Welcome, students! Whether you’re in Years 9, 10 or 11, studying GCSEs or equivalents, working on a, CREST Award or Arts Award, or just curious, we have something for you!
Talk directly with world experts from Southampton and beyond in subjects you’re currently studying, thinking of taking further, or simply interested in; find tools and templates for essay and report writing, project designing and more; challenge yourself with online activities and courses; sit back with a podcast or video; or get up and move with sports and wellbeing classes you can do from your living room!
More than anything, keep following everything your teachers send you, they are working super hard to keep you engaged, motivated and working towards your best possible future. You’ve got this!
Green Stories have just published an anthology of climate solutions wrapped in short stories called No More Fairy Tales: Stories to Save Our Planet. Each story links to a webpage where readers can find out more how to make the solutions a reality. We compiled it originally to inspire COP27 delegates. The anthology made the ‘Top of the COP’, newsletters, and we contributed to several sessions about the role of storytelling in raising understanding of the climate crisis. However, the stories are great reads in their own right, and so we have made it available more widely. The anthology and associated website might be a useful resource for those teaching sustainability.
Future Focus – Year 11 playlist
The series of videos within this playlist aim to ignite conversation in the classroom around university, be that face to face or in the virtual space. We hope these videos provide thought provoking content for your year 11 students, encouraging them to think about their future and to see if their future will include going to university. The topics that these videos cover are our most popular topics when talking to pre-16 students.
The videos have been presented from a current university student perspective. At the end of each video we have posed a question or a conversation title to encourage individual reflection or a classroom discussion.
If after watching these videos you would like to know more about the work we do in Widening Participation & Social Mobility at the University of Southampton please get in touch or visit our website, see below-
Website: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/schools-colleges/learn-with-us-outreach.page
Email: outreach@soton.ac.uk
For Our Future – A Guide to Volunteering and Work Experience
After signing off from school or college for the summer holidays, the weeks ahead could be the perfect time to get a taste of work experience or volunteering.
Alongside the current nationwide project, Ancient Mariner Big Read, the English Department at University of Southampton have assembled four incredible podcasts, inspired by Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
(Virtual) Arcade by WSA #WSAgames
Avian is a cooperative multiplayer game with conservation, collaboration, and altruism at its core. Engage in multiple modes of play such as a negotiation puzzler and a fast-paced race as you help your community thrive.
At the University of Southampton, we’re very lucky to have some truly inspirational speakers visit us! During the lockdown response to the covid-19 pandemic in 2020, many of these lectures were edited into bite-sized videos for you to watch from home!
You can also explore our archive of full-length public lectures, on a range of topics and with a diverse cast of distinguished speakers, here.
Bug Power: Energy & More from Waste
Try these Circular Bioeconomy puzzles, to find out how we use living things to help us make energy and new products from rubbish! These are based on research from our Water and Environmental Engineering Group, and partners in the Environmental Biotechnology Network.
CAVATINA: FREE tickets for 8 – 25 year olds
FREE TICKETS FOR 8-25 YEAR OLDS TO SELECTED CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERTS
Through the generous support of the CAVATINA Chamber Music Trust we are able to offer young people aged 8-25 the fantastic opportunity to experience selected concerts absolutely free.
CAVATINA Chamber Music Trust was formed in 1998 to develop young audiences for chamber music. Through their generous support we are able to offer young people aged 8 – 25 the fantastic opportunity to experience selected concerts absolutely free.
If you are aged 15-25 you can register on the CAVATINA membership scheme by emailing a copy of your ID, verifying your date of birth to: info@turnersims.co.uk using CAVATINA as the email title. We will email you to confirm when your membership has been set up and you will then be able to book your free CAVATINA tickets.
Parents/ Guardians and Carers can register their 8-14 year-olds on the CAVATINA membership scheme by sending your child’s name and date of birth to: info@turnersims.co.uk using CAVATINA as the email title. We will email you to confirm when your child’s membership has been set up and you will be able to book their free CAVATINA tickets.
To book your free ticket, log into your Turner Sims account, select a Standard Ticket and your discount will automatically be applied at the checkout.
One ticket per CAVATINA member per concert. CAVATINA membership will expire on your 26th birthday. Terms and conditions apply.
Southampton’s newest arts and heritage venue, God’s House Tower, has an exciting exhibition schedule which you can view here.
There is something for everyone to enjoy – with many events free of charge.
How to Get to 100 and Enjoy It!
What are your chances of living to 100? How do your early years, your family life, where you live, your lifestyle and your work affect these chances? With one in three children born today expected to live to 100, these questions have never been more relevant.
Find out more about how our population is changing through a number of interactive activities from the world-leading Centre for Population Change! Download the ‘Our Life Journey’ app to learn about demographic change in Europe and the field of Population Studies. Explore a series of interactive maps and infographics to explore how Life Expectancy, Education & Employment, Migration, Population Structure, and Ageing change with location and impact our life journey.
Each area of discovery includes questions to get students thinking and suggested classroom activities. There is also a downloadable workbook that can be worked through individually or as a class. And look out for the exhibition as it tours the country – or enjoy it from home via the gallery!
TEDxSouthampton University Talk: Baring the soul of the foot – Emma Cowley
The amazing human foot. This talk gives a brief overview of the practical, the anatomical and the cultural wonders of this often under-appreciated part of us. Reverence or revulsion, no-one can deny the enduring critical role our feet play in the story and the journey of humanity. Dr Emma Cowley is a podiatrist who has worked clinically with people and their foot health conditions for over 25 years. Emma is currently conducting research with citizen scientists on the public perceptions of feet to unveil the hidden narratives of the foot and inform education, policy and healthcare practices. Emma is a Senior Teaching Fellow at the University of Southampton, current Dean and fellow of the Faculty of Podiatric Medicine, Royal College of Podiatry, fellow of the Faculty of Podiatric Medicine, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, Chartered Scientist and Fellow of Advance HE. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
Psychologist Kimberley Wilson and Dr Xand van Tulleken continue their journey around the human body, asking what our insides can reveal about our lives and the world around us.
Podiatry videos
Learn more about the amazing opportunities a career in podiatry can offer. Find out more about podiatry careers at the Royal College of Podiatry website rcpod.org.uk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BnijYMx30Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqDkfdm0ixg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo3VPSfVxmA
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/v73gitM9WMQ
The Journey to the Beginnings educational adventure puzzle game allows players to discover everyday life of four prehistoric cultures along the Danube river.
Although the story is fictional, the artistic interpretation of everyday life is based on real archeological research done on four prehistoric sites: Százhalombatta in Hungary, Vučedol in Croatia, Lepenski Vir in Serbia, and Gârla Mare in Romania. From these sites, many real heritage objects today kept in museums were introduced in the game. Established scientific knowledge about society, everyday life, technology, language, and culture has been introduced into the game allowing players to seamlessly learn about our ancestors in a fun and interactive way.
Lifelong Learning Podcast Library
Our Lifelong Learning team curate a diverse series of courses through which anyone can learn directly from our experts in a range of areas. Many of the talks have been recorded as podcasts which can be enjoyed for free via the link above!
Maths & Physics videos with UoS Graduate Dr. Emma Osbourne
Democracy and encouragement are fundamental features of any modern society. This project aims to support future democratic participation by building a web-based simulation tool in the form of a game. Each player acts as a local government representative, implementing local laws as they see fit, and thereby learning about participation issues and democratic choices.
National Cipher Challenge – New Weekly Challenges!
SciTunes use the power of song to teach Science! Follow the link to find a range of music videos created to keep classrooms lively, increase student engagement and make lesson content memorable. Includes exciting content for teaching and revision of GCSE science.
Southern Universities Network (SUN) Resources
Resources for schools from our local partnership the SUN include careers and student resources, webinars and information for parents and carers to support their young people’s future decision making.
Special Collections – Online Exhibitions
The University Hartley Library Special Collections Gallery was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund primarily for the display of material from the collections to encourage public awareness and access. The exhibition programme focuses on themes within the collection and links in with University academic activity including celebrations of research, conferences and contributions to national and international events and commemorations – and many have parallel online exhibitions which can be viewed via the link above!
Turner Sims: Cordelia Williams, playing the Steinway Piano
If you are craving serenity, watch the first in a series of four stunning films from pianist Cordelia Williams, in which she plays the beautiful Turner Sims Steinway piano in the concert hall at Highfield campus. In this initial film, Cordelia serenades us with Mozart’s Rondo No 3, K511.
University of Southampton MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses)
University of Southampton Research Videos
Ever wondered what goes on in a jet propulsion lab? How we study Saturn’s rings? What it’s like to hear for the first time thanks to a cochlear implant? How researchers fight cancer or understand the effects of plastics in the ocean? Explore all these things and more, with these short videos of some of the world-changing research taking place at Southampton – we hope they inspire the researchers of the future!
Check out our campuses in these campus tours, linked in a playlist on our YouTube channel! Find out what it is like to study with us by looking at the wonderful facilities available.
We know there’s a lot out there and it can be easy to get lost in it all – so our wonderful LifeLab colleagues have brought together their favourite online courses and resources for you, in addition to our own listed above!
STEM
The Youth STEMM Award (YSA): The STEMM skills award for year’s 9-13. Any extracurricular activity involving Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths and Medicine could count towards an award. Students log hours to the e-portfolio and receive a medal and certificate upon completion.
Youth STEM Matters: Youth STEM Matters creates a platform for young people to share their research, ideas and innovations with the world, by allowing them to get their scientific project work published in a peer reviewed journal! Get involved by writing and submitting a STEM article or project, or, if you want to gain new skills and volunteer from home, join their team of volunteers!
Aspen Global Change Science and Solutions: For anyone looking for science content for learning at home, AGCI’s education page offers introductions to global change topics, with journal activities for further thought.
Encounter Edu: A one-stop-shop for teachers, parents and students to explore distance learning through free live lessons, downloadable curriculum-aligned resources, STEAM activities, subject updates and multimedia.
The Linnean Society: A hub page featuring a wealth of activities and information on biological science.
School Physics: Over 3,000 pages, this website created by long-term ASE (Association for Science Education) member Keith Gibbs offers simple explanations and diagrams covering a wealth of key physics concepts, categorised by student age.
Physics Online: Free videos and lessons.
Languages
Rosetta Stone: Free access to Rosetta Stone for Students for three months, making learning new languages accessible. You will get instant feedback on your pronunciation. You’ll be able to see how you’re coming along with progress data and printable reports.
DuoLingo: A free app for your phone for students to work on their language skills or try a new language.
English
Mr. Bruff: Daily English lessons for GCSE students.
Dance
English National Ballet: Live ballet lessons.
Multiple Subject Areas
The Open University: Access a huge range of free online courses from Open Learn. Increase confidence, and develop skills needed to enter Higher Education and succeed with learning. Subjects include Health Sports and Psychology, Education and Development, History and the Arts, Languages, Money and Business, Nature and Environment, STEM, Society, Politics and Law, and many more!
TES (Times Educational Supplement): TES has put together a collection of teacher-created learning resources designed to engage both primary and secondary students and help them learn and study outside of their usual classroom environment. All these resources are completely free to download and use and include lessons, worksheets, workbooks and activities across a multitude of subject disciplines.
MASSOLIT: Over 3,000 lectures across more than 400 courses. MASSOLIT works with academics from the world’s best universities to produce high-quality, curriculum-linked videos covering a range of subjects, perfect for GCSE, A-Level and International Baccalaureate students.
Study Skills and Careers
EtonX: Courses have been made available free online and offer training in skills important to life and to the workplace. Topics include CV Writing, Creative Problem Solving, Interview Skills, Making an Impact, Resilience, Research Skills, and Writing Skills.