Press Ethics
Any student studying Mass Media for Unit 3, should be aware of the Leveson inquiry - a goldmine of examples! The BBC have been doing a rolling commentary on the witness statements, including that by Campbell here.
Family incomes
I’m having trouble uploading resources to the website currently, but there are plenty of stories in the news that provide a good basis for discussion. One on the BBC today questions how easy it is to live on £40,000pa (the average combined income for two adults in the UK). Read it here.
GCSE quizzes and games
If anybody else is feeling like me at the moment, then it is a good time to (re)discover Chris Gardner’s excellent website: lots of quizzes, games and notes for GCSE Sociology, several of which I use profitably with AS level as well.
Link.
Research methods: questionnaires
A great online exercise for evaluating questionnaires.
http://wads.le.ac.uk/gg/orm/timingform.htm
Educational Attainment and reading
OECD study shows the importance of reading to children in their first years at school. Read it here.
Growing populations
The growing population of our planet is of great interest to sociologists, and of concern to many. This neat app on the BBC lets you work out what ‘number’ you are - a great little starter for discussion.
Suggar Daddies
Sugar Daddy parties in the UK - is it a form of prostitution? Is it sexist? Or is it simply a rebirth of traditional relationships where the man is the provider? You decide.
Read the story here.
Gender and educational achievement
An interesting link I came across recently which explores the issue of boys underachievement at GCSE in more depth. There is a chapter you can download, along with a presentation, both of which contain useful information that could be adapted for use with sixth-former, or potentially GCSE students.
Politics and democracy
An interesting discussion of recent changes to electoral procedure; useful as a starting point for discussions about democracy and the balance of power. Read here.
African-Caribbean underachievement
Interesting and baldly stated article about reasons for underachievement by black boys. A good starting point for a lesson.
modern crimes and moral panics
Nice story for a starter about a father in trouble for taking a photograph of his daughter in a shopping centre. Read it here.
Race and Identity
Fascinating programme about race and identity on BBC2 tonight, that will be repeated Tuesday 11:20pm and Wednesday 12:20am.
read more...»year 10 assessment
Here is an assessment I put together for my year 10, based mainly on the studying society element of Unit 1. It is accompanied by a detailed peer marking exercise with model answers to assist.
read more...»4 thought - mixed-race marriages
4 Thought on channel 4 present short viewpoints on a wide variety of subjects that might be useful as starters for discussion points. Yesterday’s was on mixed race marriages. The BBC have also commented on the issue, here.
Educating Essex
Don’t be misled by the title or the pictures on the website, this series is a great fly-on-the-wall look at comprehensive education today. There is bullying, dating, teaching and even some learning. Take a look at the programmes here.
sleep and learning
A joint research carried out by UAB and Ramon Llull University, published in the journal Cultura y Educación, indicates that children sleeping less than nine hours and with bad sleeping habits - such as going to bed late - do worse academically. The study was carried out in several schools with children aged 6 and 7.
You can read an executive summary here.
children as brand ambassadors
The BBC discusses the ethical issues of using children as brand ambassadors to sell products.
community sentencing or punishment?
Interesting discussion of the point of jail and the merits of community sentencing. Read it here.
riots and statistics
An excellent piece on the BBC looking at the statistics associated with the riots. Good ‘methods in context’ material for A2 Crime and Deviance.
Read it here.
Plotting the riots
Another map, this time linking the homes of those charged in relation to the riots in Manchester, to areas of deprivation. A good stimulus for discussing causes of crime.
Targeting crime ‘hotspots’
A study led by University College London suggests that targeting crime ‘hotspots’ is a good way of cutting offending, because most criminals are too lazy to go elsewhere. The study has been printed in the Jourmal of Experimental Criminology and you must be a subscriber to download the full report, but the abstract is below. Mark Easton, writing for the BBC, has also discuss the study, here.
read more...»Boys underperformance at GCSE
This discussion thread on the TES website might prove a useful tool in discussing boys’ underachievement with sixth formers.
Marxism
For those of you introducing capitalism to AS students in the next few weeks, or trying to get A2 students to develop their understanding further, this article might make a good discussion point. In particular, it could help students to apply the theory to contemporary issues and events.
Social surveys
A lovely article from the BBC about the ONS and some of the surveys it has carried out: from how many bras women owned in 1941, to sex and contraception in 2001. Read it here.
The ONS survey highlights would make a good starter for lessons on methods and / or social change; read it here.
the London riots and poverty
I’m not sure who put this together, but this map overlays locations of recent unrest with areas of deprivation. A good starting point for discussion about the root causes… (warning - it can be slow to load)
Carrot or Stick - A Horizon Guide to Raising Kids
BBC4 are screening a Horizon documentary this evening (Thursday 11th August, 8-9pm), looking at how parenting techniques have changed, and theory behind those changes. Sure it will be worth a watch, and I shall be recording it for future A level lessons on childhood.
Social climbing
An interesting article about whether ‘social climbing’ is a good thing. I wonder whether the assumption that it is still viewed as a negative aspect, remains true today anyway. What do you think?
Family types card game
A card game for GCSE students studying the family, to help them identify types and definitions. It’s a simple pairing exercise - instructions included.
family_type_cards.doc
The Happiness Index
People in the UK believe their well-being should be measured in terms of health, friends and family and job satisfaction, according to a report by the Office of National Statistics. Read the article here. The report can be downloaded here.
Children who don’t know their own name
A snippet from Radio 4 highlighting the problem of children arriving at school who don’t even know their own names. The blame is levelled at television and the internet and the failure of families to engage in discussion. Listen to it here.
