KS3 ATL Curriculum

ATL stands for Applied Trans-disciplinary Learning.

Applied Trans-disciplinary Learning: Learning between, across and beyond different disciplines, that is relevant to the real world and applied to real practical situations. The goal is to access, analyse and synthesise information and knowledge over several disciplines in order to understand the operation and issues facing the world today and in the future.

Aspirations recognise that, as well as knowledge, students need to develop their ability and skills to apply and repurpose knowledge in order to survive in a rapidly changing world.

In order to ensure the development of a curriculum that ensures a depth of knowledge, the application of knowledge and the development of 21st century skills, the central feature of the ‘No Limits’ model is the development of a curriculum that fully embraces both single-discipline Learning (CORE) and trans-discipline learning (APPLIED).

The Applied Transdisciplinary Learning (ATL) assignments are all centred on a problem or issue and relate to several different but related subject areas. Students work in teams to develop their Future skills and the outcome of each assignment is a high quality presentation. Each assignment lasts for several weeks and is designed to include cooperative learning. Through each assignment students learn which sequence of steps is most efficient to solve a certain problem, how specific their instructions must be to reach a desired goal, and how to solve unexpected errors by efficient debugging and creative problem solving.

Exactly what are the Future Skills we need our young people to develop to succeed in the world today?

Communication and interpersonal skills: Can you connect with others effectively? Can you sense and stimulate reactions and interactions?
Resilience: Can you overcome setbacks and challenges? Are you flexible with change and stable in demanding situations?
Critical thinking: Critical thinking is the ability to think clearly and rationally, understanding the logical connection between ideas
Initiative: Initiative is the ability to be resourceful and work without always being told what to do
Complex problem-solving: Complex problem solving skills are the developed capacities used to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings
Productivity and accountability: Can you create a product and take responsibility for its performance?

WHAT ARE WE STUDYING?

Academic year 2021-22

YEAR 7

The year 7 ATL curriculum will be delivered within six assignments during the academic year. Each Assignment will have a driving question and incorporate a number of different disciplines.

Autumn term 1
Demos Kratos- How can we propose a change to improve our school or community?

Students will understand that for any institutional or political change to occur the issue has to be communicated persuasively and in accordance with historically specific institutional or political rules. Students will learn about rhetoric and how Shakespearean characters use rhetoric to persuade. They will also learn about some landmark historical moments for democracy and authority in the UK, and how contemporary democracy and citizenship work.

Love and Loss- How can we judge what is essential to life?

Students will understand the physiological, emotional and leadership responses to the question, ‘What is essential in life’. They will analyse different examples of love and loss in literature – poetry and look at Historic examples of leadership. They will also analyse the functions of the heart, brain and circulatory system, and then make a judgement about what is essential in life.

Autumn Term 2
Shakespeare Redesigned- How can we imagine key themes of Shakespeare’s work in a different era?

Students will do an depth study of two of Shakespearean villains. Tybalt from Romeo and Juliet, and Lady Macbeth from Macbeth. They will also do an in depth study the causes and consequences of the 1st World War. Students will imagine one of the Shakespearean characters playing a role in WW1, and write a Shakespearean-esque script for a scene depicting an important event in WW1. The scene will then be filmed as part of the assignment

Spring term 1

Tomorrow’s World (And the Next Day…) – How have technological advances changed the life of a Year 7 student in the UK and what does the future hold?

All students will learn basic skills of coding, website building, 3D modelling and digital eSafety. Students will learn how technology has changed people’s daily lives, specifically over the last 50 years (1969 – first moon landing), including the power generating it (electricity). How will the increased use of technology and social media in the future change society? Within small groups, students will collaboratively research, design and prototype a product for the future which solves a real-life everyday problem (with the aim of having it developed or manufactured).

Spring term 2 and Summer term 1

Sport of The Day – How can we, as Year 7 students, create and design a new sport that is inclusive and enjoyed by the next Year 7 cohort?

With the Summer Olympics in mind students will work on a sporting assignment. Students will work in groups to create a new sport that they will design, organise and promote. Students will study key historical sporting moments and look at how sport can unite people throughout the world. They will also study the benefits of playing sport and keeping fit and use these ideas when thinking about creating a new sporting idea.

Summer Term 1 and 2
Food

Students will understand how food production and consumption has changed over time and it varies globally. Students will have knowledge of what a healthy balanced diet looks like and the development and impacts of fast food. Students will explore how food and the economy are linked. Student outcome will involve using all knowledge gained in the first half of the project and research conducted, to successfully create a sustainable global restaurant of the future, complete with menu, advertising campaign, logo, mission statement and economic cost.

Year 8

The year 8 ATL curriculum will be delivered within six assignments during the academic year. Each Assignment will have a driving question and incorporate a number of different disciplines.

Autumn term 1
Health

Students will learn about pathogens and how they are spread, as well as developing an understanding of outbreaks in history and around the globe (Asia or Africa). Students will need to use this information to create an advice campaign for a particular scenario that they are given. Scenarios will be differentiated to challenge a range of students.

The goal of this assignment is to make a clear connection of key events in diseases/outbreaks throughout history to modern day mapping and developing a response to an outbreak – focus on stopping the spread and promoting prevention.

Autumn Term 2
Space

Students will explore the universe and solar system with an in depth study of the earth, phases of the moon and Mars. They will create a model colony on Mars , considering the social, scientific and geographic aspects of living on the red planet.

Spring term 1
Global Culture

Students will write a research paper answering the question: How can we, as year 8 students, use globalisation to our advantage. The research paper will explain how the UK is connected to other countries

Summer term 1
Music

Students will understand the history of Civil Rights and the daily struggles of African Americans. They will also learn literacy and language techniques and the musical structures needed to compose lyrics. Students will be assessed on their language and literacy techniques (English link) in poems and contextual understanding of the time period (History link). The students will also to write and deliver a speech or open letter to a newspaper about the importance of racial equality and bringing communities together.

Summer term 2
Wilding

Wilding is a progressive approach to conservation. It’s about letting nature take care of itself, enabling natural processes to shape land and sea, repair damaged ecosystems and restore degraded landscapes. Through rewilding, wildlife’s natural rhythms create wilder, more biodiverse habitats. The students will learn about the concept of wilding and apply this concept to an area of land on our campus.

Year 8

The year 8 ATL curriculum will be delivered within six assignments during the academic year. Each Assignment will have a driving question and incorporate a number of different disciplines.

Autumn term 1

Health

Autumn Term 2

Space

Spring term 1

Global Culture

Summer term 1

Music

Students will understand the history of Civil Rights and the daily struggles of African Americans. They will also learn literacy and language techniques and the musical structures needed to compose lyrics. Students will be assessed on their language and literacy techniques (English link) in poems and contextual understanding of the time period (History link). Students will also be assessed on their ability to perform their poems to music (Music link). Students will recite or perform their pieces to their peers and adults.

Summer term 2

Wilding

Food 2

Students will revisit the assignment they completed at the end of year 7. They will be given the opportunity to develop the skills they gained the first time round. They will build on their successful sustainable global restaurant of the future and convert this into a real life Pop up version complete with its own menu, advertising campaign, logo, mission statement and economic cost.

Should you have any other questions or want to find out more, please contact Shileen Green, Vice Principal on: sgreen@wykhampark-aspirations.org

WHAT ARE WE STUDYING?

Admissions