 2000 Modern Historical Geographies, Prentice Hall Pomeranz, K. 2000 The Great Divergence: China, Europe and the Making of the Modern World Economy, Princeton University Press For Society Environment and Development Adams, W.M. 2001 Green Development: environment and sustainability in the Third World, Routledge, 2nd edition Allen, T. and Thomas, A. (eds) 2000 Poverty and Development into the 21st Century, Oxford University Press Lawson, V. 2007 Making Development Geography, Hodder Arnold, London Gapminder documentaries – Hans Rosling
Physical Geography: Glaciation, Plate Tectonics, Water and Carbon Cycle Barry, R.G., Chorley, R.J. and Chase, T. 2003 Atmosphere, weather and climate, Routledge Masselink, G. and Hughes, M.G. 2003 An introduction to coastal processes and geomorphology, Hodder Arnold Gaston, K. and Spicer, J. 2004 Biodiversity, Blackwell, 2nd edition Francis, P. and Oppenheimer, C. 2004 Volcanoes, Oxford University Press Thomas, D and Goudie, A (eds) 2000 The Dictionary of Physical Geography, Blackwell, 3rd edition Johnston, R et al (eds) 2000 The Dictionary of Human Geography, Blackwell, 4th edition Gavin Pretor-Pinney [2006]: The Cloudspotter’s Guide Chasing Ice documentary (Netflix) The Day after Tomorrow, Whitley Strieber (2004) Touching the Void, Joe Simpson (1998) Ecology of Fear, Mike Davis (1998) Gaia, a new look at life on Earth, James Lovelock (1979) The Revenge of Gaia, James Lovelock (2006) An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore (2006) Natural Disasters, David Alexander (1993) Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883, Simon Winchester (2004) A Crack in the Edge of the World: The Great American Earthquake of 1906, Simon Winchester
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(2006) Expedition Volcano (2017) - BBC Documentary
In addition, here are other examples of what A Level geographers are expected to do:
Watch quality news such as Newsnight on iplayer - to keep abreast daily of the Coronavirus Pandemic – which is likely to change social norms and may permanently change how we live.
Read a broadsheet newspaper daily – online versions of the Financial Times, Guardian and Independent are excellent.
Subscribe to the Economist magazine – excellent for human geography.
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Geology
Introduction-
Welcome to the start of the best decision that you’ve ever made!! Your two-year Geology A Level course will be challenging, enriching, interesting and at times frustrating but will certainly be memorable. By taking Geology A Level you are pretty much unique and as such highly marketable- remember this.
Plan-
The scheme of work for the start of the Year 12 course is detailed below. Details on the content of each ‘Key Idea’ can be found here- http://www.eduqas.co.uk/ed/qualifications/geology-as- a-level/#tab_overview
TEACHER ONE TEACHER TWO Topic F1: Key Idea 1: Mineralogy Topic F4: Key Idea 1: Earth Structure & Topic F2: Key Idea 2: Igneous Petrology Evidence HALF TERM Topic F2: Key Idea 2: Igneous Petrology- Topic F4: Key Idea 1: Earth Structure & continued Evidence- continued Topic F4: Key Idea 2: Plate Tectonics XMAS
Task-
To enable you to start the course in September fully prepared, we have set two main activities for you to complete. Both involve the completion of a program of study compiled by the Open University on its OpenLearn platform. You will complete two of the Open Universities online free modules- ‘Minerals and the Crystalline State’ and ‘Plate Tectonics’. Both are available from- https://www.open.edu/openlearn/science-maths-technology/science/geology Naturally some of the material will be challenging, and not all will be directly relevant to our course, but completion of both modules will give you a good grounding for the start of year 12. The Open University suggests that it will take you 25 hours in total to complete this work- I therefore suggest each week you spend 2.5 hours per week on this work.
In order to commence the course, you will have to create an account with the Open University- follow their online instructions. Each course will provide you with a ‘statement of completion’ which you should show to Dr Stephen at the start of the course in September. Good luck and enjoy!!
Additional Reading- In addition to the two tasks outlined above, in the AGSB Sixth Form Independent Study Guide distributed by Mr Murray, I have listed many books that may be of interest to you as background reading.
Best wishes, Doc Rock, April 2020.
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German
The main thing you need to do is keep up your level of German- it is very quick to forget everything. However, we will revise for the first few weeks to get your standard back up so do not worry.
Vocabulary- Learn as much vocabulary as you can from your Stimmt book. At A Level you learn specific language for each topic but it will be good to know the basic GCSE list so you can speak/write fluently. I suggest a chunk of words per day, or a double page spread per week. The vocabulary you learn at this stage is important; all language is good to know.
Grammar- Make sure you have a decent level of understanding of all of the structures on the Sophistication Checklist. We will go over them all in September but knowing what they are and how to use them when speaking/ writing German will help.
Also, if you can, download the app “Learn German verbs” from Learnbots. It will help you to conjugate lots of German verbs in all of the 6 tenses. If you can, get the paid version of the app.
Skills
Listening- This is the hardest skill for students to pick up as they usually do not practise it enough. Use www.thisislanguage.com to watch the authentic videos and complete the tasks on the right hand side. Also, watch films/ programmes, that you have already seen, with a German voiceover. This way you will not have to concentrate on the plot and you will know what is happening. Make sure you really try to understand the language. Don’t rewind, just take it in at the pace it goes. You can do this via www.youtube.com
Reading- Use the reading section in your GCSE Independent Study Pack to keep up with reading German. The more vocabulary you learn will make it easier for you to understand German. You can also go onto www.kerboodle.com to complete the reading activities in the GCSE Higher book. If you have forgotten your username/password, drop me an email and I can sort that for you.
Speaking- this is going to be tough on your own, but not impossible. Spend some time on your and own and try to describe what you are doing, what you can see, what you did the day before etc. You may be a bit patchy to start with but you will get better.
Writing- Use your Katelanguages book to complete the essays. Once you have completed one, check properly for grammar errors, spelling mistakes etc. Always make sure you plan your written work before you do it.
Remember not to put too much pressure on yourself. Do what you can and do not worry!
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History
Welcome to A Level History. We are looking forward to working with you soon. This resource pack is intended to give you information about what is involved in A Level History and to give you some tasks to work through between now and when you start Year 12. The tasks are divided into compulsory tasks (those that you must do and will be checked when you return to school) and additional tasks (for those of you who want to use some of your time to go further and really get ahead). If you have further questions about the course or the tasks, please email [email protected] and I will get back to you. Enjoy! Mr Croxton, Ms Maguire and Ms Cathcart
Contents of this Resource Pack
Section A: Information about the A Level History course as a whole
Section B: Compulsory Tasks for the British History unit
Section C: Additional Tasks for the British History unit
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Section A: Information about the A Level History course as a whole
The A Level History course is wide-ranging, engaging and challenging. It is a genuinely academic course which combines a breadth study of Tsarist and Communist Russia with a depth unit on contemporary British History and a piece of coursework on the collapse of the Bourbon Monarchy in France. You are expected to go beyond the demands of GCSE History by engaging in much more wider reading to give you a much greater appreciation of how and why the past has been interpreted in different ways and ultimately to construct more extended essays. The most important ingredient that we look for from you is that you must actively embrace wider reading and be able to confidently express well-supported arguments both verbally and in writing. The ability to appraise the relative merits of different sources of information has perhaps never been more important than it is now and the develop of that skill lies at the very heart of the study of History. We seek to develop critical thinkers who adopt a questioning approach to the study of the past.
The exam board is AQA. Our A Level History course is divided into three units:
UNIT 1: Examined unit on Tsarist and Communist Russia, 1855-1964
Year 12 1855-1917: A study of political authority in Russia and the tensions that led to the Russian Revolution.
Year 13 1917-1964: A look at the emergence and maintenance of a Communist Dictatorship in the Soviet Union.
Assessed through a 2.5 hours exam at the end of Year 13 worth 40% of the A Level
UNIT 2: The Making of Modern Britain, 1951-2007
Year 12: 1951-1979: A study of political, economic and social developments as Britain came to terms with its changing role in the world.
Year 13: 1979-2007: A study of the impact of Thatcher and New Labour on Britain as the Cold War ended and new threats emerged.
Assessed through a 2.5 hours exam at the end of Year 13 worth 40% of the A Level
UNIT 3: Coursework (or ‘Non-Examined Assessment – NEA) on The Fall of the French Monarchy, 1685-1789
A study of the decline of the authority of the Bourbon Monarchy in France from the high-point of the reign of Louis XIV to the revolution under Louis XVI
Assessed through an extended essay of 3,500-4,500 words and worth 20% of the A Level
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What are the Assessment Objectives?
A01: Demonstrate, organise and communicate knowledge and understanding to analyse and evaluate the key features related to the periods studied (Assessed through all 3 units)
A02: Analyse and evaluate appropriate primary and/or contemporary source material within its historical context. (Assessed through Units 2 & 3)
A03: Analyse and evaluate, in relation to the historical context, different historical interpretations of the past. (Assessed through Units 1 & 3)
Section B: Compulsory Tasks for the British History unit
Note: These are the tasks that you must do and will be checked when you return to school.
COMPULSORY TASK 1: Read the information that follows which summarises the content of the British History unit so that you can begin to familiarise yourself with what you will be studying.
The Making of Modern Britain, 1951–2007
This option provides for the study in depth of the key political, economic, social & international changes which helped to mould Britain in the 2nd half of the 20th century. It explores concepts such as government and opposition, class, social division and cultural change. It encourages students to reflect on Britain’s changing place in the world as well as the interrelationship between political policies, economic developments & political survival.
Year 12 Part One: Building a New Britain, 1951–1979
The Affluent Society, 1951–1964
Conservative governments and reasons for political dominance: Churchill, Eden, Macmillan and Home as political leaders; domestic policies; internal Labour divisions; reasons for Conservatives' fall from power Economic developments: post-war boom; balance of payments issues and 'stop-go' policies Social developments: rising living standards; the impact of affluence & consumerism; changing social attitudes & tensions; class and 'the Establishment'; the position of women; attitudes to immigration; racial violence; the emergence of the 'teenager' and youth culture Foreign relations: EFTA and attempts to join the EEC; relations with and policies towards USA and USSR; debates over the nuclear deterrent; Korean War; Suez; the ‘Winds of Change' and decolonisation
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The Sixties, 1964–1970
Wilson and the Labour governments: Wilson's ideology and leadership; economic policies and problems; devaluation; industrial relations; the trade unions; other domestic policies; Labour divisions; the beginning of the 'troubles' in Northern Ireland; the end of post-war consensus; loss of 1970 election Liberal reforming legislation: private members' bills and the end of capital punishment; divorce reform; the legalisation of abortion; the legalisation of homosexual relations; educational reform Social and cultural change: the expansion of the mass media; growth in leisure activities; the impact of scientific developments; the reduction in censorship; progress towards female equality; changes in moral attitudes; youth culture and the 'permissive society'; anti-Vietnam war riots; issues of immigration and race Relations with & policies towards USA, particularly Vietnam; response to world affairs & relations with Europe; decolonisation including 'withdrawal East of Suez' & Rhodesia.
The end of Post-War Consensus, 1970–1979
Heath’s government: Heath as leader; political and economic policies; industrial relations and the miners' strikes; the 'troubles' in Northern Ireland, including Sunningdale Labour governments of Wilson and Callaghan: political, economic and industrial problems and policies; problems of Northern Ireland Society in the 1970s: progress of feminism; the Sex Discrimination Act; race and immigration; youth; environmentalism Britain's entry into and relations with Europe; the state of the 'special relationship' with USA; attitudes to USSR and China
Year 13 Part Two: Modern Britain, 1979–2007
The impact of Thatcherism, 1979–1987
The Thatcher governments: Thatcher as leader, character and ideology; ministers; support and opposition; electoral success; internal Labour divisions and the formation of the SDP; Northern Ireland and the troubles Thatcher's economic policies and their impact: monetarism; privatisation; deregulation; issues of inflation, unemployment and economic realignment Impact of Thatcherism on society: sale of council houses; miners' strike and other industrial disputes; poll tax; extra-parliamentary opposition Foreign Affairs: the Falklands; the 'special relationship' with USA; moves to end the Cold War; Thatcher as an international figure; attitudes to Europe, including Thatcher's policies; divisions within Conservative Party over Europe
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Towards a new Consensus, 1987–1997
Fall of Thatcher and her legacy; Major as leader; economic developments, including 'Black Wednesday' and its impact; political sleaze, scandals and satire; political policies; approach to Northern Ireland; Conservative divisions Realignment of the Labour Party under Kinnock, Smith and Blair; reasons for Labour victory in 1997 Social issues: the extent of 'social liberalism'; anti-establishment culture; the position of women and race-relations Foreign affairs: relations with Europe, including the impact of the Single European Act and Maastricht Treaty; interventions in the Balkans; contribution and attitude to the end of the Cold War
The Era of New Labour, 1997–2007
The Labour governments: Blair as leader, character and ideology; constitutional change; domestic policies; Brown and economic policy; Northern Ireland and the Good Friday Agreement The Conservative Party: leaders and reason for divisions; reason for electoral failures in 2001 and 2005 Social issues: workers, women and youth; the extent to which Britain had become a multicultural society Foreign affairs: attitudes to Europe; the 'special relationship' with USA; military interventions and the 'war on terror'; Britain's position in the world by 2007
What is History?
COMPULSORY TASK 2: Read over these wide-ranging reflections on the nature of ‘history’. Then – using those ideas and further online research if necessary – write down your own definition for government in the box at the bottom of the page. It must be a maximum of 30 words.
1. ‘The very ink with which history is written is merely fluid prejudice.’ Mark Twain
2. ‘History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.’ Winston Churchill
3. ‘The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much it is whether we provide enough for those who have little.’ Franklin Roosevelt
4. ‘Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it.’ George Santayana
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5. ‘That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history.’ Aldous Huxley
6. ‘History is more or less bunk.’ Henry Ford
7. ‘The history of the world is but the biography of great men.’ Thomas Carlyle
8. ‘History is the version of past events that people have decided to agree upon.’ Napoleon
9. Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total; of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.’ Robert Kennedy
10. ‘The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.’ L.P. Hartley
11. ‘A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.’ Mahatma Gandhi
12. ‘History is a commentary on the various and continuing incapabilities of men. What is history? History is women following behind with the bucket.’ Alan Bennett
Definition of ‘History’
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Contemporary History
COMPULSORY TASK 3: Read the contextual information below and then complete the boxes which follow.
Your British History unit is a study of Contemporary History. Contemporary History is broadly defined as the history of the living period. This means the period during which people still alive today have lived through and experienced first-hand. Some historical traditionalists (and many who do not study History as an academic subject) argue that Contemporary History is not ‘proper’ or ‘real’ history. Think carefully about what they mean by this and then list in the box below the potential problems with ‘Contemporary History’ that we should be aware of when studying this unit on ‘The Making of Modern Britain, 1945-51’.
1
2
3
Now list three reasons why it might still be a good idea to study Contemporary History, despite these challenges.
1
2
3
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Modern British History Timeline 1940-2015
COMPULSORY TASK 4: Use your existing knowledge, and further online research where necessary, to complete this table about the Prime Ministers who have led the country during the period you start.
Dates Prime Minister Party Two significant political events in this period
1940-5
1945-51
1951-5
1955-7
1957-63
1963-4
1964-70
1970-4
1974-6
1976-9
1979-90
1990-7
1997-07
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2007-10
2010-5
The Making of Modern Britain 1951-2007
COMPULSORY TASK 5: Read over the list of key themes on the course that follows and then write down definitions for the key terms / concepts highlighted in red in the space in the table on the next page. Use your own knowledge and further online research.
Political Themes
Growth of, and challenges to, the post-war consensus which had been built on Keynesian economics, active government and welfarism Increasing loss of government control over economic affairs due to globalisation Decline of ‘elitist cliques’ at the heart of British government Persistent unwillingness/inability to tackle underlying economic problems Gradual erosion of faith in mainstream political ideas and politicians Increasing challenges to the centralised British state from nationalist agendas in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales
Economic Themes
Surfacing of long-term economic weaknesses Rise and fall of trade unionism Relative economic decline in comparison to other Western democracies Necessities for reform in British economic structure Emergence of an alternative to the post-war consensus
Social Themes
Decline and fall of the deferential society Rise of, and reaction to, the ‘permissive society’ Rise of consumerism Gradual and uneven shift away from collectivist towards more individualist attitudes Increasing diversity as a result of mass immigration on British society; reaction to this Europeanisation of British society and the reaction to this Rise of identity politics and a right-based culture (environmentalism, women’s movement, LGBT community)
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International Themes
Empire evolving into a Commonwealth and turning inwards Difficulties in accepting more limited role in world affairs; return to model of limited intervention through multilateral action (i.e. Special Relationship, UN, NATO, EC/EU) rather than unilateral action Greater closeness, and integration, with Europe; reaction against this process Unequal nature of ‘special relationship’ and the challenges that has posed
Modern British Political History: Key Terms
Key Term Your Definition
Trade Unionism
Post-war consensus
Keynesian Economics
Deferential Society
Permissive Society
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Commonwealth
Special Relationship
European Integration
Unilateral Action
Multilateral Action
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The UK General Election of 1945
COMPULSORY TASK 6: Clement Attlee’s Labour achieved an expected landslide victory over Winston Churchill’s Conservatives in the 1945 UK General Election. Use the resources listed to complete the tasks beneath.
A brief summary from the BBC:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/politics97/background/pastelec/ge45.shtml
A more detailed analysis from the ‘History’ Section of the BBC website:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/election_01.shtml
Summary on Spartacus Education:
https://spartacus-educational.com/GE1945.htm
Give three clear and distinct reasons why Churchill’s Conservative might have been expected to win the 1945 General Election:
1
2
3
Give six clear and distinct reasons why Attlee’s Labour did in fact win the election:
1
2
3
4
5
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6
‘Improbable Mr Attlee Documentary: BBC4 Documentary on Clement Attlee, Labour Prime Minister 1945-1951
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnSBTN9DUA8&t=319s
COMPULSORY TASK 7: Use the link above to watch the documentary and make bullet-point notes to answer the questions as you watch.
1. How does the historian David Reynolds describe Clement Attlee’s character?
2. What do we learn about Attlee’s background?
3. What seems to have been Attlee’s motivation for joining the Labour Party?
4. What were Attlee’s main skills as a political leader?
5. What do we learn of the state of the British economy at the end of WW2?
6. What ‘gamble’ did Attlee take upon winning the 1945 General Election?
7. Why was the securing of a major loan from the USA so important to the Attlee government?
8. Which major industries were nationalised under the Attlee Government?
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9. What problems were created by the nationalisation of major industries?
10. Why was Ernest Bevin a somewhat unusual choice as Foreign Secretary?
11. What, according to Reynolds, upset the delicate balance that the Attlee government was treading between domestic reform and maintaining Britain’s global role?
12. What was the impact of the very harsh winter of 1947 on the Attlee Government?
13. What steps did the Attlee government take in 1947 to reduce the huge costs of maintaining the British Empire?
14. What was the impact of the ‘convertibility crisis’ of summer 1947?
15. What factors help explain the upturn in the British economy in 1948?
16. What improved Britain’s security in 1949?
17. How was Britain able to post a balance-of-payments surplus in 1950?
18. Why did Attlee send British troops to support the US-led UN war effort in Korea?
19. Why do you think Attlee and the new Chancellor Hugh Gaitskell decided to double the defence budget in 1950?
20. Why did Health Minister Nye Bevan resign in January 1951? AGSB Pre A-Level Preparation Pack V1/2020 37
21. What, according to Reynolds, were the major failings of the Attlee government?
22. What were the major achievements of the Attlee government?
Any Additional Notes
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The Legacy of the Attlee Government of 1945-1951
COMPULSORY TASK 8: Use what you have learnt so far, plus the Guardian article linked below, to make clear and focused bullet-point notes on the legacy of the Attlee government.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2001/mar/14/past.education
Politics Economy Beginnings of consensus politics Nationalisation Austerity and rationing Reconstruction and the economy
The Attlee Legacy: What was the state of Britain in 1951? Society Foreign and colonial policy Welfare State Pro- American foreign policy Reconstruction and housing Reduction of empire
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Section C: Additional Tasks for the British History unit
Note: These are the tasks for those of you who want to use some time to go further & really get ahead.
ADDITIONAL TASK 1: Why not watch some of these online documentaries as a means of developing your interest in different aspects of the course?
British Politics
Health v Wilson: The 10 Year Dual (1965-1975) (BBC Documentary investigating the personal and political rivalry that shaped British politics for a decade https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYNcLJWylWU
How To Be Prime Minister (BBC Documentary, 1997, 50 minutes, recollections of the challenges of the office, covering all PMs from MacMillan to Major) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIrgBn1W4cs
How To Be Leader of the Opposition (BBC Documentary, 1997, 50 minutes, recollections of the challenges of the office, covering all recent Leaders of the Opposition from the 1950s to the 1990s) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VusdmOaNxcs
How To Be Home Secretary (BBC Documentary, 1997, 50 minutes, recollections of the challenges of the office, covering all recent Home Secretaries from the 1950s to the 1990s) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgncyc21I50
Thatcher: Death of a Revolutionary (Channel Four documentary by Martin Durkin from a sympathetic free market liberal perspective, 2013, 70 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VlcjyNwA10
Margaret Thatcher: 4 Part Telegraph Documentary
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Episode 1: The Making of Margaret (51 minutes), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIgFqOgADtQ&t=4s
Episode 2: The Falklands (27 minutes), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLt56gDzCLg
Episode 3: The World Stage (35 minutes), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-fqzYufqUI
Episode 5: The Age of Dissent (27 minutes), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PijSSyXkkrQ
Tories: The Curse of Thatcher (BBC Documentary, 2001, analysis of internal divisions within the Conservative Party during William Hague’s period as leader 1997-2001) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od4CyA1Mua8
The Rise and Fall of Tony Blair (Political journalist Andrew Rawnsley’s comprehensive analysis of the trials and tribulations of Blair’s decade in office, 2007, 2 hours+) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sibi_aBLC1M
Economic Policy
How To Be Chancellor (BBC Documentary, 50 minutes, recollections of the challenges of the office, covering Chancellors from the 1950s to the 1990s) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0e8NRMm72ps
Black Wednesday (BBC Documentary, 1997, 50 minutes, analysis of the events of September 1992 and their impact) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_oET45GzMI
Social History of Post-War Britain
Andrew Marr’s History of Modern Britain (BBC Documentary TV series, 2007, not widely accessible online but available on DVD or from the History Department)
Episode 1: Advance Britannia (1945-55) Episode 2: The Land of Lost Content (1955-64) Episode 3: Paradise Lost (1964-1974) Episode 4: Revolution! (1974-1990) Episode 5: New Britannia (1990-2007)
The 70s (A four-part history of Britain during the 1970s originally broadcast on the BBC in 2012, not available on DVD and only limited clips online; ask History Department for access)
Get It On, 1970-72 Doomwatch, 1973-74 Goodbye Great Britain, 1975-77 The Winner Takes It All, 1974-1990
The 80s with Dominic Sandbrook (A three-part history of Britain originally broadcast on the BBC, 2016, not available on DVD and only limited clips online; ask History Department for access))
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World in Motion Under Pressure The Sound of the Crowd
Sixties Britain
Why I Hate the 1960s (BBC Documentary, 2004, largely socially conservative perspective) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw0Rmt2S0uQ
British Mods and Rockers of the 1960s (BBC Documentary) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miiopvQDP3M
Northern Ireland
Bobby Sands: 66 Days (Excellent documentary on the 1981 IRA Hunger Strike, 2016, available on Netflix)
Check out Lagan College’s History Department’s videos on various aspects of ‘The Troubles’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqUSsvIfVio&list=PLL3RlSCzuoT6LeGQMfZoOmpTaEpOushfD
Britain’s Relationship with Europe
Nick Robinson’s Them or Us: Part One (1946 – 1973) (produced 2016, excellent overview) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg0LncoE060
Nick Robinson’s Them or Us: Part Two (1975 – 2016) (produced 2016, excellent overview) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HD2ypyiBssY
Foreign Policy
How to be Foreign Secretary (BBC Documentary, 1997, 50 minutes, recollections of the challenges of the office, covering Foreign Secretaries from the 1950s to the 1990s) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZCZp44kERg&t=1s
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ADDITIONAL TASK 2: Why not watch some of the historical movies highlighted in blue or purple below as a means of developing your interest in different aspects of the course?
TOP 12 FILMS ON MODERN BRITAIN
Relevant to A Level Relevant to A Level Relevant to Both History Politics
TITLE DATE DIRECTOR STARS DESCRIPTION 1 The Iron Lady 2011 Phyllida Meryl Streep, British biographical film based on the (12) Lloyd Jim Broadbent, life of Margaret Thatcher (1925– Anthony Head, 2013), Richard E Grant. 2 The Deal (12) 2003 Stephen David British TV film depicting the Blair- Frears Morrissey, Brown deal—a well-documented pact Michael Sheen that Blair and Brown made whereby Brown would not stand in the 1994 Labour leadership election, so that Blair could have a clear run at becoming leader of the party and PM. 3 The Queen 2006 Stephen Helen Mirren, British drama film that depicts the (PG) Frears Michael Sheen, aftermath of the death of Diana, James Princess of Wales. The Royal Family Cromwell, Helen regards Diana's death as a private McCrory affair, in contrast with the views of Tony Blair and Diana's ex-husband, Prince Charles, who favour the general public's desire for an official expression of grief. 4 The Special 2010 Richard Michael Sheen, American-British political film Relationship Loncraine Denis Quad, dramatising the relationship between (15) Hope Davis, Tony Blair and Bill Clinton Helen McCrory 5 In The Loop 2009 Armando Peter Capaldi, British satirical black comedy directed (15) Iannucci Chris Addison, by Armando Iannucci as a spin-off Tom Hollander, from the BBC TV series The Thick of It. Gina McKee, The film satirizes Anglo-American James politics in the 21st century and the Gandolfini Invasion of Iraq.[ 6 The Wind That 2006 Ken Loach Cillian Murphy, Irish war drama film set during the Shakes The Liam Irish War of Independence (1919– Barley (15) Cunningham 1922) and the Irish Civil War (1922– and 1923). Padraic Delaney AGSB Pre A-Level Preparation Pack V1/2020 43
7 Margaret (12) 2009 James Kent Lindsay Duncan, BBC TV film telling the story of the life James Fox, of Margaret Thatcher and her fall Robert Hardy from power in the 1990 leadership election, with flashbacks telling the story of Thatcher's defeat of Edward Heath in the 1975 leadership election 8 The Long Walk 2008 Andrea BBC Four TV drama based on the early to Finchley Riseborough, political career of the young Margaret (12) Rory Kinnear, Thatcher, from her attempts to gain a Samuel West seat in Dartford in 1949 via invasion and Geoffrey to her first successful campaign to win Palmer a parliamentary seat, Finchley, in 1959. 9 Taking 2007 Chris Adkins Documentary film about the erosion Liberties (12) of civil liberties in the UK and increase of surveillance under the Blair government. 10 Bloody Sunday 2003 Paul James Nesbitt, British TV film about the 1972 "Bloody (15) Greengrass Allan Gildea, Sunday" shootings in Derry, Northern Gerard Crossan Ireland. The drama shows the events of the day through the eyes of Ivan Cooper, a SDLP Northern Ireland MP who was a central organiser of the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association march. 11 The Falklands 2002 Ian Curteis Patricia Hodge, The Falklands Play is a dramatic Play (12) James Fox, account of the political events leading Jeremy Child, up to, and including, the 1982 Bob Sherman, Falklands War. The play focuses on John Standing. the methods by which British PM Margaret Thatcher handled the foreign policy crisis. 12 The Ghost 2010 Roman Ewan French-German-British political Writer Polanski McGregor, thriller film The film is an adaptation Pierce Brosnan, of the Robert Harris novel, The Ghost. Kim Cattrall and An unnamed British ghostwriter is Olivia Williams recruited to complete the memoirs of former PM Adam Lang. The CIA- influenced British PM is said to be a thinly disguised version of Tony Blair.
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ADDITIONAL TASK 3: Why not listen to some of these podcasts as a means of developing your interest in different aspects of the course?
BRITISH HISTORY 1951-2007: PODCAST LIST
BBC Radio 4 ‘Great Lives’
Clement Attlee (1883-1967) (Labour Party leader 1935-55 and UK Prime Minister 1945-51) (Series 0)
Richard Crossman (1905-1974) (Labour MP and leading moderate) (Series 2)
Ernest Bevin (1881-1951) (Labour politician, Foreign Secretary 1945-51) (Series 5)
William Beveridge (1879-1963) (Economist and progressive social reformer) (Series 11)
Roy Jenkins (1920-2003) (Labour, SDP and Liberal Democrat politician) (Series 18)
Winston Churchill (1874-1965) (Conservative and Liberal politician, UK Prime Minister 1940-5 and 1951-5) (Series 22)
Aneurin Bevan (1897-1960) (Labour politician and spearhead of the creation of the NHS as Heath Secretary 1945-51)
Guy Burgess (1911-63) (British diplomat and Soviet agent, member of the ‘Cambridge Five’) (Series 35)
Barbara Castle (1910-2002) (Labour politician and member of the Wilson government) (Series 37)
Ellen Wilkinson (1891-1947) (Labour politician and Minister of Education 1945-7) (Series 43)
BBC Radio 4 ‘In Our Time’
Modern Culture (1999)
Multiculturalism (1999)
Materialism and the Consumer (2000)
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Maths and Further Maths
In preparation for taking Maths at A Level time should be spent studying the core GCSE topics that are required at A Level. Initially complete all the AQA GCSE past papers which are on STU Maths, KS4 resources. The A Level scheme of work is the folder STU Maths/SCHOOL CLOSURE WORK/Year 11 preparation work for A Level. The chapters listed below are all revision of GCSE knowledge with some extensions, these are the topics you should be focusing on: Chapter 1 algebraic expressions Chapter 2 quadratics (discriminant is new) Chapter 3 equations and inequalities Chapter 4 graphs and transformations (quartic graphs and stretching graphs is new) Chapter 5 straight line graphs Chapter 6 and 7 has new content but it is possible for anyone taking A Level Maths to self-study these two chapters. In the SCHOOL CLOSURE WORK folder is a folder of transition worksheets and an induction booklet which you can work through. Two textbook resources that may be useful are: New Head Start to A-Level Maths (CGP A-Level Maths) which is a textbook which bridges the gap between GCSE and A Level. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1782947922/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_eZkDEb2A3PTVQ The textbook that AGSB uses at A Level is the Edexcel AS and A level Mathematics Pure Mathematics Year 1/AS Textbook + e-book (A level Maths and Further Maths 2017). https://www.amazon.co.uk/Edexcel-level-Mathematics-Textbook- Further/dp/129218339X/ref=sr_1_2?crid=55730R84YK3S&keywords=edexcel+maths+a+level&qid= 1584956450&sprefix=edexcel+maths+a+level%2Caps%2C178&sr=8-2 Finally, later in the term you will be set a bridging task that you must complete and bring to your first Maths lesson in September which assesses the key knowledge that is required for Maths A Level.
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Preparation pack
To support your transition into the study of A-level Philosophy, the following research opportunities are recommended. Some examples are linked to course content and others are simply suggested because they have sparked the imagination of students who have come before you. On the following pages you will find a self-contained study booklet which will help you to understand the foundations of Philosophical enquiry. Stand-alone lessons will also be placed on SMHW.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/philosophy https://philosophynow.org/ https://plato.stanford.edu/ https://philosophizethis.org/ http://blog.practicalethics.ox.ac.uk/ https://www.philosophynews.com/ https://philosophypathways.com/index.html http://www.philosophers.co.uk/
https://thepanpsycast.com/panpsycast2/ https://philosophybites.com/ https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01f0vzr http://www.philostv.com/ https://historyofphilosophy.net/ https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/philosopherszone/ https://philosophynow.org/podcasts AGSB Pre A-Level Preparation Pack V1/2020 47
A – Level Philosophy
Introduction to
Philosophy and Ethics
Workbook
AGSB Pre A-Level Preparation Pack V1/2020 48 Name: Introduction to Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality and existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline.
Soren Kierkegaard: “The thing is to understand myself. To see what God really wishes me to do: the thing is to find a truth which is true for me, to find the idea for which I can live and die.”
Socrates: “The unexamined life is not worth living.”
Therefore, to live life most fully means thinking about the meaning of our experiences, such as our adventures or friendships. Philosophy therefore is just an extension of this activity.
There are four branches of philosophy:
1. Logic (reasoning) 2. Epistemology (theory of knowledge) 3. Metaphysics (first principles of things, which includes abstract concepts like being, knowing, space, time)
4. Ethics (what is right or wrong)
Logic is the structure of arguments. Its main concern is whether an argument’s conclusion logically follows on from the information (called premises). It searches for the validity of the arguments. An argument is valid if it is in a form that, if the information (or premises) are true, then the conclusion must also be true.
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Aristotle’s logic is also called ‘syllogistic logic’ because the syllogism is the most basic logical form within the system. The most famous example of a syllogism is:
All men are mortal (premise 1) All p are q Socrates is a man (premise 2) r is p Therefore: Socrates is mortal (conclusion) Therefore r is q. Another example:
All teachers are awesome Mr Perkins is a teacher Therefore, Mr Perkins is awesome
As we can see from the ‘Mr Perkins’ example, although the argument is logical and valid, it is not necessarily true. So, being ‘logical’ doesn’t mean an argument is ‘true’ or even ‘sensible’.
Aristotle: “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”
Tasks:
1. What is philosophy? ………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. What does living fully mean to Socrates? ………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. What are the four branches of philosophy? ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………………………………………………..
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4. What is Aristotle’s logic called? ………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. What is an example of valid syllogism? ………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………
6. What is an example of an invalid syllogism? ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Three logical principles:
1. Identity: This is the basic truth that x = x, e.g. ‘2 + 2 = 4’, where we assume that the first 2 is the same as the second 2. If it did not, then even basic mathematics would be impossible.
2. Non-contradiction: This is the assumption that a contradiction is not logically possible. Nothing with a quality can have the negative of that quality. For example, if we described a ‘circular triangle’ we would be contradicting ourselves.
3. Excluded middle: This means that everything either has a quality or the negative of that quality. It cannot have both. Either I am human or I am not. It is logically impossible for me to both be human and not human at the same time. This follows from the idea of non-contradiction. It re-works the same idea.
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TASK: Explain the three logical problems.
……..…………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………..……..………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………..……..……………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………..……..…………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………..……………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………..……..……………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………..……..…… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Epistemology
This is sometimes called the Theory of Knowledge. It asks what we can really claim to know and includes questions such as whether and how I can have knowledge of the world outside of my own mind. It also asks questions about the difference between knowledge and belief. This matters for Philosophy of Religion as well as Religion and Ethics. Can we ever be said to ‘know’ God, or what is truly good?
Epistemology also asks questions such as: what can count as evidence? For example, what is sufficient evidence to prove God’s existence?
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The distinction between a priori and a posteriori knowledge is central to epistemology.
A Priori
This refers to knowledge which is not dependent on sense experience, but on the meaning of the words. For example, “a triangle has three sides.” We know that this is true because of the meaning of the words in the sentence. A sentence like this is called a tautology. This means that by definition, the sentence or word is true. Another example would be, “All bachelors are male.”
Sense experience is not required to know the meaning of a tautology. A priori knowledge, although not innate, means that it is known to be true or false simply by knowing the meaning of the words or sentence.
A Posteriori
This refers to things where our knowledge depends on sense experience. Knowledge of this kind is called empirical knowledge. A Posteriori statement can only be known through using the senses, i.e. by looking, listening, etc. to see if the statement is true. For example, “my cat is playing with the computer mouse,” is only true if you were to look and see that my cat was, in fact, playing with the computer mouse.
Privacy of Experience / The Problem of other Minds
“My coat is green,” is difficult to validate, because ‘green’ could mean different things to different people. I do not know what the colour looks like to you. Therefore, a posteriori knowledge can become a problem because our experiences are personal and cannot be shared.
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Tasks:
1. What is epistemology? ………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. What is central to epistemology? ………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. What is a priori knowledge? ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. What is a tautology? ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. What are a posteriori arguments? ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………
6. What is the Privacy of Experience or the Problem of other Minds? ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………
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Sense experience and its problems
Q: If our knowledge of the outside world depends on our observations, then how do we make sense of the information? How do we turn our observations into the rules or physics of the universe?
Inductive reasoning can give us probabilities, but cannot give us certainties. E.g. if the sun has risen each morning in the East, then it will probably rise tomorrow morning in the East.
Philosophical Doubt
A posteriori judgement can never be wholly certain. It is unavoidable that they are uncertain, but this need not be a reason for total scepticism or sleepless nights. After all, many things in life are uncertain. We do not withhold friendship because we cannot prove that our best friend will never betray us, and there is no reason to despair of all our knowledge because we are aware of its limitations.
A good test about doubt is to ask whether doubt is reasonable. For example, I could have reasonable doubt that tables could think.
Knowledge and Belief
When can we claim that we know something and not simply that we believe it? Philosophers argue that there are four criteria (requirements) that must be met in order to claim knowledge – that we know something:
1. What we believe to be true must in fact be true. I cannot say that, ‘I know Snaefell is the world’s highest mountain’ when it is not.
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2. We must believe that what we believe to be true is really true. If someone said: “I think Paris is the capital of France, but I’m really not sure’, we would not say he had knowledge. He has a belief, which happens to be true. 3. We must have sufficiently good reasons – not inadequate ones such as, “it’s in the newspaper, so it must be true,” or, “my dad says…” This is called justification of our beliefs. There is a big debate on what counts as sufficient justification.
4. Our belief must not rest on any false information. For example, if I believed that every monarch was called Elizabeth, then I couldn’t truly know that our current monarch is Elizabeth.
Metaphysics
‘Metaphysics’ deals with transcendent matters (matters that are beyond knowledge or understanding). Therefore, it deals with things beyond normal experience.
The central metaphysical question is: “what exists?” In metaphysics, asking whether a cat exists is just as much a metaphysical question as asking whether God exists.
Metaphysical theories are divided into two kinds:
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1. Cosmological: This refers to theories of the whole being, e.g. the work of Plato. He gave a metaphysical account of the entirety of the universe in relation to the Forms.
2. Ontological: These theories are of whether things of a particular kind exist. They do not attempt to make a grand theory of everything. For example, to ask whether souls exist is an ontological question. It does not ask what other kinds of things might also exist.
Tasks:
1. What can inductive reasoning not give us? ………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………
2. Explain the idea of philosophical doubt. ………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. Explain the four criteria that must be met in order to truly know something. ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. What does metaphysics deal with? ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………………
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5. What are the two types of metaphysical argument? Explain them. ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………
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Concerned with Validity Modern Aristotle multivalent and logic syllogistic LOGIC
Structure of Arguments
Ontological PHILOSOPHY Does x exist? The love of
wisdom METAPHYSICS What exists?
Cosmological Theory of EPISTEMOLOGY Everything
Theory of Knowledge A priori Truth that isn’t dependent on sense What is experience reasonable doubt? A posteriori Truth must be Is knowledge based on sense possible? experience What is knowledge?
A justified
true belief based TASK: Create your own detailed mind on nothing false map of the ideas discussed in this workbook.
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Physical Education
PE have set up their students in SMH and Microsoft Teams. They will be set weekly tasks and have their knowledge tested. Submission of work will be via SMH. All students have been contacted and are currently working on a test task. Work will be monitored and the Physiology Unit may start to be taught via Loom.
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Physics
Your course is AQA A-level Physics 7408 https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/physics/specifications/AQA-7407-7408-SP-2015.PDF
To get ahead of the game and start to prepare for year12 Physics, you must get hold of two books.
Work between now and September The work that you should do between now and September is as follows:
1. From the CGP Head Start to A-Level Physics – FREE on Amazon. This book should help you work through some of the trickier concepts in GCSE Physics (helping to finish off revision of the GCSE course) and help you apply them at A-level standard.
This book is currently unavailable as a hard copy but is FREE to use with Amazon Kindle app.
: Go to Amazon
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Head-Start-level-Physics-
Level/dp/1782942815/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=bridgin g+physics+gcse&qid=1585124892&sr=8-3
Order the Kindle version for free and make sure you get the Kindle app on your phone or other device from an app store.
Work through the questions on each page and check them with the answers in the back of the book.
Bring your answers to your first physics lesson in September.
2. Print out and complete the 16 activities in the AQA Transition guide to A level Physics. https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/physics/AQA-7407-7408-TG.PDF
Bring your answers to your first physics lesson in September.
3. For a flavour of one of the new and exciting topics you will encounter in A level Physics go to https://particleadventure.org/ You can get the App for this on your phone. Read through ‘The Standard Model’. Have a look at the other four sections if you get the inclination!
We will have a particle physics quiz in September to see what you have learnt.
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Year1 Textbook: PHYSICS AQA A-level Year 1, Dave Kelly, Collins.
You will need to purchase and have this book for next year
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Level-Physics-Year- Student- Science/dp/0007590229/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keyw ords=collins+physics+year+1&qid=1585124917&sr=8 -6
The answers to the questions in this book can be downloaded from Collins own website at: https://collins.co.uk/pages/secondary-science-aqa-a-level- science-physics
CGP also do a textbook and a revision guide that are very good.
AQA Physics Past papers and other resources are to be found here: https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/as-and-a-level/physics-7407-7408/assessment- resources?f.Sub-category%7CF=Sample+papers+and+mark+schemes
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Politics A Level Politics Introductory Resource Pack 2020
Welcome to A Level Politics! We look forward to working with you soon. This resource pack is intended to give you information about what is involved in A Level Politics and to give you some tasks to work through between now and when you start Year 12. The tasks are divided into compulsory tasks (those that you must do and will be checked when you return to school) and additional tasks (for those of you who want to use some of your time to go further and really get ahead). If you have further questions about the course or the tasks, please email [email protected] and I will get back to you. Enjoy!
Mr Croxton and Dr Hepden
Contents of this Resource Pack
Section A: Information about the A Level Politics course as a whole
Section B: Compulsory Tasks for Unit 1: UK Government & Politics
Section C: Additional Tasks for Unit 1: UK Government and Politics
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Section A: Information about the A Level Politics course as a whole
The Government and Politics course is distinguished from all other A Levels by its focus on current affairs. You will need a genuine interest in the world of politics because the course requires wider reading to keep up-to-date with the latest developments within British and American politics. It is also an academic A Level which is assessed through essay writing and extended answers, some of which are based around stimulus material. Lessons require thought, preparation and hard work. You will have wide-ranging opportunities for discussion and debate which promote higher-level thinking and you are advised to consult a variety of media to gain a range of different perspectives on key political developments.
The exam board is AQA. The A Level Politics course is divided into three units:
Unit 1: Examined unit on UK Government & Politics
This focuses on the major government institutions and political processes within the UK. It encourages you to develop a critical understanding of the role and effectiveness of Parliament, the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Judiciary under Britain’s uncodified Constitution. It also develops your' understanding of the relationship between the government and the people by encouraging you to evaluate the adequacy of existing arrangements for ensuring representative democracy and political participation in the UK.
Covers 10 aspects of UK Government and Politics: The UK Constitution; Parliament; the Prime Minister & Cabinet; the Judiciary; Devolution; Democracy & Participation; Elections & Referendums; Political Parties; Pressure Groups; the EU. Delivered jointly by Mr Croxton & Dr Hepden in Year 12 Assessed through a 2 hour exam at the end of Year 13 and worth 33% of the A Level
Unit 2: Examined unit on US & Comparative Government & Politics
This is focused primarily around American Government and Politics. It takes an in-depth look at the US Constitution, Congress, the Presidency and the Supreme Court, as well as investigating political participation in America, political parties, pressure groups and the country’s record on civil rights. There is also a comparative element which encourages you to analyse the similarities and differences between the UK and US governmental & political systems.
Covers 8 aspects of US Government & Politics: the Constitution; Congress; the President; the Judiciary; Elections & Direct Democracy; Parties; Pressure Groups; Civil Rights Delivered by Mr Croxton in the summer term of Year 12 and throughout Y13 Assessed through a 2 hour exam at the end of Year 13 and worth 33% of the A Level
Unit 3: Examined unit on Political Ideas
This unit focuses on the major political ideas that have shaped the modern world: liberalism, conservatism, socialism and anarchism. It introduces you to the basics of university level political
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theory and philosophy, focusing on the individual's relationship with the state, why we have government and what the role and limits of government should be. The unit also encourages you to consider how our contemporary political debates are still shaped by these core ideological foundations.
Covers 4 sets of Political Ideas: Liberalism, Conservatism, Socialism and Anarchism. Delivered by Dr Hepden in the summer term of Year 12 and throughout Y13 Assessed through a 2 hour exam at the end of Year 13 and worth 33% of the A Level
There is no coursework or controlled assessment in A Level Politics
What are the Assessment Objectives?
AO1: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of political institutions, processes, concepts, theories and issues.
AO2: Analyse aspects of politics and political information, including in relation to parallels, connections, similarities and differences.
AO3: Evaluate aspects of politics and political information, including to construct arguments, make substantiated judgements and draw conclusions
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Section B: Compulsory Tasks for Unit 1: UK Government & Politics
Note: These are the tasks that you must do and will be checked when you return to school.
COMPULSORY TASK 1: Briefly read over the information below which summarises the UK Govt & Politics unit so that you begin to familiarise yourself with what you will be studying.
Unit 1: Government and Politics of the UK
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UK
The nature and sources of the British Constitution
Codified Uncodified Statute Law Common Law Conventions Authoritative Opinions The Royal Prerogative The Rule of Law Parliamentary Sovereignty Individual and Collective Rights
The nature of the UK Constitution The significance of Magna Carta (1215) to the development of rights in the UK The significance of The Bill of Rights (1689) to the development of rights in the UK The significance of The Act of Settlement (1701) to the development of rights in the UK The significance of The Parliament Acts (1911 & 1949) to the development of rights in the UK The significance of The European Communities Act (1972) to the development of rights in the UK Contemporary legislation and issues regarding rights Issues and debates around recent constitutional changes Debates about the extent of rights in the UK Two examples of constitutional changes since 1997 (such as Devolution, the Freedom of Information Act, the Human Rights Act or the House of Lords Reform Act) Areas where individual and collective rights are in agreement and where they are in conflict
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The structure and role of Parliament
Commons Lords MPs and peers Delegates and Trustees Burkean theories of representation Delegate theories Mandate theories Parliamentary privilege Legislation Debate Opposition Scrutiny of the executive Regressive grievances Campaign Referendum
The role and influence of MPs and peers Theories of representation (Burkean, Delegate and Mandate) Parliamentary debate and the legislative process in the Commons and the Lords How effective scrutiny of the executive is in practice The role and significance of committees in the Commons and Lords The role and significance of the opposition in the Commons and Lords The extent of Parliament’s influence on parliamentary decisions including: - The idea that party discipline enables the government to routinely outvote opposition
- Government control of civil servants’ appearances before select committees
- The fact that membership of committees is largely determined by the Whips’ offices
The Prime Minister and Cabinet
Core Executive Prime Minister Primus inter pares Cabinet Inner Cabinet Cabinet Committee Individual Ministerial Responsibility Collective Ministerial Responsibility Accountability
How policy is made The relationship between the PM and Cabinet At least two examples that demonstrate the relative power of the PM and Cabinet to dictate events and determine policy: - One must be from 1945-97: e.g. The introduction of the poll tax (1990)
- One must be from 1997-present e.g. The invasion of Iraq (2003)
The difference between individual and collective responsibility At least one example of a resignation on the grounds of individual responsibility (e.g. Sir Thomas Dugale – Crichel Down 1954) At least one example of a resignation on the grounds of collective responsibility (e.g. Iain Duncan Smith over Welfare Reforms 2016) Government – Parliament relations (in terms of accountability / interest)
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The Judiciary
The Supreme Court Judicial Independence Judicial Impartiality Separation of powers Ultra Vires Judicial Review
The composition of the judiciary The appointments process The role of the Supreme Court The impact of the Supreme Court on government The importance of the doctrine of ultra vires and judicial review The impact of the Supreme Court on the legislative branch and the policy making process
Devolution
Devolution The Scottish Parliament and Government The Welsh Assembly and Government The Northern Ireland Assembly & Executive
The role, powers and responsibilities of the different devolved bodies in the UK Existing devolution in England The debate around devolution in England The impact of devolution on government of the UK
THE POLITICS OF THE UK
Democracy & Participation
Direct Democracy Participation Representative Government Partisan dealignment Suffrage
How suffrage has changed since the Great Reform Act (1832) to the present Debates regarding gender, class, ethnicity and age The significance of the Chartists, Suffragists and Suffragettes Issues and debates around suffrage as a human right Issues and debates around the nature of democracy Issues and debates around Representative Government Issues and debates around direct Democracy Forms of participation Patterns of participation AGSB Pre A-Level Preparation Pack V1/2020 68
Elections and Referendums
Majoritarian electoral systems Representative democracy Proportional electoral systems Manifesto Voting behaviour Mandate Campaign Referendums Party system
The characteristics of different systems used in parliamentary elections and in elections to one of the devolved bodies in the UK including:
Debates and issues around the performance of those systems The advantages and disadvantages of those systems The nature and use of referendums and their impact
For the three UK general elections we study: 1983, 1997, 2010:
How the wider political context in which they occurred and the techniques used by political parties in their campaigns provide perspectives on the issues and outcomes of each election
Patterns of voting behaviour and changes over time – as revealed by relevant national data sources How and why they varied in different elections The influence of the media on the outcomes The reasons for and the impact of party policies on the outcomes The reasons for and the influence of manifestos on the outcome Impact of campaigns and leadership on the outcomes
The role of elections and their influence on policy and policy making The likely effects of the electoral system on the party system Political Parties
Ideology party systems
party structure party funding party functions political agenda minor parties
The origins, ideas and development of the Conservative, Labour, and Liberal Democrat parties and how these have helped shape their current policies
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Party structures and functions of Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat parties Issues and debates around party funding Relations with, and influence of, the media
Factors affecting electoral outcomes Policies of minor parties and their impact on political debates and political agenda Development towards a multi-party system in the UK and its impact on government and policy
Pressure Groups
Pluralism Political agenda Insider and outsider pressure groups Promotional and interest groups
Pressure groups and democracy – pluralism Typologies of pressure groups, including a detailed study of one insider and one outsider group Methods used by pressure groups Other influences on government and parliament: • think tanks • lobbyists • corporations • media Factors likely to affect the political influence of different groups, such as membership and resources
Links with political parties, government and the media
The European Union
Aims of the EU and the extent to which they have been achieved The structure and functions of the main EU institutions The impact of the EU on UK politics and policy making
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WHAT IS ‘GOVERNMENT’?
COMPULSORY TASK 2: Read over these wide-ranging reflections on the nature of ‘government’. Then – using those ideas and further online research if necessary – write down your own definition for government in the box at the bottom of the page. It must be a maximum of 30 words.
‘The object of government in peace and in war is not the glory of rulers or of races, but the happiness of the common man’ (William Beveridge)
‘In all forms of government the people is the true legislator’ (Edmund Burke)
‘Good government could never be a substitute for government by the people themselves’ (Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman)
‘Each country has the government it deserves’ (Joseph de Maistre)
‘Government’s don’t retreat, they simply advance in another direction’ (Geoffrey Rippon)
‘The important thing for government is not to do the things that individuals are doing already, and to do them a little better or a little worse, but to do those things which at present are not done at all’ (John Maynard Keynes)
‘The danger is not that a particular class is unfit to govern. Every class is unfit to govern’ (Lord Acton)
‘I believe that all government is evil, and trying to improve it is largely a waste of time’ (H.L. Mencken)
‘All terrorists, at the invitation of the government, end up with drinks at the Dorchester’ (Hugh Gaitskell)
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‘It may true that you can’t fool all of the people all of the time, but you can fool enough of them to rule a large country’ (Will Durant)
Definition of ‘Government’
WHAT IS ‘POLITICS’?
COMPULSORY TASK 3: Read over these wide-ranging reflections on the nature of ‘politics’. Then – using those ideas and further online research if necessary – write down your own definition for politics in the box at the bottom of the page. It must be a maximum of 30 words.
‘Politics, as a practice, whatever its professions, has always been the systematic organisation of hatreds’ (Henry Adams)
‘Politics is the art of the possible’ (Prince Otto von Bismarck)
‘Politics is the art of preventing people from becoming involved in affairs which concern them’ (Paul Valéry)
‘Politics is the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich by promising to protect each from the other’ (Oscar Ameringer)
‘Too bad that all the people who know how to run this country are busy driving taxis and cutting hair’
(George Burns)
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‘The struggle is my life’ (Nelson Mandela)
‘Damn your principles! Stick to your party’ (Benjamin Disraeli)
‘What is essential is the formation of the political will of the entire nation: that is the starting point for political actions (Adolf Hitler)
‘Man is by nature a political animal’ (Aristotle)
‘Politics is who gets what, when and how’ (Harold Lasswell)
Definition of ‘Politics’
The Political Spectrum: The Differences between the ‘Left’ and ‘Right’
COMPULSORY TASK 4: Use your exiting knowledge of the political spectrum, and further online research if necessary, to enter ‘Left’, ‘Right’ or ‘Both in the right-hand column.
POLITICAL STATEMENT LEFT/RIGHT/BOTH 1 I believe in promoting equality of opportunity.
2 I believe the interests of society as a whole should be prioritised over those of individuals.
3 I believe that the role of government should, where possible, be kept to a minimum.
4 I believe progress is more important that respecting ‘tradition’.
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5 I think taxes on individuals and businesses should be kept to a minimum.
6 I believe the role of the family is important.
7 I believe the interests of individuals should be prioritised over those of society as a whole.
8 I believe the role of government should be expanded where it can have desirable social ends.
9 I believe in fairness.
10 I believe tradition is more important that trying to promote ‘progress’.
11 I believe in the redistribution of wealth.
12 I believe that the government is best placed to improve individuals’ lives.
13 I believe in freedom.
14 I am happy for taxes on individuals and businesses to be increased if it benefits society as a whole.
15 I believe that individuals are best placed to improve their own lives.
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UK MEDIA OUTLETS
COMPULSORY TASK 5: Complete the table below using your existing knowledge and further online research where necessary. Some have been for you as examples.
NAME DESCRIPTION (e.g. type, audience, ownership, political slant) Public Service broadcaster funded through license fee. Operates under BBC a Royal Charter which commits it legally to providing political balance. Overseen by the UK government department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
Sky News
Long-established daily quality national newspaper based in London and The Times owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation. Targeted principally at the middle class and political persuasion is centre right.
The Guardian / Observer
The Telegraph / Sunday Telegraph
The Independent
London Evening Standard
Financial Times
British daily mid-market newspaper based in London. Owned by the Mail / Mail on Viscount Rothermere and targeted at the lower middle class, it is right- Sunday wing and populist.
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Express / Sunday Express
Sun / Sun on Sunday
British daily tabloid newspaper based in London. Targeted principally Mirror / Sunday at the working class and left-wing in its political persuasion. Mirror
Metro
Manchester Evening News
Weekly print and digital political and cultural magazine based in New Statesman London. Political persuasion is on the liberal left.
Spectator
The Economist
The Week
Time (UK)
Private Eye
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TOP UK POLITICAL STORIES
COMPULSORY TASK 6: Use a range of media outlets from the list above, with different perspectives, to follow three key political stories between now and September. Then complete the table below.
WHAT is the story all WHO were the key people WHY was it politically about? / groups involved? significant?
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KEY UK POLITICAL FIGURES IN 2020
COMPULSORY TASK 7: Use your exiting knowledge and further online research to complete the table below on UK political figures who will be key to your course.
NAME PARTY ROLE(S)/JOB 2 REASONS WHY S/HE HAS BEEN TITLE(S) POLITICALLY SIGNIFICANT THIS YEAR Keir Starmer
Sadiq Khan
Rishi Sunak
Dominic Raab
Annaliese Dodds
Lisa Nandy
Dominic Cummins
Priti Patel
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Nicola Sturgeon
Lord Reed
Matt Hancock
Sir Lindsay Hoyle
Angela Rayner
Andy Burnham
Ed Davey
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KEY POLITICAL CONCEPTS
Compulsory Task 8: Use online research to make bullet point notes in the table below about what each of the following key concepts means. Provide 3-4 bullet points, in your own words, for each concept.
KEY CONCEPT MEANING
Direct Democracy
Representative Democracy
Mandate
Legitimacy
Constitution
Separation of Powers
Legislature
Executive
Judiciary
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Sovereignty
Section C: Additional Tasks for Unit 1: UK Government and Politics
Note: These are the tasks for those of you who want to use some of your time to go further and really get ahead.
TOP UK POLITICAL BOOKS
ADDITIONAL TASK 1: Why not delve into some of the best books on modern UK politics?
Title Author Description Fall Out: A Year of Tim The unmissable inside story of the most dramatic general Political Mayhem Shipman election campaign in modern history and Theresa May’s battle for a Brexit deal, the greatest challenge for a prime minister since WW2 The End of The Party: Andrew A book by political journalist Andrew Rawnsley detailing The Rise & Fall of New Rawnsley the centre-left New Labour Premiership of Tony Blair between Labour 2001, when Blair was re-elected as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, through to his resignation in 2007 when Gordon Brown formed his government, and through to just before Labour's defeat in 2010. The Establishment and Owen Jones A book in which a left-wing political commentator explains the How They Get Away links between these groups and their purported common With It interest in promoting right-wing ideals, while often claiming to serve the public. British Politics: A Very Tony Wright A concise examination of the past, present, and possible future Short Introduction of British politics from 2002. The author puts events into a longer and larger perspective, ranging from political ideas to political institutions, and offering an overview of the British political tradition. The Prime Ministers: Steve A landmark history of the men and women who have defined Reflections on Richards the UK's role in the modern world - and what makes them Leadership from Wilson special - by a seasoned political journalist. At a time of to May unprecedented political upheaval, this magisterial history explains who leads us and why. May at 10 Anthony Theresa May has presided over the most dramatic and historic Seldon peacetime premiership for a century. May at 10 tells the compelling inside story of the most turbulent period in modern British politics. All Out War: The Full Tim The first book to tell the full story of how and why Britain Story of how Brexit Shipman voted to leave the EU. Based on unrivalled access to all the key AGSB Pre A-Level Preparation Pack V1/2020 81
sank Britain’s political politicians and their advisors - including Johnson, Gove, class Osborne, Farage and Cummings, the mastermind of Vote Leave. A gripping, day-by-day account of what really happened behind-the-scenes in Downing Street, both Leave campaigns, the Labour Party, Ukip and Britain Stronger in Europe. Heroic Failure: Brexit Fintan A cultural analysis of the political ideas behind Brexit. and the Politics of Pain O’Toole Cameron at 10: The Anthony The most intimate account of a serving prime minister ever Inside Story, 2010-2015 Seldon published, this is the gripping inside story of Cameron’s government as told by senior figures, including the PM, George Osborne and Boris Johnson. Chavs: The Owen Jones A compelling investigation into the myth and reality of Demonisation of the working-class life in contemporary Britain from the perspective Working Class of a left-wing political commentator. Boris: The Making of a Andrew A brilliant and definitive biography of Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister Gimson politician who risked his career to lead the Brexit campaign, won the referendum, and finally became the new prime minister. The Blair Years: Extracts Alastair The most compelling and revealing account of New Labour’s from the Alastair Campbell rise and the tumultuous years of Tony Blair's leadership, Campbell Diaries providing the first important record of a remarkable decade in our national life.
ADDITIONAL TASK 2: Why not watch some of the political movies highlighted in red or purple below as a means of developing your interest in different aspects of the course?
TOP 12 UK POLITICAL FILMS
Relevant to A Level Relevant to A Level Relevant to Both History Politics
TITLE DATE DIRECTOR STARS DESCRIPTION 1 The Iron Lady 2011 Phyllida Meryl Streep, British biographical film based on the (12) Lloyd Jim Broadbent, life of Margaret Thatcher (1925– Anthony Head, 2013), Richard E Grant. 2 The Deal (12) 2003 Stephen David British TV film depicting the Blair- Frears Morrissey, Brown deal—a well-documented pact Michael Sheen that Blair and Brown made whereby Brown would not stand in the 1994 Labour leadership election, so that Blair could have a clear run at becoming leader of the party and PM.
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3 The Queen 2006 Stephen Helen Mirren, British drama film that depicts the (PG) Frears Michael Sheen, aftermath of the death of Diana, James Princess of Wales. The Royal Family Cromwell, Helen regards Diana's death as a private McCrory affair, in contrast with the views of Tony Blair and Diana's ex-husband, Prince Charles, who favour the general public's desire for an official expression of grief. 4 The Special 2010 Richard Michael Sheen, American-British political film Relationship Loncraine Denis Quad, dramatising the relationship between (15) Hope Davis, Tony Blair and Bill Clinton Helen McCrory 5 In The Loop 2009 Armando Peter Capaldi, British satirical black comedy directed (15) Iannucci Chris Addison, by Armando Iannucci as a spin-off Tom Hollander, from the BBC TV series The Thick of It. Gina McKee, The film satirizes Anglo-American James politics in the 21st century and the Gandolfini Invasion of Iraq.[ 6 The Wind That 2006 Ken Loach Cillian Murphy, Irish war drama film set during the Shakes The Liam Irish War of Independence (1919– Barley (15) Cunningham 1922) and the Irish Civil War (1922– and 1923). Padraic Delaney 7 Margaret (12) 2009 James Kent Lindsay Duncan, BBC TV film telling the story of the life James Fox, of Margaret Thatcher and her fall Robert Hardy from power in the 1990 leadership election, with flashbacks telling the story of Thatcher's defeat of Edward Heath in the 1975 leadership election 8 The Long Walk 2008 Andrea BBC Four TV drama based on the early to Finchley Riseborough, political career of the young Margaret (12) Rory Kinnear, Thatcher, from her attempts to gain a Samuel West seat in Dartford in 1949 via invasion and Geoffrey to her first successful campaign to win Palmer a parliamentary seat, Finchley, in 1959. 9 Taking 2007 Chris Adkins Documentary film about the erosion Liberties (12) of civil liberties in the UK and increase of surveillance under the Blair government. 10 Bloody Sunday 2003 Paul James Nesbitt, British TV film about the 1972 "Bloody (15) Greengrass Allan Gildea, Sunday" shootings in Derry, Northern Gerard Crossan Ireland. The drama shows the events of the day through the eyes of Ivan Cooper, a SDLP Northern Ireland MP who was a central organiser of the
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Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association march. 11 The Falklands 2002 Ian Curteis Patricia Hodge, The Falklands Play is a dramatic Play (12) James Fox, account of the political events leading Jeremy Child, up to, and including, the 1982 Bob Sherman, Falklands War. The play focuses on John Standing. the methods by which British PM Margaret Thatcher handled the foreign policy crisis. 12 The Ghost 2010 Roman Ewan French-German-British political Writer Polanski McGregor, thriller film The film is an adaptation Pierce Brosnan, of the Robert Harris novel, The Ghost. Kim Cattrall and An unnamed British ghostwriter is Olivia Williams recruited to complete the memoirs of former PM Adam Lang. The CIA- influenced British PM is said to be a thinly disguised version of Tony Blair.
TOP UK POLITICAL PODCASTS
ADDITIONAL TASK 3: Why not subscribe, and start listening on a regular basis to, some of the UK’s top political podcasts?
Name Description The Guardian: The Guardian's political editor, Heather Stewart, and deputy Politics Weekly political editor, Rowena Mason, are joined by commentators, experts and politicians to unpack the week's biggest stories in politics The Coronavirus Every day, Adam Fleming, Laura Kuenssberg, Fergus Walsh Newscast and Chris Mason bring you the latest on the coronavirus pandemic in the UK. 5 Live Politics Political observations, plus news and interviews from Westminster. Politics Home Our weekly podcast discussing all the ups and downs at Westminster. Please subscribe and share - and keep up with all the latest news on PoliticsHome.com. Got a question for the team? [email protected]. Political Thinking Nick Robinson talks about what’s really going on in British with Nick Robinson politics.
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ADDITIONAL TASK 4: Why not have a go at the online UK Political Compass test and learn a little more about your existing political persuasions?
https://www.politicalcompass.org/test
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Product Design
Product Design A-level Tasks for Year 11 students
1. Download Fusion 360 CAD software and get the educational licence free for 3 years. 2. Visit this link and complete the beginner’s tutorial. Log in on your phone and check your work is visible. 3. Email me at [email protected] when you have completed No.2 to access the advanced tutorials. 4. Download the specification for your A-level course and save it somewhere safe. Read it! 5. Topic 1 is on materials and you will need to be fluent at choosing and applying different materials for different tasks. You will also need to be able to identify material properties. Look at page 9 of the specification and take note of the material types that will be examined. You can start to work independently on this knowledge now. 6. Download the coursework guide and start to think about a project that you would be interested in carrying out. Read this large document and pay careful attention to the mark scheme and how to gain the highest possible coursework marks. 7. The application of mathematical knowledge is an important part of this course. You will need to be able to link your GCSE knowledge to solve real world problems. Download this guide and make a checklist of all the mathematical concepts from your GCSE course that you need to revisit. 8. Have a go right now at a typical question involving mathematics and ask yourself if your mathematical skill is still up to GCSE standards? Did you get an answer between 84,290 cubic mm and 84,300 cubic mm? (due to differing values of π and calculation methods chosen)
9. Sketching is an important skill to communicate your ideas. Your coursework will be presented as an e-portfolio possibly including audio and video tracks. You can use your IT skills to generate design ideas / scan quick sketches etc. but actual sketching remains essential, so your teachers know what you are thinking. Visit and bookmark this YouTube channel and get yourself some good quality
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sketching pencils and pens. Sit somewhere quiet and practise these skills. It won’t be easy, but patience and time is your friend. 10. Download a scanner app to your mobile phone that will allow you to use your camera to capture your sketching work as graphical images for importing to your e-portfolios. Send me some of your practise examples for feedback. ([email protected])
Everything that I have listed above are the independent learning tasks for the first two weeks of the A- level course. If you start now and become skilled, you will have a huge advantage. Good Luck.
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Spanish
The main thing you need to do is keep up your level of Spanish- it is very quick to forget everything. However, we will revise for the first few weeks to get your standard back up so do not worry.
Vocabulary
Learn as much vocabulary as you can from your AQA Kerboodle digibook. At A Level you learn specific language for each topic but it will be good to know the basic GCSE list so you can speak/write fluently. I suggest a chunk of words per day, or a double page spread per week. The vocabulary you learn at this stage is important; all language is good to know. Key GCSE topics, all themes 1, 2 and 3 from years 9-11 are relevant. GCSE higher vocabulary from www.vocabexpress.com.
Grammar
Make sure you have a decent level of understanding of all of the structures and tenses below. We will go over them all in September but knowing what they are and how to use them when speaking/ writing Spanish will help.
Tenses:
The present tense; (regulars and irregulars), stem-changing verbs, reflexive verbs. The present continuous; (estoy hablando) The preterite tense; (hablé); regulars and irrregulars, spell-changes; (morir-murió) The imperfect tense (hablaba) The perfect tense (he hablado) The pluperfect tense (había hablado) The near future tense (voy a hablar) The real future tense; (regulars and irregulars) The condition tense; (regulars and irregulars) The subjunctive (hable, vaya,tenga etc.) Resources for grammar: www.kerboodle.com AQA Spanish year 1 book www.vocabexpress.com GCSE higher book/all grammar KS4
Skills
Listening - This is the hardest skill for students to pick up as they usually do Casa de Paelpractise it enough. Use www.thisislanguage.com to watch the authentic videos and complete the tasks on the right hand side. Also, watch films/ programmes, that you have already seen, with a Spanish voiceover. This way you will not have to concentrate on the plot and you will know what is happening. Make sure you really try to understand the language. Don’t rewind, just take it in at the pace it goes. You can do this via www.youtube.com. You can also watch documentaries and Spanish TV programmes on https://www.rtve.es/alacarta/ and on Netflix Casa de Papel, Las chicas del cable, Narcos, Gran Hotel and Fugitiva. Race across the world series 2 is also worth a watch.
Reading- You can go onto www.kerboodle.com to complete the reading activities in the GCSE Higher book. If you have forgotten your username/password, drop me an email and I can sort that for you.
Speaking- this is going to be tough on your own, but not impossible. Spend some time on your and own and try to describe what you are doing, what you can see, what you did the day before etc.
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Writing- Use your AQA book to help with the essays. Once you have completed one, check properly for grammar errors, spelling mistakes etc. Always make sure you plan your written work before you do it.
Research
Watch the film we will study next year El Laberinto del Fauno by Guillermo del Toro, buy on Amazon as you need a copy. Buy the study guide El Laberinto del Fauno, AS/A Level Spanish by José Antonio Garcia Sachez available on Amazon and read. Watch the film and makes notes on the following: The characters; (Ofelia, Vidal, Mercedes, Carmen, El doctor, El fauno) and make notes on their character, what their political sympathies are, how they interact with each other, who has a conflict with which other character and why. The Spanish Civil war (1936-1939) Make a time line of events from 1936-39 and then until Francisco Franco’s death in 1975.
Suggested wider reading
Apart from the study guides on Laberinto del Fauno: Ghosts of Spain-Giles Tremlett The Spanish Holocaust-Paul Preston
Other films to watch
8 Apellidos Vascos Emilio Martinez-Lázaro Frida Julie Taymor Land and Freedom Ken Loach El Silencio de otros Rovert Bahar, Almudena Carracedo Te doy mis ojos Iciar Bollaín El espinazo del diablo Guillermo del Toro
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