Education for life in all its fullness

Curriculum Challenge & Extension To support our more able and talented learners, teachers have put together the following set of activities. They are all higher-level GCSE activities, some are examination questions, others are controlled assessment type activities. There is no requirement for you to complete any of these, you can do as many or as few as you like. However, your teachers will give you feedback if you submit a piece of work to them. English Use persuasive language to write a passage of text arguing either for or against the UK leaving the EU. Mathematics

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Religious Education Exercise A: Belonging to the Hindu faith - Explore and explain how Hindus express their faith. Consider: How they learn about their faith Festivals they celebrate Family life Dance, songs Structure your answer using SOC. Exercise B: Read the extract below from: http://www.reonline.org.uk/knowing/what-re/hinduism/forms-of-expressing-meaning/ Hinduism recognises that all aesthetic expressions invoke spirituality in a non-religious format. Hence it is very comfortable in using art, music, dance, drama, poetry and literature as a way of invoking the idea of transcendence in religion. The copious use of the lotus flower in images of

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various deities serves to remind the devotee to remain detached from the world. The swastika is sometimes painted on the palms of deities giving blessings, invoking the idea of auspiciousness synonymous with the forms of deities. The Aum or Om symbol is also used as an art form as well as a representation of spirit in sound. Om is chanted at the start of most hymns and prayers. Hindus are not apologetic about using images to portray God with form. Hindus do not worship idols or objects, they use idols to worship God. Hinduism has freedom to worship God with attributes (like in the Abrahamic tradition) and with form. Hindus take advantage of the latter freedom to depict God in a variety of colourful forms. Apart from images Hindus use symbols like Om, or Swastika or the lotus flower. Om apart from being a symbol is also a sound. So the use of sight and sound are invoked when using this symbol. Om is claimed to be the sound heard in deep meditation, hence considered appropriate to represent God. Om is chanted during religious ceremonies as a way of drawing our minds to God. Narratives: As Hinduism is comfortable in relating to God with form and attributes it allows this religion full freedom to come up with very colourful narratives involving a whole range of Gods and Goddesses. Subtle ideas are more accessible through a story format. Hinduism makes ample use of stories, parables and metaphors. Despite all this, the limitations of all such symbolic gestures or narratives is fully recognised in Hinduism. The Kathopanishad boldly declares: No scripture, is capable of capturing the essence of the Spirit. Architecture: a purpose-built temple has several features that reflect their character as the abode of God on earth. Traditionally the temple has a shikhara or steeple which draws the eye upwards, a way of symbolically drawing us to think of higher things. The entrance to a temple is called the gopuram and is one of the most attractive parts of the temple as it is meant to draw the devotee into the premises. Like the living room in a house, there is an inner chamber called a garbha-griha or ‘womb chamber’ in which resides the predominant deity of the temple. There is space around the garbha-griha for devotees to circumambulate the central deity as a form of worship. Images of other deities may also be housed along the walls of the temple. 1. If you have a faith list qualities of the God you believe in. If you don't have a faith list qualities that you think an ideal God or person should have. 2. Design something which represents these qualities. It could be a piece of art work, story (narrative), prayer, dance or a design of a building.

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Geography Exercise A:

The size of each country shows the relative proportion of the world's population living there. (Colour does not mean anything) E.g. China is the biggest country on the map as it as a population of 1.35 billion, whereas Australia is a much smaller land mass in this map as its population is only 23 million. 1. Describe what this map is showing (Think about the largest and smallest areas, can you see any patterns - are certain types of country larger? Are there any surprises?). 2. How do you think population size might link to climate change? 3. Do you think this is the most important factor affecting climate change? Why? Why not? Exercise B: Find out about the recent Climate Conference: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35084374 1 .Summarise what happened? 2. How do you think this meeting will impact the future?

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Art Write a piece analyzing how different materials might affect the overall impact of a sculpture to a viewer e.g. colour, detail, texture etc Mesh Wire Clay

Electrical Wire Found Objects

Spanish Use the A/A* structures guidance (at the end) to write a piece of text or plan a passage of speech where you argue a point of view. You should try and show both sides in your argument. Science Write a report for the Medical Journal on the advantages and disadvantages of having the MMR vaccine for children.

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Economics

Q1 - Using Item A, calculate the UK’s balance of payments with the EU in June 2013. [2 marks] Q2 - Explain two ways in which a fall in demand for UK exports to the EU might affect the UK economy. [4 marks]

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Q3 - If the EU budget increases, the UK government may have to increase taxes. Explain two effects that higher taxation might have on the UK economy. [6 marks] Q4 - Do you agree that further enlargement of the EU will benefit the UK economy as a whole? Give reasons for your answer. [12 marks] Business Studies How useful is market mapping in helping the business you have chosen to identify the key features of its market? You could:

• Investigate a business that provides goods or services • Conduct primary and/or secondary research into this business • Use this primary and/or secondary research to identify the key features of the good or

service provided by this business. You might consider factors such as price and quality • Produce a market map for this business showing its position in relation to its competitors • Present useful information/data to support the points you are making • Analyse how the market map could be useful to this business in identifying key features of

the market • Using your analysis, arrive at a supported judgement which states the usefulness of market

mapping to this business. Drama Write an essay on: 1) “A theatre audience is a group of people listening.” Discuss the above statement in relation to a Shakespeare play you have seen in performance with reference to its original performance conditions. OR 2) Evaluate the influence of the designer on the theatre of the 21st century by comparing the Shakespeare production you have seen with the original performance conditions. Music Compose a piece of music on your instrument in a particular style and structure ~ 1-2mins Then answer these Q's:

• Why did you choose to compose in this style? • What was your brief and how does your piece fulfil it? • How did you approach the composing? e.g. experimented with ideas, choose a key and

then worked up from the chords, played your instrument. • How did you build up your piece?

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• What changes have you made? e.g. key change, added dynamics, added bowing marks and phasing etc.

History Consider the following statement: “Nelson Mandella is considered by some to be a terrorist and some to be a freedom fighter.” With reference to other historical characters such as William Wallace, Guy Fawkes and Emily Davison discuss reasons for this difference of opinion. You can include the following:

• biography • timeline • pictures • key events • beliefs • what people have said about them (quotations)

French a) Read the passages of text below and identify for each what their job is

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b) Read the passage of text below and describe the water supply in the different countries

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Design Technology Figure 1 shows two designs for a note pad holder which could be made in the school workshop.

Figure 1 Choose one of the designs. (a) Name one suitable specific material from which to make your chosen design and give one reason for your choice. (b) Using notes and sketches, clearly show how you would make your chosen design. At each stage, name all the tools and equipment you would use.

• Stage 1 – Marking Out • Stage 2 – Cutting & Shaping • Stage 3 – Joining/Bending • Stage 4 - Finishing