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Revision notes for Edexcel Politics AS & A2 (Route D)

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k-lee have you signed up yet? Just do it, and the next time I go on I'll approve it. (Either tonight or tomorrow).

As for the teaching, well lets see what my guys get and then we'll make judgments.

Seriously, what worries me is the number of comments about how bad some teachers are (alledged) to be. I had 7 A Level teachers back in the 1980s. 1 was rubbish, 4 were ok and 2 were great. I, on the other hand, was not a good student by the end of my second year. As a teacher, I now recognise what a pain I was as a student. Usually class discussions revolve around do what I say and dont do the dumb stuff I did at your age.

So it would be very useful to know what is so poor (I'm paraphrasing here :biggrin:

) about their teaching. Sometimes it is justified, other times its a lack of communication. Certainly, I work with 2 people who I would never let teach any child of mine (if I had any :wink:

Reply 21

k-lee C

well the first big problem is that, as i said, they are both history teachers. our college has only had politics as an option for the past...maybe 4 years? and it hasn't bothered to get people to teach it, but has instead got the history teachers to fulfil that role. but one of them did their degree in politics and they both have a very active and strong interest in/understanding of politics so that shouldn't present too much of a problem.

the one who uses us for therapy does...well, just that. and the time devoted to discussing the wrongs of the world according to him, combined with the fact that he is at least 15 mins late to the lessons he is actually present for means that we have very little time left for teaching! (although when he DOES bother, he is extremely good, so i really wish he would. :frown:

)

the other one tries his best but teaches th wrong stuff...he reads political books in order to try and bring us a good balanced range of political commentary but inadvertently ends up just picking out what he agrees with and giving us that. not good.

and they both focus farrrrrrrr toooooooo muchhhhhhhh on the HISTORY of everything, neglecting to assess the conflicts of the past 3-5years. (you know, the thing our exam is actually on...)

furthermore, the main reason most people didn't achieve highly in january or even previously is due to being too descriptive and lacking in analysis (or at least balanced analysis, as 'leonie' mentioned earlier in this thread); we just haven't been taught in an analytical way and its only for the fact that i have the concentration of a gnat in lessons, miss it all and do it myself anyway that i am managing to tread above water!

our year group is by far the most able the school has had but unfortunateely, this has made some teachers complacent (as many have themselves stated) and we are struggling deesperately to teach ourselves about issues that are over-whelmingly complicated and situations that are completely dynamic. as soon as we get a grasp on one thing, it completely changes!

:redface:

haha...rant over now! hope my answer is detailed enough for you!

Reply 22

liamb

Actually, it is very helpful and doesn't sound like a rant at all. Ironically, your is very strong analytically. This is in fact only my second year teaching politics to a class (I taught a future Oxbridge student 1-to-1 the year before).

There are two main points I would raise. First, teachers should be there on time (or as near as possible - people do have a habit of seeing me at the end of breaks with something urgent). There is never enough lesson time. Second, it is hard - if not impossible - to keep personal bias out of Politics or History teaching, but that's no excuse for not trying. I am fairly outspoken and have strong views on politics, especially foreign policy. However, the idea of having a bunch of Liam clones is just too terrible to contemplate - as is them all failing.

My suggest is at this stage self-help. Get some good books and/or notes. The fact you are using TSR says you've started on this road. It will also make you a better university student. Read all you can. Ask anyone who can help for advise and have faith in yourself. Anyone you can analysis the shortcomings of their own corner of the world (i.e. your politics course) this well must have talent. Anything I can do to help just ask.

(BTW I've just signwed you into the wiki).
Best of luck and have faith,
Liam

Reply 23

k-lee C

i dunno...a bunch of liam clones would be a pretty good idea if they would all be this helpful!

thanks for the old wiki-majig. we have no textbooks so its good to have something else thats solid and compact and structured (along with mellow-yellow's notes) to help me through. you know what, as i'm looking through them, i can see stuff about india and pakistan that i remember them actually saying they weren't going to touch on as it was 'unimportant'...

hahahaha....i have to laugh or else i will cry and not stop!

thank you, thank you, thank you, you absolute star xxxx

Reply 24

liamb

Try to get Goldstein & Pavehouse International Relations it is very good for general knowledge. Also check out their site (google it). Also google Baylis and Smith (something like Globalisation in I R) get the website and you'll find all their chapter summaries for free. (Some of which I put on the Wiki). The book is excellent, but you'd never have time to read it).

Reply 25

k-lee C

ok liam...one big Q. a favour, if you will.

i know it's a long shot but.........

feel like taking my exams for me? :wink:

i am pooing my pants. (i tried to think of a more eloquent way to put it but i couldn't...)

Reply 26

liamb

k-lee C

ok liam...one big Q. a favour, if you will.

i know it's a long shot but.........

feel like taking my exams for me? :wink:

i am pooing my pants. (i tried to think of a more eloquent way to put it but i couldn't...)

No can do. The deception would be spotted at once. I being a cynical, ugly dirty old (Cornish)man and you being everything that is good about life. Sorry Cinderella, but I really am the ugly sister and NOT prince charming or a fairy godmother. I could pass for a toad. :p:

Reply 27

liamb

kruger97

The Unit 5 notes on this site are usually not the same as Route D specification. They go on about globalisation, NATO and things like China - not the EU.

That is because
1. Mello-Yello focused on knowledge that was new to Unit 5 and didn't overlap with Unit 4.
2. Her notes follow the actual past paper questions.
3. Her teacher used a thematic approach (so do I) rather than a Unit-by-Unit one.

Use her notes for 4, 5 and 6 and you will be well served.

Reply 28

kruger97

^ I can't find her notes for 4,5 and 6. Are they called something else in the OP? Thanks btw for your link.

Reply 29

Rob McK

haha k-lee-c you seem to have exactly the same teachers as me but i'm pretty sure you don't go to my school, it's lucky we have miracle workers like liamb and mellow-yellow to save us from these history loving monsters!

Reply 30

k-lee C

Rob McK

haha...it really, really is! it has saved my butt. we definitely don't go to the same school...maybe teaching standards are just universally dropping? (over to you liam) in which case, i hope that exams ARE getting easier, in order to compensate!

and liam, i am easily as cynical as you. that is not a problem :smile:

but maybe the age, the gender and the being-Cornish bits are...people might get a bit suspicious.

i suppose i will have to brave it on my own. and hope that my just-wing-it-and-see approach works for me one last time. :frown:

Reply 31

liamb

k-lee C

Wing and prayer has saved my miserable butt in more exams than I care to remember! :biggrin:

Rob McK - I am originally a history teacher :p:

But then again, I always saw politics as applied history. :biggrin:

Reply 32

k-lee C

liamb

Wing and prayer has saved my miserable butt in more exams than I care to remember! :biggrin:

thats good to know! same goes for me. but i'm worried that, pretty soon, i shall get my come-uppance. and these exams are quite probably it! unit 5 was shockingly terrible...i'm sure i just made up about 9 pages of nothing. :frown:

eek.

Reply 33

Rob McK

yeah liamb you are a history teacher but you also have a brain - something that sets you apart from my lot!

Reply 34

Avnish987

hey thanks mellow-yellow your revision notes for unit 6 saved my life.

thanks

Reply 35

Erzan

Thank you so much to the OP for Unit 1 and 2 revision notes, they will really help me when i retake unit 2 and maybe unit 1. I want my A.

Reply 36

liamb

Any help I can give (AS or A2) let me know. Always happy to help.

Reply 37

k-lee C

^^^^listen to this man. he knows all. seriously.

Reply 38

liamb

k-lee C

^^^^listen to this man. he knows all. seriously.

Man - my ex would question that! :mad:

he knows all - then why is Gordon Brown doing my job? :s-smilie:

seriously - Jeffers out of Hyperdrive is more serious than me! :p:

But thanks for the thought! :biggrin:

Reply 39

k-lee C

okay, hows this then? -

^^^listen to this person. s/he knows a lot. (although apparently not enough to be PM so don't take what he says for granted.) jokingly.

it makes less sense but it's more accurate. :biggrin: