Subject taster talks and workshops

This interactive reading session encourages students to consider how the different perspectives through which historians view the past can affect what history they learn. It introduces students to the concept of historiography, with focused discussion throughout to explain how changing approaches to writing history has an impact on how society understands certain events. To that end, this session aims to educate about the trend in military history away from more traditional, “operational”, histories (examining specific battles, campaigns, and tactics) and towards the subject of “war studies” (looking at what motivates people to fight, personal experiences, and the impact of conflict on people and a society).

This workshop will be suitable for students key stage 4/5. Live in-person or live online.

This session utilises physical objects and materials to explain the challenges faced by those on campaign with an army. This includes a practical look at clothing, accoutrements, and weaponry (if suitable) to help students understand the choices made by both governments and soldiers about operational equipment. The session also considers the experiences of those living adjacent to the army – traders, soldiers’ families, and the women who found work supplying military units. Students will be asked to critically evaluate the benefits and challenges of decisions made regarding logistics at a number of levels, and how these impacted the lives of those serving in and around armies during the eighteenth century.

This workshop will be suitable for students key stage 4/5. Live in-person or live online.

This interactive sessions helps students to understand the value of studying History at GCSE, A-Level and degree level. It provides an overview of some of the exciting topics they will learn during our History courses, the large number of transferable skills they will develop and how those skills can be used in a wide variety of careers in the future.

This workshop will be suitable for students key stage 3, 4 or 5 and will be adapted to suit the audience. Live in-person or live online.

Struggling to decide what to study at university?! This workshop will provide your students with a taster of studying TWO subjects at the University of Leeds, German AND History!! It can be adapted to any Key Stage and is suitable for students with no prior knowledge of German or History.   In this interactive session, students will explore the key interpretations of the period 1914-1945, which saw significant changes in German society. Beginning with the First World War, students will consider the extent of social mobilization and implications of ‘total warfare’ as citizens grappled with the effects of violence, economic blockade, and political turmoil. They will then question the duality of the Weimar period, as one of both dynamic cultural creativity and one of conflict and depression which laid the foundations for the rise of National Socialism, the Second World War, and the Holocaust. By the end of the session, students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of early 20^th century German history, forming their own interpretations of events through critical engagement with primary sources.

**German Teachers – German sources can be added to this workshop for your German students if you wish to support with their reading skills**

Struggling to decide what to study at university?! This workshop will provide your students with a taster of studying TWO subjects at the University of Leeds, German AND History!! It can be adapted to any Key Stage and is suitable for students with no prior knowledge of German or History.   In this interactive session, students will explore the key interpretations of the period 1914-1945, which saw significant changes in German society. Beginning with the First World War, students will consider the extent of social mobilization and implications of ‘total warfare’ as citizens grappled with the effects of violence, economic blockade, and political turmoil. They will then question the duality of the Weimar period, as one of both dynamic cultural creativity and one of conflict and depression which laid the foundations for the rise of National Socialism, the Second World War, and the Holocaust. By the end of the session, students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of early 20^th century German history, forming their own interpretations of events through critical engagement with primary sources.

**German Teachers – German sources can be added to this workshop for your German students if you wish to support with their reading skills**

Let’s get your students EXCITED about studying languages!! Our beginner language taster workshops showcase some of the beginner languages taught at the University of Leeds and introduce your students to a language subject they may not have studied before. The workshops are interactive, they have been designed to spark your students’ interest and we hope will encourage the uptake of languages through school, college and onto Higher Education. You can choose from German, Arabic, Linguistics, Chinese, Japanese or Italian and all sessions can be adapted to suit the age group of your students and your school timetable.

Are you interested in Spanish culture and language and want to know more about it? This workshop will help your students to get a step closer to the Spanish culture through language and what’s a better way of doing so than music? The workshop is directed to students with some basic knowledge of Spanish language; however, it will be delivered in both English and Spanish to ensure the understanding of the contents. The aim of this workshop is to learn through interactive exercises.  The main section is based on Spanish music, which will help your students to understand the language and meaning of a song which can be applied outside the workshop. By the end, they will engage in an interactive exercise on Spanish history and culture; which will give your students a basic idea of what they could learn from a university degree on the subject. We hope that the insight on this amazing culture will spark the attention of those students wanting to take their knowledge of Spanish language one step further!

This session practices close reading skills within the context of place writing. Students will read extracts of literature and analyse the devices used by the author to create engaging descriptions of a place. The session has the potential to be extended through the addition of a creative writing element in which students would then use these devices themselves. Similarly, a separate creative writing session could be designed which uses the devices identified in the close reading activity from this session (please mention this on the online form if you are interested in this extension session).

This is a hands-on creative writing workshop which engages students in a piece of descriptive writing. Students will be introduced to the ‘show, don’t tell’ technique; they will perform analysis and practice activities to familiarise themselves with the technique and its effect before using it in a piece of their own creative writing.

This interactive reading session incorporates various levels of reading skill and focus. It familiarises students with the Eco-Memoir and its defining traits before situating examples of the genre within (eco-)critical responses to it. The session aims to stimulate students’ critical engagement with texts in order to evaluate the effectiveness of texts in communicating with a readership in the midst of a climate emergency; in other words, does a text promote environmental consciousness just by virtue of being “about nature”.

This is a close reading session that will introduce students to how English seminars work at university. It is designed to recreate the environment of a small group seminar, allowing students to improve their ability to analyse, communicate and present their ideas to others in a friendly, relaxed environment. It will also build their confidence working in detail with small pieces of text, and so will be particularly helpful for GCSE and A-Level students. Online or in-person delivery available.

A creative writing session introducing students to life writing techniques and its’ different forms; this session encourages students to think critically and reflectively about their own life experiences. Students will have the opportunity to read and discuss texts and then try their own writing!

Suitable for key stage 4 and 5. Online or in-person delivery available.

What goes into writing a news story? In this interactive session, students will get a behind-the-scenes look at how news stories are created. Students will learn the components of what a news story consists of. Then, students will put this knowledge into practice. They’ll work in groups to think up and identify a story, then plan the elements of how to tell their story, including the angle, photography, source selection.

Suitable for key stages 3, 4 and 5. Online or in-person delivery available.

This interactive sessions helps students to understand the value of studying Media at GCSE, A-Level and degree level. It provides an overview of some of the exciting topics they will learn during our Media courses, the large number of transferable skills they will develop and how those skills can be used in a wide variety of careers in the future.

This workshop will be suitable for students key stage 3, 4 or 5 and will be adapted to suit the audience. Live in-person or live online.

Do you think studying music is just about learning to play an instrument? Think again! The session will be suitable for students interested in music, psychology and general wellbeing. In this interactive workshop, students will discuss the impact of music on physical, psychological, emotional and social wellbeing. Drawing from current research in music psychology, including key models of wellbeing, as well as their own experiences they will explore what we mean by ‘wellbeing’, and how it relates to our musical engagement. Together we will consider the ways in which we use music for wellbeing in our own lives and reflect on the impact of music through lockdown. This workshop is available as a pre-recorded session or it can be delivered live online whilst your students are at home.

In this session, our Education Outreach Fellow will share an overview of the varied careers available in the music industry, including hidden careers you may not have considered. Drawing from her own varied experiences in the industry, including working for a major record label, as a music teaching assistant, a freelance singer and music facilitator, and a music psychology researcher, Melissa will reflect on her own musical pathway and the skills required to find success in the industry. This session will also discuss the transferable skills you can gain from studying and/or engaging with music, including how to frame these for an employer and some hints and tips on how to build your CV for a career in music.

Online only.

How do people learn about religion? How are different religions portrayed in media? What role does media play in educating society about religion? This session examines the representations of religions in media and outlines some of the issues which this raises. It engages students with the academic study of religion and provides them with a change to critically engage with subjects and ideas what they might not have come across before.

The world of fashion has many different dimensions, it is more than just designing a beautiful garment. Within this session the students will have an insight into the life of a fabric technologist in the fashion industry. Along with this, there are many different roles needed to create a viable product, an overview of what these are will be discussed such as the commonly known Fashion Designer as well as Trim Developers, Corporate Social Responsibility leads and Garment Technologists.

After discussing the different career opportunities within a fashion brand, the students can have a go themselves through in an interactive task, Creating a T-shirt. Students will design a t-shirt following a brief and select all the materials needed to make the product while considering manufacturing, cost, and sustainability factors (this session does not involve making t-shirts with fabric etc, only designing on paper).

Suitable for KS4/5. Delivered in-person only.

Do you know the impact your clothes have on the planet? From growing the cotton, the production process and shipping clothes across the world, your wardrobe can have huge carbon footprint! This session delves into the lifecycle of a cotton t-shirt going into the detail of water, carbon, and waste footprints. As well as this the workshop will cover how many people have touched your t-shirt before you purchase it. This highly interactive session is based around a game developed to allow the students to investigate the lifecycle independently before the session leader provides further information.

Students will come away with an understanding of the impact of materials, garment manufacturing and end of life solutions.

Suitable for KS4/5 . Delivered live online or in-person.

Studying drama is just about training to become the next Morgan Freeman or Dame Judi Dench, right? Well, it turns out that drama is applicable to so many different areas and can be used as a tool to improve skills such as teamwork, creativity, communication and confidence. This workshop is full of drama games and exercises that explore all of these skills in a fun, open, and welcoming environment, building on research from key theatre practitioners. This session is in-person only, and is designed for pre-GCSE cohorts to encourage them to take up drama, but can be adapted for students of all ages.

Suitable for KS3/4 . Delivered in-person.

Actors are shapeshifters, able to seamlessly shift from one distinct character to another. This workshop uses easy to replicate games and exercises designed to push actors to think about performing characters in different ways: how to use their bodies, their voices and how to translate certain pre-defined character traits effectively onstage. Building on some basic theories of Laban and Commedia Dell’Arte, this workshop will provide actors with a toolkit of exercises to bring out whenever they are devising or working on character performances.

This workshop can be tailored for students working towards a final performance in GCSE or A-Level, or simply for drama students wanting to practice character work.

Suitable for KS3/4/5 . Delivered in-person.