Alevel Links: Miscellaneous

A-Level Links	General

Welsh Joint Examining Committee (WJEC)

In terms of resources made available to teachers and students the WJEC web site puts their English counterparts to shame by offering a wide range of materials across the various Specification areas. These include (in no particular order) high quality PowerPoint and Word documents packed with help, advice, Notes, individual and classroom activities and much, much, more - too much to document here (so visit the site and explore all the free stuff that's on offer).

Although the Specification is different to its English counterparts the sociological similarities are sufficient to make the materials (on areas like Family Life, Crime and Deviance, Power and Politics, Mass Media and the like) perfectly applicable to both AQA and OCR Specifications (although it's entirely possible that once you've had a look at the new WJEC Specifications you might decide they offer an interesting and stimulating A-level alternative for your students...). As if this wasn't enough (and believe me, you'll be bowled over by the range and quality) there are also resources available for GCSE Sociology and although these aren't. as yet, as extensive as their A-level counterpart they're well worth checking out none-the-less.

Wadsworth

Social Science Online

Part of the Wadsworth/Thompson Publishing site where you'll find a series of video exercises on a range of topics - from areas like the science of shopping through

domestic violence to same-sex marriage. Each exercise involves watching short video clip (you will need RealPlayer installed) and then answering questions based around the clip. These can then be automatically emailed to a tutor for marking.

This site has resources for both Sociology and various other social sciences (Psychology, Government and Politics, Law and Health and Social Care) as well as a section dealing with Learning Strategies (although this is spookily empty). The AS and A2 Sociology materials mainly focus on revision notes ("Learning Tables") and glossaries of key terms (all available as Word documents) although there are some Interactive tests available.

ATSS		Themes and Perspectives
If you're a social science teacher (but especially if you're a Sociology teacher) you should go to this site immediately and join the Association for the Teaching of Social Science (tell them I sent you), if only because you then get to go to their annual conference which is always brilliant. The workshops they organise are a treasure trove of great ideas, teaching / learning innovations and all-round sociological inspiration. You would not believe the incredible number of ways people have developed to make the teaching of A-level Sociology interesting, accessible and fun. The site also links to Social Science Teacher, the journal of the ATSS, and there are some extracts that can be copied from the site for off-line browsing. The Web site has developed considerably over the past year or so. The links section is much-expanded and there's also more information (about local conferences as well as the big National Conference,).		This is the accompanying web site for Haralambos and Holborn's best-selling "Themes and Perspectives" textbook. In return for registering (free) teachers and students get access to a range of supporting materials for the text. These include: Lesson Plans and Activities Essay guides A searchable glossary Extended web links Specification mapping (where to find exam board specific chapters within the text). The fully-functional site will include, amongst other things, on-line self-test questions and a "premium content" section.

Sociology		Bryn Hafren School
A veritable cornucopia of interesting material can be found here, from AS modules (Families, Wealth, Poverty and Welfare and Methodology) to A2 modules such as Crime, Religion and Social stratification (with detours through areas such as the Sociology of Bananas - you can learn something about power by eating bananas). There's a broad mix of information, advice, notes, quizzes and PowerPoint presentations on-site (and then some - too much to list in any great detail). In fact, there's so much going-on here it's going to take you some time to view it all, but whether you're a teacher or student it will certainly repay the time you spend on-site.		A site offering both GCSE and A-level material, some of which is aimed specifically at teachers (in the form of lesson activities) and some specifically at students (information about coursework, study skills and the like). It's a school site and some of the material is directly aimed at the school's students, but since this is thoughtfully signposted on the Home Page, it's not really a problem. Overall, the site's cleanly-designed and clearly laid-out with logical navigation between the various sections. The site will, no-doubt repay repeated visits.

Sociology Glossary		E-Sociology
All the way from New Zealand, the University of Canterbury site has a few goodies hidden away inside it's ample bowels and this, a small but select glossary, is one of them. Many of the short definitions are taken from standard A-level textbooks and are accompanied by extensive links should you need to explore a concept further.		This is an A-level site, run by John Maloney, offering a range of site-based resources (student worksheets, PowerPoint presentations, on-line teaching materials, etc.) across a range of syllabus areas (Family life, Health, Crime and the like). In addition, there are links to resource materials available on other sites, a developing GCSE section and the chance to take on-line tests.
Sociology Dictionary		Online Learning
More a glossary than a dictionary (it contains 300-plus explanations neatly arranged in alphabetical order) and probably not much use to anyone new to Sociology (many of the explanations presuppose a fair level of general sociological knowledge). Having said this, it does contain useful summaries of ideas like "Functionalism" and if you've ever wanted to know what concepts like "affluent-alienation" mean (no, me neither), this is probably a good place to start...		This neatly-designed and accessible site offers a range of online materials, information and advice for both students and teachers (at the time of writing the Sociology resources are aimed at AS students). There's material here relating to Family Life, Education and (AQA) Coursework, involving a mixture of PowerPoint slides and interactive tests. A neat aspect of the site is the "Ask a Teacher" form which can be used to seek help from the site owner Andy Walker (he will respond within 4 hours!).

S-Cool		John Farley: Sociology
Once you get past the naff title (school's cool? - I don't think so somehow...) this is actually a useful little site for sociology, specifically, and A-level study in general. The main interest centres on a series of "QuickLearn Guides" (revision notes to you and me). These cover topics like Family Life, Theory, Religion and the like - nothing particularly earth-shattering in terms of either presentation or content, but useful for all that. There's also a Key Skills section with-a-difference since it effectively allows teachers / students to store / track key skills developments on-line. This is a neatly-presented site that's well worth a visit.		This is another "Publisher's Site" (Prentice Hall this time) that offers support materials (on-line quizzes, critical thinking activities, web links and chapter summaries) for Farley's text (bigger in America than the UK, but an okay sort of textbook). Clearly, to get the most from this site you'll need the Farley text, but even if you don't use this particular book the site may be useful as a source of teaching ideas, essay questions and for basic revision material.

OUP Sociology		Drew Hurley
For those using the Fulcher and Scott textbook (now in its 3rd edition), Oxford University Press have posted Workbook activities (that can be downloaded in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format) covering a range of syllabus areas. Most - but not all - are based around the Fulcher text (read the text, answer the questions / do the activities). With a bit of effort, however, many of the activities can be adapted for use with different textbooks. Overall, an extensive set of homework / class work activities given away ("free") by OUP to promote the use of this text.		This is an odd site to describe, but one that's potentially useful for A-level students. It's main feature is a series of "video lectures" (a rather grand title for what's really only a mixture of text and graphics) on a range of topics (class in the USA, gender, ethnicity, age and so forth). These seem to be built around the Macionis textbook (a kind of US version of Haralambos' "Themes and Perspectives", in the sense that it seems to be the main American pre-University textbook in Sociology). There's no great depth of material in these lectures, but they may prove useful for identifying themes, issues, concepts and debates.

Social Studies Index		Hewett School
Leicester University PGCE Social Science students have created a range of worksheets and on-line materials (multiple-choice tests, quizzes and so forth) that are available for download / on-line use. In general they seem to be aimed at an A-level audience and are "free for anyone to use". There's not a huge amount of material here at present, but presumably this will be a continuing process of resource creation, so the site's probably worth checking-out from time-to-time to see what's currently available. At present there's materials for Sociology, Psychology and Integrated Humanities.		The Sociology section of this site contains a range of A-level materials to browse, including sections on What is Sociology?, Study Skills and Sociological Theory. The latter is probably the most useful since in contains information on Sociological perspectives and key thinkers (Goffman, for example), but it's a nice little site and well worth a visit to see what can be done by enthusiastic teachers and students. There should be more of this type of material produced by schools on their sites (instead of the usual platitudes that are a depressing feature of most...).

Sociology Update		Research Resources for Social Sciences
Many A-level students and teachers will be familiar with Martyn Denscombe's "Updates" series of sociology booklets. If you're not, these provide a rich source of up-to-date empirical material on various sociological topics. Unfortunately for anyone not familiar with the format, the site doesn't offer any free examples / materials. However, it does contain a current / backdated list of available titles that can be ordered using the form provided on the site (each booklet costs £2-50). If you're looking for current material for things like project work, you could do worse than check-out the Update material available.		This is an extensive and wide-ranging set of links covering a variety of social science subjects (psychology, anthropology and so forth). The Sociology, Media and Women's Studies sections will be of greatest use to A-level students / teachers and are worth exploring, especially if you're looking for more-advanced information about a specific area of sociological theory.

Educational Research		The Sociolog
Tanya Hope has contributed to a number of A-level texts (reviews of which you'll find here) and this site exists to: "...disseminate my educational and sociological research in an effort to support an ethos of academic sharing". At present you'll find original research material (the Educational Maintenance Allowance material could be useful for OCR students doing the Research Report...) and the promise of free teaching resources, book reviews and links. The site also gives students and teachers the opportunity to feedback their views and contact Tanya by e-mail.		Julian Dierkes seems to have set himself the not inconsiderable task of providing a link to just about every Sociology site known to man, woman and, probably, their cat and dog. As the title suggests, the site is a log of sites, arranged according to criteria such as country, research, departments, journals and so forth. There's nothing fancy here (no indication of what you'll find if you follow a link, for example), but if you're looking for things like Sociology Mailing Lists or specific sociologists, this is probably one of the best places to start.

Joseph Rowntree Foundation		Theory.org
It's difficult to know where to begin with this site since it contains, in its own words "several hundred research summaries", all of which can be browsed on-line or downloaded (in .pdf format - for which you'll need the Adobe Reader). You can search for articles by keyword (from "Abuse" to "Youth") or category (for example, social policy research). There's too much available on the site to describe in a few words so, if you want up-to-date information on a wide range of sociological topics, I'd be inclined to give Mr. Rowntree a visit...		Although I've mentioned David Gauntlett's site in the Mass Media section, it's worth mentioning again here because of an interesting feature of the site that's well-worth checking out - "Trading Cards". These are basically revision cards featuring an outline of a writer or theory plus a couple of strengths / weaknesses. The cards are attractively designed and might prove useful as either a revision aid or classroom display.

OCR Exam Board		Greenhead College
If you use the OCR Exam Board you'll find a range of useful materials to download from the Sociology section. These include the standard AS / A2 Specifications and Research Report guide, but there are also materials relating specifically to teaching each of the AS modules - lesson plans, reading lists and web links.		The Sociology Department at Greenhead (a Beacon College) has produced a range of materials for use by teachers and students. These include pages on how to improve the teaching and learning process as well as sample resource-based learning materials on both Culture and Deviance (available in Adobe .pdf format).

National Extension College		Hamlin Glossary
One of the major publishers of distance learning materials in the UK. If you're in the market for such a package the Sociology materials (written by Roger Gomm) are particularly good, although the course is mainly aimed at students following the AQA syllabus.		Although not as extensive some web offerings - in terms of both the number and length of it's definitions - this glossary from the University of Minnesota covers a number of major sociological concepts and ideas.

Lancaster University
One of the few (British) Universities to use the Web for anything other than advertising, the Sociology Department has, since January 1999, started to publish a series of On-Line Papers. As you might expect, many of these are aimed at an undergraduate audience, but a number of available papers are (surprisingly) accessible to an A-level audience. The range of materials reflects the particular interests of members of the Department, so it's a little restricted in range, but at present there are papers on aspects of globalisation, production and consumption, work and leisure (the enticingly entitled "Home from home?: a research note on recreational caravanning"), with more topics planned. The presentation is nothing special (it's probably best to print any papers you want to use), but access to a potentially-useful source of up-to-date research is something that should be welcomed.

General Sociology Links	General

Apple Learning Interchange		United Nations
I'm not, as a general rule, a great fan of anything Apple-related, mainly because Apple-users always strike me as behaving like some superior class apart from the rest of us PC mortals (cue loads of email arriving in my inbox from irate Applettes - or not, as the case may be. Does anyone outside UK Universities still use Mac's for "educational purposes"?). However, this is a very useful little site with a "social studies" format. It offers a range of resources (mainly, it must be said, aimed at American Schools) all presented in a neat, clean and lively fashion.		A professional, well-designed site, giving easy access to a wide range of information and resources about the work of the...err...United Nations (no, really). The site combines general information about the UN (member states and activities around the world for example) with documents, webcasts, databases and publications. A useful site for anyone studying the Sociology of Development

SocioSite		Cyberspace (A Sociological Tour)
For some reason I've never put a link to what must be one of the most popular (at least in terms of links) Sociology sites on the Web. Whether you're searching for subject areas, sociologists, newsletters, mailing lists, newsgroups or newspapers, this site will probably have the link you need (and probably a few hundred more you could follow, just for good measure). Most links have annotations that give you a basic idea about what you might find on a site and the whole site adds-up to an incredible labour of love. There are no fancy graphics or whizzy effects - just solid, reliable, information. A great (essential?) starting- point for all kinds of sociological surfing (so forget I wrote the first sentence...).		An interesting concept (and site) that offers a huge range of useful information on areas such as social inequality, family and gender, ethnicity, age and much more besides. Although seemingly aimed at American undergraduates, much of the material is the right level for A-level students. There's nothing too fancy about the presentation (vanilla text on a variety of "interesting" backgrounds) but it's well-organised and clearly structured. A good resource for students (and teachers).

The Sociology Shop		Electronic Journal of Sociology
The Shop is an interesting concept, in terms of both design and content. The basic idea (I think...) is that since Sociology knows no boundaries, neither does The Shop - which is why you'll find a range of "rooms" devoted to "Sociology" in it's minimal academic sense - articles and links on crime and education which will be of specific interest to A2 teachers and students (there's a particularly useful section on Peter Berger's contribution to the sociology of knowledge) and "Sociology" in its widest sense - rooms devoted to critical thinking skills, conceptual tools and humour. The site's clearly a labour of love and it's none the worse for so being...		Of all the on-line Sociology journals, this is one of the most accessible (both in terms of content and the fact you can actually view articles on-line). Having said that, it's a publication aimed at teachers and university students, although the current and back issues are worth checking-out from time-to-time for papers that can be adapted to A-level teaching. For a flavour of the journal, try David Beckett's article (Disembodied Learning: How Flexible Delivery Shoots Higher Education In The Foot: Well, Sort Of.). This is especially recommended if you're currently being put under pressure to adopt the type of FOFO "Resource- Based Learning" that involves plonking students in front of computers in the mistaken belief that they'll "learn something"...

The Victorian Web		The Public Record Office
A huge site specialising in Victorian Britain that's aimed more at Historians than Sociologists. However, if you're interested in such things as economic and political relationships, gender differences and the like in this era this is an interesting site to visit.		A nice site to browse and a lot of information packed into it's many pages. There's not, in truth, anything of immediate interest to A-level Sociologists, but there's plenty of general interest stuff (some of which is stunningly well-presented) and it contains the potential for search material on a variety of project-related information.

Robert Keel		Social Studies School Service
An American University site run, spookily enough, by Robert Keel (presumably for students on the courses he teaches). It contains a wide range of lecture notes on a variety of topics, as well as exercises and extensive links to other sites. As you might expect, a lot of the materials are undergraduate level, but some are definitely worth checking out if you're really into a particular subject...		A commercial site specialising in various aspects of social studies (History, Geography and so forth), this offers sample lessons from various activity books on a wide range of topics (Industrial Revolution, Religion etc.) as well as links to "Homework Help" sites (sites that offer tips and techniques). There's also a section related to media studies (at present this just seems to involve Amistad and The Crucible, however).

Sociology Review		BBC
"Sociology Review" is probably the standard journal for A-level students, even though it's heavily biased towards the AEB syllabus and many of the articles could serve as useful undergraduate introductions. But, for all its faults, it should be essential reading (especially given the, probably unfounded and potentially libellous, suggestion that articles appearing in the year preceding the exam give teachers a pretty good guide to the sort of questions that will appear in the (AEB) exam). The site is, however, disappointing; it basically contains adverts for past issues, subscriptions and the like. It could - perhaps should - be used as a resource centre for A-level teachers and students, so if you visit, tell them who sent you and what they should be doing...		As you might expect, a large site devoted to education and one where the content changes constantly to reflect the station's educational programming. From the Home Page look for a link to take you to the Further Education section. For UK-based sociologists, the most useful part of the site is probably the area detailing the programme schedule for the month ahead. You can, if you wish, subscribe to a not-very-useful email newsletter that keep's you up-to-date with FE issues and materials (but only if they're published by the Beeb or one of its many associates - whatever happened to Public Service Broadcasting?)

Bad Subjects		Moving Ideas
An interesting, left-leaning, American on-line journal with a range of archived topics to browse (including issues given over to articles on gender, ethnicity, media and so forth). Probably not going to be hugely useful to A-level students, but worth a browse just to check out the articles from time to time.		An American, left-of-centre, Current Affairs site containing loads of articles to view on-line or download for more-leisurely viewing. There's an efficient site search facility you can use to find articles on areas such as family life, education and crime. The quality of the articles is generally high, erudite (bless you) and potentially useful as classroom discussion material.

Home