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DevNet - Derby

Sixth Form Transition Curriculum

We wish to continue to support your learning. However, we now want to make what you do more relevant to the next steps you will soon be taking. Please find below a selection of activities, viewing, reading etc, both subject based and generic, including some support for those of you who will soon be moving away from home for the first time. We have also provided you with a list of general interest reading that your tutors think you may enjoy.

Please be aware that whilst the following activities contain a number of suggestions for visits to sites of interest, these should not be considered until the Government’s current restrictions on travel are lifted. However, in the meantime, please be aware that many such institutions are currently offering ‘virtual tours’ which you may find interesting, for example, visit Tate Britain in London - https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-britain/display/walk-through-british-art  

General

  • Looking ahead, many universities have subject reading lists on their websites. As an example, this is a link to recommended reading for the study of Biochemistry, provided by Oxford University. Get a head start!

  • A number of universities have online libraries of resources which will of use to sixth form students. These often includes subject specific information, eg:

    https://www.ncl.ac.uk/schools/resources/

  • It is worth remembering that universities do not just teach undergraduates, but are also centres of research. University researchers are engaged in seeking solutions to the challenges which face us all, such as climate change, global health and renewable energy. Why not spend some time having a look at what your intended destination, or our local universities, are currently engaged in. Here are some links to start you off:
  • Recommended general reading for university students!
  • Accessing free e-books and audiobooks through Derby Libraries
    • Derby Libraries have put together a scheme which allows members to download e-books and audiobooks for free via the BorrowBox app (https://www.borrowbox.com/). This app can be downloaded on numerous mobile and tablet devices and it gives access to thousands of popular books for students to read.
      We encourage all of our students to sign up for this scheme as it will give access to a huge wealth of resources to support their reading and curricular studies.
      If you are a member of your local library then you should be able to sign in straight away. However, if you are not a member then you will need to sign up following the steps below.

      • You can register online for temporary membership to access eBooks and eAudiobooks during lockdown. Please go to https://www.inderby.org.uk/libraries/how-to-join/join-the-library/ to get signed up. When the libraries re-open temporary card numbers will expire and membership forms can be updated at their nominated libraries if you wish to continue your membership.
  • Don’t forget about MOOCs! These online courses are run by nearly all universities. They are short FREE courses that you take part in. They are usually quite specialist, but aimed at the public, not the genius, so you can study a MOOC from subjects that you haven’t studies in Sixth Form! There are lots of websites that help you find a course, such as edX and Future learn.
  • BBC iPlayer has a wide variety of programmes for your viewing. Categories include History, Arts and Science & Nature, as well as generic sections such as Documentaries and News.
  • From April 20, BBC Four will devote a block of programming each weekday evening to shows which are intended for students during the shutdown. The channel will broadcast programmes presented by some of Britain’s most authoritative voices on Science and History. For students studying Science, programmes of interest for them include Pain, Pus & Poison, Chemistry: A Volatile History, Blood & Guts: A History of Surgery and Shock & Awe: The Story of Electricity. For students of History, highlighted programmes include Mary Beard’s Meet the Romans, Michael Wood’s Story of England, Andrew Marr’s History of Modern Britain and Tunes For Tyrants.  These factual programmes are in addition to the broadcast of theatre versions of Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, Much Ado about Nothing, Othello and Hamlet.
  • This website offers free access to hundreds of online educational courses to help students continue and expand their learning:
    https://www.futurelearn.com/courses
  • Free digital and numeracy courses to build your skills from the Department of Education
  • There are 97 free online courses available with Harvard University, covering subjects including Art and Design, Business, Computer science, Data Science, Education and Teaching, Health and Medicine, Humanities, Mathematics, Programming, Science and Social Science.
    https://online-learning.harvard.edu/catalog/free
  • If you are bored, why not use this time to learn some first aid?  Useful for everyone, but particularly if you are considering a career in any kind of healthcare as a career!
    Learn first aid
  • By the time you go to university you will not have formally studied for over 6 months, so get yourself ready for university study by completing some of these short on-line courses.
    Critical thinking at university, Preparing for university, Improving study techniques, Learning and collaborating, Preparing to learn online at university, Searching and researching

Tutors’ Recommended General Reading

  • ‘A short history of nearly everything’ - Bill Bryson
    A popular science book that explains some areas of science using easily accessible language.
  • ‘Prisoners of Geography’ - Tim Marshall
    A look at how historical and future world events are shaped by geography.
  • ‘Why we sleep – The new science of sleep and dreams’ - Matthew Walker
    Written by a neuroscientist, an account of how sleep is thought to make us happier, healthier, cleverer and more attractive.
  • ‘Sapiens – A brief history of humankind’ - Yuval Noah Harari
    The bestseller which tells how Homo sapiens are the only human species remaining on earth.
  • ‘What if?’ - Randall Munroe
    SeriouAs scientific answers to absurd hypothetical questions.
  • ‘How To?’  - Randall Munroe
    A witty and entertaining self help guide to common tasks.
  • ‘Cherry: A Life of Apsley Cherry-Garrard’ - Sara Wheeler
    The biography of one of the youngest members of Scott's final expedition to the Antarctic.
  • ‘A first rate tragedy. Captain Scott’s Antarctic expeditions’ - Diana Preston
    A moving account of the reasons behind the tragedy of Scott’s final expedition.
  • ‘And God created Cricket – an irreverent history of the greatest game on Earth’ - Simon Hughes
    Humorous and interesting, a must read for the cricket fan.
  • ‘The diary of a young girl’ - Anne Frank
    The personal diary of a young Dutch girl hiding from the Nazis in Amsterdam in WWII.
  • ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ - Viktor Frankl
    A two part book reflecting on the experiences as a prisoner inNazi concentration camps and the associated psychotherapeutic method which identified a purpose in life to feel positive about.
  • 'Cosmos' by Carl Sagan. A great mixture of science, philosophy and history
  • 'Civilisation' by Kenneth Clark. A thoroughly absorbing account of Art history.
  • 'The Tattooist of Auschwitz' and 'Cilka's Journey'.
    Both by Heather Morris. Based on true stories of survivors of Auschwitz-Birkenau

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Cleaning

Daily:

  • For regular kitchen maintenance, wash dishes, pots and pans within 24 hours of using them. This will prevent food from becoming glued to the surface and impossible to get off. It also makes you less likely to get mice and cockroaches coming over for a midnight snack.
  • Wipe the bench in the kitchen each time you use it. It will keep it hygienic!

Weekly/Fortnightly:

  • Wash your towels - hand towels, bath towels, bath mats. Anything towel-like should be washed every week to keep it fungus (and smell) free.
  • Wash your sheets every fortnight to keep bed bugs and other nasties away.

Washing

If you haven't done your own laundry before, it can be difficult to know the best way to clean your clothes without shrinking them or turning a white T-shirt pink. The best way to avoid washing disasters is to check the tags. They’ll tell you whether an item can go in the washing machine (some stuff can only be dry cleaned) and at what temperature for best results.

Remember:

  • Cold washes are the safest option if you can’t find the tag (30 degrees or less). The warmer the water, the more likely it is to shrink your clothes.
  • Don’t mix coloured clothing and white clothing. Separate them into two separate wash loads to prevent your white things turning multi-coloured.
  • Try to air dry your stuff, if possible. Dryers are great in bad weather or if you don’t have an outside space in your house, but clothes will last longer and are less likely to shrink if you air dry them.
  • Remember you can hand wash items, if you are not sure how watch the clip below:

 

Tips to try and avoid food poisoning

  • Everyone hates washing up, but dirty plates with scraps of food on them for days on end will start to grow bacteria, attract vermin and make the kitchen an unhealthy place to cook.
  • Mould growing the fridge is also not good and whether it’s your food or someone else’s that has been left there to fester, throw it away.
  • Take note of use by dates and particularly with raw poultry, fish or meat, throw them away if they have expired. Throw food away if it’s out of date.
  • If you handle raw poultry wash your hands thoroughly afterwards and do not use any plates or cutlery on other foods before washing them.
  • Cook meat thoroughly.  Food poisoning can be nasty, but it’s easy to avoid if you pay due care and attention.
  • Watch the short film below to learn how to CLEAN, SEPARATE, COOK and CHILL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPZxb_kSzHM

 

Subject-Specific Activities