Transition to Forge Valley Sixth Form
The information below contains some background reading and information for Year 11 students who will be studying at Forge Valley from September 2024.
Links include information about the course, as well as websites that contain a wide range of reading material and some preparation work before you start your course.
Art
Tasks
Selecting one title from the list of choices will be the start of your new project. You need to research artists from the title list and collect images relating to your chosen title, creating pieces of work from both primary and secondary sources through drawings, thumbnail sketches, collage, photography, 3D work or any other medium you have access to. This work should be full of experimentation showing development and refining of ideas.
Using the assessment sheets provided read through the assessment objectives to have a clear understanding of what is needed to achieve a certain mark and start to use subject specific vocabulary when discussing your ideas and research with friends and family.
Useful Websites
Biology
A Seneca Learning Group has been set up. Please log on or sign up and join Miss Hazelby’s class using the following class code; swe3lwk5ug.
Please complete the assignments which will ensure that you are up to speed on the key concepts needed for your studies during Year 12.
Transition to Forge
Business Studies
Watch on YouTube “Peter Jones meets The Constantines and Chris Dawson” and complete the following tasks:
1. Explain, using examples, how the objectives of the two businesses differ. (1 page)
2. Research and make notes on the characteristics necessary for entrepreneurs to be successful. (1 page)
3. Explain how the entrepreneurs in the video demonstrate three of these characteristics and for each characteristic, give evidence of how it has been demonstrated. Explain how each characteristic helps towards the success of the organisation. (2 pages)
4. Research another well-known entrepreneur. Prepare a presentation about this person, explaining the entrepreneurial characteristics that they have demonstrated, showing how each helped towards the success of the business. (4 slides)
Chemistry
A Seneca Learning Group has been set up, with presentations and tasks.
The code to join the group is: w5ikaoxorh
Alternatively, you can join via this link: https://app.senecalearning.com/dashboard/class/w5ikaoxorh/assignments/assignment/cf39e884-87ee-463b-b400-0c573065cca6
Bridging Work
Please email the teachers (see below) for the mark schemes so that you can self-assess as you complete the tasks:
Mr So: pso@forgevalley.sheffield.sch.uk or Mr Barradell: jbarradell@forgevalley.sheffield.sch.uk.
Criminology
Transition Project
The following programme is designed to prepare you for Level 3 Criminology for the following topics:
Unit 1 – Changing Awareness of Crime
Unit 2 – Criminological Theory
Unit 3 – From the Crime Scene to the Courtroom
Unit 4 – Crime and Punishment
A reminder – This course has two elements that are not assessed in an exam, Units 1 and 3 will be assessed via controlled assessment in the January of Year 12 and Year 13 respectively, whereas Units 2 and 4 will be assessed via exam at the normal time.
You must aim to complete all sections of the programme to ensure that you have a thorough understanding of the background for the units. It is suggested that you complete a task each week.
English Language
Use the links to enable you to do some background reading on the subject and as an introduction to some of the ideas and issues you will be studying.
English Language A level is the study of the English Language. During the course, you will acquire an analytical toolkit which will enable you to explore and explain any text. Learning to think and act like a linguist will enable you to explore language and contexts in a coherent manner. You will investigate the changes in the English Language and how it is used across the globe and learn about how a child acquires the ability to use language. Gender, occupation, where you live, social groups, ethnicity and sexuality, are just some of the things that affect the way in which you use language; you will explore these issues and evaluate ideas and research in an objective way.
Useful Websites
English Literature
The links below include information about the course, websites that provide access to a wide range of texts, as well as general literature websites that you might find interesting.
Paper 1: Aspects of Tragedy (Othello, Death of a Salesman, Hardy)
At the core of all the set texts is a tragic hero or heroine who is flawed in some way, who suffers and causes suffering to others and in all texts there is an interplay between what might be seen as villains and victims. Some tragic features will be more in evidence in some texts than in others and students will need to understand how particular aspects of the tragic genre are used and how they work in the four chosen texts. The absence of an ‘aspect’ can be as significant as its presence. There can be no exhaustive list of the ‘aspects’ of tragedy but areas that can usefully be explored include:
- the type of the tragic text itself, whether it is classical and about public figures, like Lear, or domestic and about representations of ordinary people, like Tess in Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles
- the settings for the tragedy, both places and times
- the journey towards death of the protagonists, their flaws, pride and folly, their blindness and insight, their discovery and learning, their being a mix of good and evil
- the role of the tragic villain or opponent, who directly affects the fortune of the hero, who engages in a contest of power and is partly responsible for the hero’s demise
- the presence of fate, how the hero’s end is inevitable
- how the behaviour of the hero affects the world around him, creating chaos and affecting the lives of others
- the significance of violence and revenge, humour and moments of happiness
- the structural pattern of the text as it moves through complication to catastrophe, from order to disorder, through climax to resolution, from the prosperity and happiness of the hero to the tragic end
- the use of plots and sub-plots
- the way that language is used to heighten the tragedy
- ultimately how the tragedy affects the audience, acting as a commentary on the real world, moving the audience through pity and fear to an understanding of the human condition.
Paper 2: Elements of political and social protest writing (The Handmaid’s Tale, The Kite Runner, Songs of Innocence and of Experience)
Although it could be claimed that all texts are political, what defines the texts here is that they have issues of power and powerlessness at their core, with political and social protest issues central to each text’s structure. The political and social protest genre covers representations of both public and private settings.
All set texts foreground oppression and domination and they all look at the cultures we live in and have lived in over time. A crucial word in the title of this option is ‘Elements’ and students need to consider the specific elements that exist in each of their texts. The elements that might be explored, depending on each individual text, include:
- the type of the text itself, whether it is a post-modern novel, science fiction, satirical poetry, historical and political drama
- the settings that are created as backdrops for political and social action and the power struggles that are played out on them. Both places (real and imagined) and time settings will also be significant here
- the specific nature of the power struggle, the behaviours of those with power and those without, those who have their hands on the levers of power
- the pursuit of power itself, rebellion against those with power, warfare
- the workings of the ruling political classes
- corruption, conspiracy, control
- the connection of the smaller world to the larger world
- the focus on human organisation: domestically, in the work place, in local and national governments
- gender politics and issues of social class
- the structural patterning of the text, how political tensions are heightened and perhaps resolved
- the way that language is used in the worlds that are created
- the way that political and social protest writing is used to comment on society, particularly the representation of society at particular historical periods
- ultimately how political and social protest writing affects audiences and readers, inviting reflection on our own world.
Reading List
This is just a starting point. Before Year 12 starts, and during the course, you should be aiming to read as widely as possible and to develop your own taste in novels, plays and poetry.
|
Set Texts |
Should Read |
Could Read |
|
Tragedy Othello, William Shakespeare Tess of the d'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller
The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini Song of Innocence and of Experience by William Blake (anthology to be provided)
|
Other Shakespearean tragedies (e.g. Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth) Jude the Obscure, Thomas Hardy Poems by the great Romantics (e.g. Wordsworth, Coleridge, Shelley, Byron) The Crucible and A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller 1984, George Orwell Brave New World, Aldous Huxley Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini The English Review magazine (available in the library) Relevant journals and articles via Google Scholar Romanticism, Tragedy, Literary Theory from the Very Short Introductions series
|
The Duchess of Malfi, John Webster Revolutionary Road, Richard Yates A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams The Stepford Wives, Ira Levin The Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx The Book of Genesis from the Old Testament The Bloody Chamber, Angela Carter Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë The Colour Purple, Alice Walker Mansfield Park or Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath Beloved, Toni Morrison Wide Sargasso Sea, Jean Rhys On Chesil Beach, Ian McEwan Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger Poems by Robert Frost, Philip Larkin, Ted Hughes, Emily Dickinson, Carol Ann Duffy, Christina Rossetti, Shakespeare |
Useful Websites
Geography
This work is designed to give you an overview of the course and to help you get set up and ready for being an A Level geography student.
Below are readings / video clips from different units of the Year 12 part of the course ONLY. In September we start with ‘Changing Spaces, Making Places’ and ‘Glaciated Landscapes,’ so a good starting point would be to do some work around these topics before tackling the other units.
It would also be a really good idea to join FVS Geography on Twitter. An essential part of A Level geography is reading widely around the topic and the Twitter account is being updated regularly with great articles which will really broaden your geographical thinking.
Unit 1 - Physical Systems (Glaciated Landscapes and Earth's Life Support Systems)
Physical Systems
In this unit you will explore how earth surface processes, shape glacial landscapes with the aid of transfers of energy and movements of material. The unit explores inter-relationships in the glacial system, how they change over time and issues associated in managing them.
Starting points
- Reading: All about Glaciers https://nsidc.org/cryosphere/glaciers - this is a fantastic website for starting to get to grips with glaciation and their impact on the landscapes and provides the foundation for many of the key ideas we will study at A Level.
Earth's Life Support Systems - Water and the Carbon Cycle
Water and carbon are fundamental to supporting life on earth and are hence regarded as ‘earth’s life support systems. Water and carbon are cycled in both open and closed systems between the land, oceans and the atmosphere. The processes in the water and carbon cycles are inter-related. Human activity is increasingly threatening and altering water and carbon cycles for example through deforestation, ocean acidification, desertification etc. It is important that we look at global and national solutions to protect these.
Starting points…
- Reading: Water and Carbon Cycling (Royal Geographical Society) – this is an excellent starting point / content overview for the water and carbon work that we will be looking at https://www.rgs.org/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?nodeguid=6dc9f1c1-f92d-4c04-9f85-9985844a6a79&lang=en-GB
- Reading: Introduction to the Carbon Cycle https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/ecology/biogeochemical-cycles/a/the-carbon-cycle
- Reading: Introduction to the Water Cycle https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/ecology/biogeochemical-cycles/a/the-water-cycle
Unit 2 - Human Interactions (Changing Places, Making Spaces and Global Connections
Changing Places, Making Spaces
This unit explores the relationships and connections between people, the economy and society and their contributing to placemaking (i.e. creating places). The unit explores the meanings and representations attached to places and how place making takes place at a variety of scales. It explores places from a local to global level.
Starting points…
- Interactive: Changing Spaces, Making Places – a good story map introduction – work your way through https://focusschoolwilto.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=f10c512164d0498d8f3bcfad8ae61d39
- Reading: Changing Spaces- Making Places – a good starting point read https://pmt.physicsandmathstutor.com/download/Geography/A-level/Notes/OCR/Changing-Spaces-Making-Places/Set-A/Notes%20on%20Changing%20Places,%20Making%20Places%20-%20OCR%20Geography%20A-level.pdf
- Riba Stirling Prize – Award for Norwich
Global Connections
The focus of the global connection’s topics is exploring global processes and flows and their impact on people places and institutions. This will help you start to understand how the world around you is shaped, its complexities and the issues that arise. It is broken up into (i) Global Systems and (ii) Global Governance. We will cover one of the optional topics under each heading.
Global Systems: Global Migration (Option B)
You will explore contemporary patterns of migration and understand why it has become increasingly complex. You will also be exploring the issues associated with unequal flows of global migration.
Starting points…
- Reading: Introduction to Migration short notes) https://www.tutor2u.net/geography/reference/introduction-to-migration
- Reading: Global Migration – a good starting point read https://pmt.physicsandmathstutor.com/download/Geography/A-level/Notes/OCR/Global-Migration/Set-A/Notes%20on%20Global%20Migration%20-%20Geography%20A-level.pdf
- Video: Escape to Europe: The migrant’s story – BBC Newsnight https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZqdUBpHmhM
- Video: The truth about immigration in the UK 2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHplEJgevqM
- Video: Immigration: Is Britain Getting Full? https://www.channel4.com/programmes/jon-snow-explains/on-demand/61877-004
- Video: Between Borders – America’s migrant crisis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxF0t-SMEXA
- Video: Fleeing Climate Change – The real environmental disaster (forced migration due to climate change) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl4Uv9_7KJE
Unit 3 - Geographical Debates
And finally for Y12 (although some of these topics might go over the summer holiday and be finished in Y13!)…
Disease Dilemma’s
This examines important and dynamic issues examining risk, physical and human factors which contribute towards the spread of disease and mitigation strategies
“Infectious disease outbreaks, whether natural, intentional or accidental, are still among the foremost dangers to human health and the global economy. With patterns of global travel and trade, disease can spread nearly anywhere within 24 hours.” – Tom Frieden, Director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
This topic is particularly relevant at the moment, you are actually living through a case study that we will use in lessons. I haven’t included any Covid-19 links but it would be useful for you to do a bit of research and make some notes which cover the following: Where and when did Covid-19 begin? Where did the virus come from? How did it spread? Maps to show the speed of speed of spread through time. Mitigation strategies and how effective are they?
Health and Social Care
Course outlines, Aims, Expectations and Home Learning Ideas
Transition Resources
History
1D Stuart Britain: The Crisis of Monarchy 1603-1702
Complete one A4 sheet on life in Britain circa 1603
In your information sheet, attempt to answer the following questions:
- What do we mean by the term absolutism and how does it relate to 1603-49?
- Who was James 1 and what was his relevance to the historical period?
- Who was Charles 1 and what was his relevance to the historical period?
- How was society divided? Who had the most power?
- What was the role of the Monarchy during this period?
Expectations:
- Work will be well researched from a wide variety of sources
- A4 Information sheet will be typed up and include images relevant to the time. This can be some interpretative art work or prints depicting the time-period.
- Ensure work is in printed off in colour ink if possible (this can be done in school if need be)
- Reference list of at least 3 sources
Useful Books
| The English Republic 1649-1660, Longman, 1982 | T Barnard |
| The English Civil War, Longman, 1995 | M Bennett |
| The Early Stuarts 1603 - 1640, Hodder Murray, 1994 | K Brice |
| Stuart England 1603 - 1714, Longman, 1997 | B Coward |
| Restoration, Penguin, 2006 | T Harris |
| Revolution, Penguin, 2007 | T Harris |
| Monarchy Transformed: Britain 1603 - 1714, Penguin, 1997 | M Kishlansky |
| The Restoration and the England of Charles II, Longman, 1997 | J Miller |
| The Glorious Revolution, Longman, 1988 | J Miller |
| Stuart Britain: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press, 2000 | J Morrill |
| England, 1625 - 1660, Hodder Murray, 2005 | D Scarboro |
The American Dream: Reality and Illusion, 1945 - 1980
Produce 1 A4 fact file for Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, John F Kennedy, Lyndon B Johnson and Richard Nixon.
Summarise each president's:
- Background and personality
- Presidential election results
- Domestic policy
- Foreign policy
- Attitude towards civil rights.
Expectations
- Contents should be well detailed
- Should include some images
- Serve as a presidential revision guide as you progress through the course.
All work will be checked on the first day of term.
IT
Maths
Media
As you study Media, you will study a range of media products in association with four key areas
- Media Language
Looks at the practical choices made by media producers when creating a media product.
- Media Representations
Looks at how events, issues, individuals and groups are portrayed.
- Media Industries
Looks at the way media industries produce, distribute and circulate media products.
- Media Audiences
Looks at how media targets and attempts to reach audiences as well as the response of those audiences.
Useful Websites
Physics
This pack contains a programme of activities and resources to prepare you to start A level in Physics in September. It is aimed to be used after you complete your GCSE throughout the remainder of the summer term and over the summer holidays to ensure you are ready to start your course in September.
Product Design
- Fusion 360 is a CAD package that firstly students need to download, it is free and links are provided.
- Secondly there are a series of introductory YouTube videos to assist students, step by step, to become confident on the program. This will be used a lot in Year 12.
- Terminology document is essential reading for all students starting the course. It contains activities and clips to explain in detail course information.
- The cardboard chair is an explore, create, evaluate project.
- E learning research relating to a Skate board. This includes an outline of the project which will start at the beginning of the course. There are areas to research including question posed, there are several YouTube clips giving an illustration of the nature of the project included and an interactive time line of the history of the skate board.
- A potential extension task would be to combine the learning on Fusion 360 with the research of skate boards and create some of the components found within the construction of skate board on fusion 360.
Psychology
Preparation Work
Objectives of the summer preparation:
- To be organised and ready to start the course
- To be familiar with how the online text book works
- To have considered how psychology has changed over time.
Religious Studies
Sociology
The following programme is designed to prepare you for A Level Sociology for the following topics:
- Education
- Culture and Identity
- Media - Globalisation
- Crime and Deviance
- Sociological Theory and Research Methods
You must aim to complete all sections of the programme to ensure that you have a thorough understanding of the background for both topics. It is suggested that you complete a task each week.