Year 11 Transition

Bridging the Gap: BIOLOGY

Biologists are scientists who study the natural world and all the living things in it, from the largest mammals down to our very own microscopic DNA. They try to understand how animals and organisms work (including us humans), how we evolved and the things that can make us sick or improve our health. Biologists use this knowledge to do things like try to stop the spread of disease, track down natural resources, improve public health, animal care and conservation and work out the true impacts of things like pollution.

What skills will I get from studying biology?
As with the other sciences, biology helps you to build up research, problem solving, organisation and analytical skills. If you study biology, you will likely find yourself working on group projects, which will help you build your teamwork and communication skills too.

What careers can I do with biology?
Biology is a key subject for lots of STEM careers, particularly in healthcare, medicine and jobs involving plants or animals. The list is pretty long and includes: nursing, dentistry, forensic science, psychology, physiotherapy, botany, environmental science, zoology, geology, oceanography, pharmaceuticals, energy, teaching, science writing, genetics and research.

TASK 1 REVIEW / REVISE
You will need to make revision notes on the following topics using your GCSE revision guide and BBC bitesize.
• Cells structure, differences between plant, animal and bacterial cells
• Microscopy, types of microscope and magnification, image, actual size calculations
• Enzyme action
• Diffusion, osmosis, active transport
• DNA structure, punnet square diagrams and inheritance
• The heart and circulation
• Health and disease, pathogens and the immune system
TASK 2 WATCH
All of life on Earth is made up using just 4 bases, which are used to create all the amino acids and all the proteins necessary for any form of life, from bacteria to humans. But what if we could make more bases? How many more amino acids and therefore proteins could we make and what could we do with them?
https://www.ted.com/talks/floyd_e_romesberg_the_radical_possibilities_of_man_made_dna/up-next?language=en

Watch and answer the following questions:
1) What are the bases used in DNA?
2) What names were given to the new bases made?
3) What key attribute did the new bases have to have to be useable?
4) How many natural amino acids are there?
5) What are some of the possible uses of the extra proteins?
6) Why would you produce a bacteria that glows green?
7) Should we be worried about releasing new man-made forms of life into the environment?
If you like this, try some other TED talks: The surprisingly charming science of your gut the bacteria in your gut (your microbiome) is more important than previously thought and could have huge health implications
https://www.ted.com/talks/eldridge_adams_can_animals_be_deceptive/up-next
https://www.ted.com/talks/janet_iwasa_why_it_s_so_hard_to_cure_hiv_aids/up-next
Recently, an article described the first person to be cured of AIDS. How? And why has it taken so long

 

 

TASK 3 READ

Choose one of the BBC stories below and write a summary.

What is the impact of each of these stories on the future?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52530828

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-52534032?intlink_from_url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science_and_environment&link_location=live-reporting-story

If you’re interested in this, you could also read:
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01315-7

Other books you might be interested in:
• The Selfish Gene Richard Dawkins
• The Blind Watchmaker, Richard Dawkins
• The Body: A Guide for Occupants, Bill Bryson
• Sapiens, Yuval Noah Harari
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot
• Fragile Lives, Stephen Westaby

TASK 4 LISTEN TO
Just how clever are plants?
They seem to be able to do things that we use a brain for, but if they don’t have a brain, how do they do that?
https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/radiolab/articles/smarty-plants
There are 3 different experiments described in this podcast from Radiolab. Summarise each of the 3 experiments as a series of diagrams, using a maximum of 10 words.
Why is peer review important?
If you like podcasts, try:
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01062-9
(Nature) This also links to chemistry, if you’re studying both subjects.

https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/radiolab/articles/man-against-horse
A story of evolution involving horses, humans and pigs on treadmills!

https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/tapirs-help-reforestation-via-defecation/
Tapirs help reforestation via defecation Part of the 60 second science series from Scientific American.

TASK 5 RESEARCH

Research the differences between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells, including the answers to the following questions:
a) What are some examples of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells?
b) Which organelles are found in eukaryotic cells? Which organelles are found in prokaryotic cells?
c) Are there any differences between the organelles in each type of organism?
d) Choose 3 organelles and research the function of these organelles within the organism (either prokaryotic or eukaryotic).

Present your findings as a booklet, poster or report (typed or handwritten), including pictures. You also need to reference where you got the information from with a separate section at the end of the report (entitled ‘References’). Any books you use (including textbooks), you must include the author surname, initial, title of book (in italics) and year of publication. For websites, you must copy the URL (not just the name of the website) and the date you accessed the site. White blood cell surrounded by red blood cells, SEM image

TASK 6 COMPLETE

The future learn course below is all about cardiovascular disease and the risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease. This links to the year 12 unit ‘Mass Transport’ and takes you through the structure of the heart and the impact of heart disease. This will also be good revision from your GCSE course.

Understanding cardiovascular disease
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/human-disease-understanding-cardiovascular-disease

Complete the course and make Cornell notes on each section.

Others you might be interested in:
Exploring Cancer and Genetic Disease
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/human-disease-exploring-cancer-genetic-disease

APPENDICES / RESOURCES
AQA A Level Biology (2nd edition) ISBN-13: 978-0-19-835177-1
Or AQA A Level Biology Year 1 and AS (2nd edition), ISBN-13: 978-0-19-835176-4
AQA A level Biology Year 2 (2nd edition) ISBN-13: 978-0-19-835770-4
You can also buy a bridging book, produced by CGP, specifically to help bridge the gap between GCSE and A level (optional).
Head start to Biology A Level ISBN: 9781782942795
Essential Maths Skills for Biology ISBN-13: 978-1847623232

Bridging the Gap: CHEMISTRY

Chemistry is all about studying the interactions between chemicals and using our understanding to improve on current materials science, leading to new materials with specific properties, whether that is plastics that biodegrade or pharmaceuticals treating new diseases and conditions.
Chemistry covers the principles that govern reactions and lead to innovative new materials being created to meet the demands of future technologies. A mainstay of medicine it can lead to careers in the medical sciences, whether that is research or practicing medicine.

What skills will I get from studying chemistry?
Students will gain skills such as critical thinking and problem solving to elicit synthetic pathways to make specific materials, understanding the use of chemicals in our lives and how they interact in the 21st century, and how we can overcome some of the problems associated with our lifestyles. Organisation and analytical thinking skills linked to observation through practical experiments and predicting outcomes of chemical interactions.

What careers can I do with chemistry?
Chemistry is a highly regarded A Level course accepted as a suitable grade for most courses, however, it is specifically required for many Science based degrees at University. These include Chemistry, Dentistry, Medicine, Chemical Engineering, Pharmacy, Pharmacology, Food Sciences and Forensic Science

TASK 1 REVIEW / REVISE

You will need to review the work you have done in GCSE on the following topics to make sure you clearly understand the main concepts:
• Atomic Structure
• Ionic and Covalent bonding
• The Mole
• Calculations involving masses
• Empirical Formulae
• Hydrocarbons

TASK 2 WATCH

Royal Institution The Magic of Chemistry:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0g8lANs6zpQ

Chemical Curiosities:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ti_E2ZKZpC4

The Mystery of Matter: Unruly Elements:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbuDmY5gpXQ
• How did Mendeleev come up with the periodic table?
Take Cornell Notes identifying the key points that led to the development of the modern Periodic table.

Royal Society The elements of Chemistry:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bou6Ank4m5Y

You might also want to watch these interesting videos on Chemistry:
Royal Institution Christmas Lectures
https://www.rigb.org/christmas-lectures/watch/2012/the-modern-alchemist
https://www.rigb.org/christmas-lectures/watch/1992/our-world-through-the-looking-glass
https://www.rigb.org/christmas-lectures/watch/1980/the-chicken-the-egg-and-the-molecules
https://www.rigb.org/christmas-lectures/watch/1979/atoms-for-enquiring-minds

TEDTalks https://www.ted.com/talks/jakob_magolan_a_crash_course_in_organic_chemistry/up-next

https://www.ted.com/talks/jon_bergmann_just_how_small_is_an_atom/up-next
https://www.ted.com/talks/george_zaidan_and_charles_morton_the_uncertain_location_of_electrons

 

 

TASK 3 LISTEN TO

Cobalt (A brief history)
https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/science-friday/segments/scifri-extra-science-diction-wordcobalt

The Episodic Table of Elements (Stories of the Elements) https://www.feedspot.com/infiniterss.php?_src=feed_title&followfeedid=4969134&q=site
:https%3A% 2F%2Ffeeds.podcastmirror.com%2Fepisodictable

Chemistry in its Element (Podcasts on a bewildering array of different chemicals)
https://www.feedspot.com/infiniterss.php?_src=feed_title&followfeedid=4968400&q=site
:http%3A% 2F%2Fchemistryinitselement.libsyn.com%2Frs

 

TASK 4 READ

Preparation for A Level Chemistry Further Reading for fun and pleasure
• The Secret Life of the Periodic Table by Dr. Ben Still
• The Elements by Theodore Gray
• Molecules by Theodore Gray
• Bad Science by Ben Goldacre (not specifically Chemistry but a good read about critical thinking!)
• The Periodic Table by Primo Levi

Apps for the Technologically Savvy
• General Chemistry Course Assistant
• RSC Periodic Table

Websites
• ThoughtCo. Chemistry:
https://www.thoughtco.com/chemistry-4133594
• Compound Interest:
https://www.compoundchem.com/

TASK 5 RESEARCH

What is a homologous series?
Design a mind map/ poster outlining the main homologous series in Organic Chemistry. Include each series’ functional group and any information YOU feel is relevant. Based on your knowledge of Atomic Structure at GCSE and research, explain how, with reference to subatomic particles, the atom is arranged.
Include reference to electron orbitals. Use Harvard referencing for any resources you use. Your explanations, tables and diagrams should not take up more than one side of A4

TASK 6 COMPLETE

Complete the research tasks on Organic homologous series and atomic structure. Make sure you use the Harvard reference system for any sources you use (or it is considered plagiarism!) Guide to Harvard reference system:
https://www.mendeley.com/guides/harvard-citation-guide

 

APPENDICES / RESOURCES

AQA Chemistry website:
https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/science/as-and-a-level/chemistry-7404-7405

AQA A Level Chemistry Specification:
https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/chemistry/specifications/AQA-7404-7405-SP-2015.PDF

Required Practical Handbook:
https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/chemistry/AQA-7404-7405-PHBK.PDF

Chemguide:
https://chemguide.co.uk/

Doc Browns Chemistry:
http://docbrown.info/index.htm

 

 

 

 

 

 

English Language A-Level

English Language is a subject which requires students to think analytically, and almost scientifically at times, in their breakdown of language. It asks students to look closely at how writers and speakers manipulate language, express emotions (intentionally and unintentionally) and create a power divide through their choice of lexis and sentence structure.
Bridging the gap GCSE to A Level English Language

Over the two year study period your course will cover:
• A variety of discourse structures and modes
• The study of lexis, semantics, phonetics, pragmatics, graphology and grammatical structures
• Child language development
• Language change over time
• Global English
• Accent
• Dialect
• Sociolects
• Ethnolects
• Language and gender
• Language and occupation
• Language and Power

To prepare yourself for the course it is important that you become familiar with a wide variety of text types. Take yourself out of your comfort zone and really stretch yourself with your reading: if you are not a newspaper reader then start; if you haven’t read political speeches then start; if you have only read contemporary texts then start to read texts from the 17th, 18th, 19th and early 20th century. Ensure that you understand how a dictionary works i.e. how to find the etymology of a word and how some word classes can change according to their use.

Recommended reading list for students:
• The Story of Language: C.L. Barber (Pan Books)
• Introduction to English Language: Blake and Moorhead (Macmillan)
• The English Language: ed. W.F. Bolton and David Crystal (Sphere History of Literature)
• Mother Tongue – The English Language: Bill Bryson (Penguin)
• The English Language: David Crystal (Penguin)
• Introducing Stylistics: John Hayes (Routledge)
• Language: the Basics: R.L. Trask (Routledge)
• The State of the Language: Philip Howard (Penguin)

English Literature A-Level
This course provides students with an introduction to the discipline of advanced literary studies and presents opportunities for reading widely and for making creative and informed responses to each of the major literary genres of poetry, prose and drama. The course covers eight literary texts in total from these three areas.
Bridging the gap GCSE to A Level English Literature.

We expect that you will join the course in September ready to move your study of literature on to the next academic level. With this in mind we have produced a reading list of titles that are appropriate to this level of learning. We strongly recommend that you spend time over the summer reading at least two titles from the list.
Reading List: You should read at least two titles that you have not already read from the following list. When you have read your choices, pick one of the essay questions that follow and answer it in approximately 850 words with close reference to ONE of your chosen texts.

• A selection of William Shakespeare’s sonnets
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• 1984 by George Orwell
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
• The Collected Poems of Sylvia Plath
• Enduring Love by Ian McEwan
• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
• The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams
• Othello by William Shakespeare
• The Trial by Franz Kafka
• The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
• A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
• The Birds by Daphne Du Maurier

Questions to Consider:
1. How does the author/poet/playwright convey a particular theme?
2. How is dramatic technique used to heighten tension?
3. How does the author/playwright encourage you to empathise with a character?
4. What poetic techniques are used by the poet to convey tone?
5. How is setting used to develop your understanding of the text?

Food Bridging the Gap from Y11 to A Level

There are a number of things you can do:

1. Developing as a Foodie – through activities such as general reading around the subject, watching videos, listening to podcast, experimenting with ingredients and challenging yourself with new recipes. This all helps develop your Food knowledge and understanding.
2. 2. Become a Nutritionist – Create a ‘Food diary’ and explain what this tells you about your diet and the short and long term implications, as well as how you can modify your diet for good. Adapte these recipes to broaden the skill level. All these things that are relevant to what you are studying.
3. 3. Preparing for the Level 3 Course – Starting to explore the topics and their foundations in which they will be studied in the Level 3 Course – the summer tasks are designed to help you do this.

Watch the news for any food related stories or download the BBC news app. Read Supplements in/on websites such as The Guardian, The Independent, and The Times, Supermarket websites and magazines are also highly informative, as well as listening to a range of podcast on steaming sites.

To be successful at Level 3 you need to develop the ability to think critically and analyse your own skills and being able to see the greater overview and how everything begins to link together.

Food is not just about studying ingredients and recipes; it is also the relationships that exist between ingredients, nutrition and science.

At GCSE you have covered a lot of the foundations of the underpinning concepts; Food commodities, principles of nutrition, diet and health, science of food and the preparation of it.

GCSE has provided a breadth of study, whereas Level 3 will now enable you to gain greater depth by exploring topics in greater detail but also encouraging you to see and explore the links between topics. The best students at Level 3 keep reading the news and generally seek to improve their understanding by engaging with food issues discussions, a key element at Level 3.

This guide has been designed for you to be able to dip in and out of, from looking at general Food tasks and develop your practical ability, through a range of recipes and Level 3 tasks and past papers.

Geography Bridging the Gap from Y11 to A Level

There are a number of things you can do:

1. Developing as a geographer – through activities such as general reading around the subject, watching videos, listening to podcast. This all helps develop your geography knowledge and understanding.
2. Become a News Buff – Watch the news – BBC news between 6am-9am or at 6pm. Or get on the BBC news app. Other websites such as The Guardian, The Independent, and The Times are also highly informative. Create a ‘Geography in the News Diary’ of all things that are relevant to what you are studying.
3. Preparing for the A Level Course – Starting to explore the topics and their foundations in which they will be studied in the A Level Course – the summer tasks are designed to help you do this.

To be a great geographer you need to develop the ability to think synoptically, being able to see the greater overview and how everything begins to link together.

Geography is not just about studying people and landscapes; it is also the relationships that exist between people and their environment.

At GCSE you have covered a lot of the foundations of the underpinning concepts; physical processes and how they have shaped the landscape and the key human processes that shape our society.

GCSE has provided a breadth of study, whereas A Level will now enable you to gain greater depth by exploring topics in greater detail but also encouraging you to see and explore the links between topics. The best geographers at A Level keep reading the news and generally seek to improve their geographical understanding by engaging with geographical discussions regarding key issues.

This guide has been designed for you to be able to dip in and out of, from looking at general geographical issues and developing your ability to think like a geographer, through to starting to explore some of the topics we will be looking at in Year 12 and 13 so you can do some valuable background reading

Task 1: Geography in the news journal

The Geography AS course is very ‘current events’ based, so it is important that you watch, listen to, read or search the news at least a few times a week. You can get the news in a variety of ways and should choose a method that suits you the best:

• TV: Almost every channel has its own news programme and news is broadcast at a variety of times, morning, lunchtime and evening.
• Newspapers: A variety exist – the best for our course are the so-called broadsheets (The Guardian, The Independent, The Times, The Telegraph or the FT). However, a good one to read is The ‘I’ newspaper as it is a shorter more accessible version of The Independent and only costs 20p.
• Radio: Almost every station broadcasts the news at regular intervals, though these are often short overviews rather than full in-depth reports.
• Internet: Great for browsing and for searching for particular news stories. You can also compare the reporting of a story from different perspectives very easily. There are also news apps that can be downloaded to computers or Smart phones.

SKILL – Read/Watch/Listen/Summarize

Pick one relevant news story each week and write a report on the geography of the story.

Instructions:

1. Watch, listen, read or search the news.
2. Pick a RELEVANT news story related to the course you will be studying. Check out what exam board you are doing on your Post 16 provider’s website:

Use the following link to direct you to all the exam boards https://curriculum-press.co.uk/a-level-geography-exam-boards

Create a scrapbook of different Geographical Headlines – Use the structure below to present your research, try to condense each story down to one A4 fact file – you can keep adding to this throughout you’re a level course.

ONLINE NEWS ARTICLES/MAGAZINES 

THE CONVERSATION.COM http://theconversation.com/uk We can highly recommend you use this! This you will find is really useful to support many of your A Levels. It provides up to date articles from academics and specialists in the field written in a way that is accessible to all, summarising key points in short but insightful articles.

BBC NEWS https://www.bbc.co.uk/news  – an excellent source of up to date articles – explore the key headings such as Science, as well as the UK, World and other stories. T

THE GUARDIAN https://www.theguardian.com/uk  – again many useful articles and logically ordered – keep an eye on the Environment, Science, Society, Global Development stories in particular!

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine

GEOGRAPHICAL MAGAZINE http://geographical.co.uk

THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHIC ASSOCIATION https://www.rgs.org/geography

STRUCTURE FOR YOUR RESEARCH HEADLINE/NEWS STORY:

• What is the LOCATION of the event?
• What are the key ideas or events that have taken place? (Think about What, Who, When and Why?)
• What were the causes of the event?
• What were the impacts or effects? (Be specific – where, what, who, how many?)
• What is your opinion of the event? Why did you choose it? How does it make you feel?

 

Task 2

How can I develop as a Geographer before September?

SKILL – Watch/Summarize

Below are some links to documentaries’ which provide a great way of staying inspired and engaging with topics in geography.

Instructions – Watch a documentary

GEOGRAPHICAL DOCUMENTARIES:

There are some great geographical documentaries which will help develop your general geographical knowledge and understanding and help you see what an amazing world we live in.

The following are all available on BBC IPLAYER:

• David Attenborough Box Sets- there are 9 amazing boxsets available on BBC iPlayer from David Attenborough exploring our amazing world.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/group/p06m42d9

• The Americas with Simon Reeve

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m00095p0/the-americas-with-simon-reeve

• Simon Reeve around the World

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/group/p06rrnkm

• Britain Underwater: Fighting the floods

https://www.itv.com/hub/britain-underwater-fighting-the-floods/7a0157

• Joanna Lumley’s Hidden Caribbean: Havana to Haiti

https://www.itv.com/hub/joanna-lumleys-hidden-caribbeanhavana-to-haiti/2a7578

• Race across the World

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000g6nt/race-across-the-world-series-2-episode-1

• Andrew Marrs Megacities

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b011qmcl/episodes/guide

• Trumps War on the Border

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/trumps-war-on-the-border

• Dispatches

https://www.channel4.com/programmes/dispatches/on-demand/67256-001

• Earth from Space – episode 4 The Changing Planet (BBC iPlayer)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p072n8m0/earth-from-space-series-1-4-changing-planet

• Kevin McLeod rough guide to the Future – Channel 4 – 3 episodes, https://www.channel4.com/programmes/kevinmcclouds-rough-guide-to-the-future/episode-guide/

YOUR TASK It can be hard to know what to do with all of this reading and information. Here are some suggestions:

• Design a text book or web page about that topic to summarise what you’ve learned 

 

Task 3

How can I develop as a Geographer before September?

SKILL – Listen/Summarize

Below are some links to podcasts, which provide a great way of staying inspired and engaging with topics in geography.

Instructions – Listen to a podcast

GEOGRAPHICAL PODCASTS

• Royal Geographical Society – ‘Ask the Geographer podcasts’ – https://www.rgs.org/schools/teaching-resources/ask-the-expert-podcasts a fantastic set of podcasts to keep A Level studies up to date with the latest geographical research. Pick out some that interest you.
• Links to general podcasts – https://eternalexploration.wordpress.com/2016/01/04/top-10-podcasts-for-geography-students – this has a number of different links to geography podcast, specifically targeted to Geography students. Definitely recommend the TED talks.

 

YOUR TASK It can be hard to know what to do with all of this reading and information.

• Use Cornell note-taking – see http://lsc.cornell.edu/study-skills/cornell-note-taking-system/

 Task 4

How can I develop as a Geographer before September?

SKILL – Watch Summarize

Below are some links to some films, which provide a great way of staying inspired and engaging with topics in geography.

Instructions – Watch a film

GEOGRAPHY ON NETFLIX, DVD or YOUTUBE

• The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)
• Touching the Void (15) (great for visualising glacial landscapes) – a powerful true story
• Before the Flood (2016) (PG) – National Geographic.
• The Impossible (2012) (12) – Movie based on real life events of the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami which killed 200,000 people.
• Slumdog Millionaire (15) – based on life in the slums of Mumbai
• Our Planet (Netflix series) – explores how climate change impacts all living creatures.
• Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (12) – an epic which celebrates the journey of Nelson Mandela from childhood in a rural village through to his election as President of South Africa. This explores what happened in South Africa with regards to apartheid and Black opposition through the eyes of Nelson Mandela.
• Hotel Rwanda (12) – the true story of hotel manager who houses and protects Tutsi refugees – this is a hard-hitting film based on the Rwandan Conflict of the 1990s.
• The Last King of Scotland (15) – another hard-hitting story, based on struggles faced by Uganda under the dictatorship of Idi Amin

YOUR TASK It can be hard to know what to do with all of this reading and information.

–     Use Intelligent graffiti

 

Task 5

How can I develop as a Geographer before September?

SKILL – Listen/Summarize

Below are some links to books, which provide a great way of staying inspired and engaging with topics in geography.

Instructions – Read a book

Write a book review – https://www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-reading/tips-and-advice/writing-tips/writing-tips-for-teens/how-to-write-a-book-review

 

FURTHER GEOGRAPHICAL READING RECOMMENDATIONS

• ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY https://www.rgs.org/schools/teaching-resources/geography-in-the-news
• We Are Displaced. By Malala Yousafzai
• The Human Tide. By Paul Morland
• What does rain smell like? By Simon King & Clare Nasir
• Prisoners of geography. By Tim Marshall
• No One Is Too Small To Make A Difference. By Greta Thunberg
• Factfulness. By Hans Rosling with Ola Rosling and Anna Rosling Ronnlund

 

 

 

 

History Bridging the Gap from Y11 to A Level

There are a number of things you can do:

1. Developing as a Historian – through activities such as general reading around the subject, watching videos, listening to podcast. This all helps develop your geography knowledge and understanding.
2. 2. Become a News Buff – Watch the news – BBC news between 6am-9am or at 6pm. Or get on the BBC news app. Other websites such as The Guardian, The Independent, and The Times are also highly informative. Create a ‘History in the News Diary’ of all things that are relevant to what you are studying. #

You also might want to check in on free websites such as History Extra or alternatively browse the content on History Today or become a member of the Historical Association.

3. 3. Preparing for the A Level Course – Starting to explore the topics and their foundations in which they will be studied in the A Level Course – the summer tasks are designed to help you do this.

To be a great historian you need to develop the ability to think broadly and critically, to judge the actions of agents in the past and consider their motivations, influences and their impacts both in the long & short term.

History is not just about attaining a knowledge of events from the past it is about using that knowledge to understand causation, change over time and the development of the world we live in today.

GCSE has provided a breadth of study, whereas A Level will now enable you to gain greater depth by exploring topics in greater detail but also encouraging you to see and explore the links between topics. The best historians at A Level keep reading the news and generally seek to improve their historical understanding by engaging with historical discussions regarding key issues.

This guide has been designed for you to be able to dip in and out of, from looking at general historical issues and developing your ability to think like a historian, through to starting to explore some of the topics we will be looking at in Year 12 and 13 so you can do some valuable background reading.

 

 

As you transition from Year 11 to Year 12, it is very important to refresh your memory on certain core mathematical skills. Moreover, it is vital that you have a sound understanding of some more difficult skills. In the tables below, you will find 180 skills that you should be confident with as you start Year 12. Get 100% on each and use the videos if you are stuck.

Transition to A Level Maths

A Level music continues the skills you have learned at GCSE music, Performance, Composition and Aural Analysis.  There will be new set works to study, and your performance and composition tasks will be similar, depending on which exam board your college will study.  Please keep practicing and performing your instrument at every opportunity.  Below are the exam specifications for A Level Music. 

A Level Music Edexcel

A Level Music Eduqas

A Level Music AQA

Bridging the Gap: PHYSICS

Physics is about understanding the universe and the world around us. Physicists explore the fundamental nature of almost everything we know of. They study everything from the fundamental particles that build matter, to the galaxies that make up the universe itself.

What skills will I get from studying physics?
Studying Physics after your GCSEs really develops your practical and mathematical skills. If you enjoy experimenting in the lab, you’ll love it.

What careers can I do with physics?
Possible career choices include engineering, architecture, physics, teaching, research, radiation protection, meteorology, astrophysics chemical physics, computer programming, banking and finance.

TASK 1 REVIEW / REVISE

A Level Physics requires a sound understanding of the following topics from GCSE:
• Waves
• Light and the Electromagnetic Spectrum
• Forces and motion
• Energy, work and power
• Electricity
• Magnetism and electromagnetic induction
• Materials—density and springs
• Radioactivity

TASK 2 WATCH

• Watch any or all of the “Schools Lecture series” videos made by the Institute of Physics. Don’t be put off by the title—they are all presented by experts in physics at the right kind of level, and the topics covered will really help you understand some of the details of the A Level course. http://www.iop.org/resources/videos/education/

• There are huge numbers of physics videos online—some recommended ones are: Minute Physics http://www.youtube.com/user/minutephysics Veritasium
https://www.youtube.com/user/1veritasium

Sixty symbols
https://www.youtube.com/user/sixtysymbols

Richard Feynman’s “Messenger Lectures” on physics, archived with transcripts on Microsoft’s Project Tuva website
http://www.research.microsoft.com/apps/tools/tuva/

• Horizon is an excellent series covering a range of interesting topics: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/b006mgxf/horizon

• Of general science interest:
Vsauce
https://www.youtube.com/user/Vsauce

Institute of Physics
https://www.youtube.com/user/InstituteofPhysics

Here are some films that you may have seen already but are worth a watch:
• Interstellar (2014)
• The Martian (2015)
• Contact (1997)
• Gravity (2013)
• Particle Fever (2013)
• The Theory of Everything (2014)
• Einstein and Eddington (2008)
• The Abyss (1989)

Then watch how the science in them has been pulled apart:
https://www.youtube.com/user/CinemaSins

 

TASK 3 LISTEN TO

Below are links to podcasts that cover a range of science-based and physics topics. It is not essential to listen to these but it will give you a glimpse into the wider world of science and may answer some questions you didn’t realise you had.

Science in Action
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p002vsnb

The Infinite Monkey Cage
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00snr0w

The Life Scientific
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b015sqc7

Undiscovered by Science Friday
https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/undiscovered

Flash Forward
https://www.flashforwardpod.com/

The Titanium Physicists
https://titaniumphysicists.brachiolopemedia.com/

In our time
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qykl

 

TASK 4 READ

Listed below are some useful sources to help prepare you further for the A Level Course:
Prepare for the challenge of A Level Physics:
Study Guide to bridging the gap between GCSE and A Level Physics by Kitt Betts-Masters (2020)
Essential Maths Skills for A Level Physics by CGP (2015) Headstart to A Level Physics by CGP (2015) Recommended Books on Physics, Maths and Science
A brief history of time by Stephen Hawking Big Bang:
The origin of the universe by Simon Singh Six Easy Pieces by Richard Feynman
Hyperspace by Michio Kaku The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli
The Code Book by Simon Singh
The Simpsons and their Mathematical Secrets by Simon Singh
Longitude by Dava Sobel
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins
Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham

 

TASK 5 RESEARCH

Research two key experiments and prepare a short report on each:

Choose from the following list:
• Young’s Double slit experiment
• Millikan’s Oil drop experiment
• Rutherford’s Scattering experiment
• Fermi’s Chicago Pile
• Franklin’s X-ray diffraction DNA photograph
• Bell Burnell’s Pulsar
• Eratosthenes’ measurement of the Earth’s circumference
• Foucault’s pendulum

Your report should include:
• The title of the experiment
• When the main discovery was made
• Who the main scientist(s) was/were
• A short background to put the experiment in context of the understanding of that field of science at the time
• A description of the experiment performed (diagrams may be helpful)
• The main evidence gathered
• The conclusions that were drawn
• How it changed our understanding

 

TASK 6 COMPLETE

You should aim to watch at least one TV programme, listen to a podcast and read a book from the lists given. Asking questions and increasing our knowledge and understanding of the world is a core attribute of a successful physicist and student.

My personal favourites are:

TV programmes Horizon—The Pleasure of Findings Things Out https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p018dvyg

Mythbusters (2003-2018)

Podcasts Jocelyn Bell Burnell
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b016812j

Brian Cox on Quantum Mechanics
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04hvx9z

Carlo Rovelli on Why time is not what it seems
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b1r1cw

Films Interstellar (2014)
The Abyss (1989)
Contact (1997)

Books
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
The Code Book by Simon Singh

Join: Qubit the e-Newsletter from the Institute of Physics http://www.iop.org/education/student/youth_membership/page_41684.html

Try: these websites to participate in current research:
https://setiathome.berkeley.edu/
https://www.schoolsobservatory.org/discover/projects/asteroidwatch
http://www.galaxyzoo.org/

APPENDICES / RESOURCES

Class Textbooks

• AQA Physics: A Level Year 1 and AS by Jim Breithaupt, 2015 ISBN: 978-0198351863
• AQA Physics: A Level Year 2 by Jim Breithaupt, 2015 ISBN: 978-0198357728
• *New* AQA A Level Physics (Year 1 and Year 2) by Jeremy Pollard et al, 2019 ISBN: 978-1510469884

Revision Resources
• AQA A Level Physics Revision Guide by Jim Breithaupt, 2017 ISBN: 978-0198351894
• CGP A Level Physics (AQA) Complete revision and practice, 2018 ISBN: 978-1789080322
• CGP A Level Physics (AQA) Exam practice workbook, 2018 ISBN: 978-1782949169

Exam Board Resources Specification:
https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/physics/specifications/AQA-7407-7408-SP2015.PDF

Practical Handbook:
https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/physics/AQA-7407-7408-PHBK.PDF

Subject specific vocabulary:
https://www.aqa.org.uk/resources/science/as-and-a-level/teach/ subject-specific-vocabulary Data sheet
https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/sample-papers-and-mark-schemes/2018/june/AQA-74081- INS-JUN18.PDF