Elizabeth Green, ex-Year 13 Psychology student, has just had an article she wrote whilst at school published in the Student Corner of the ATP Today magazine (the Association for the Teaching of Psychology). She rose to the challenge of researching and writing her own article, choosing to focus on the fascinating topic of Dance Movement Psychotherapy with a piece entitled: ‘How can movement heal your brain?’.
On Friday 30th June, Dr Guy Sutton came back to Presdales to deliver another inspirational and informative set of neuroscience masterclasses to our Year 12 Psychology students. We were also pleased to share this enrichment opportunity with psychology students at Richard Hale School, who joined us for the afternoon session. The masterclasses were fast-paced, stimulating and eye-opening, taking students around and beyond A-level material and into degree-level concepts and research. As well as learning more about neuroanatomy, pupils were given an insight into what is current and exciting in brain research, including the use of brain microchips to modify or monitor brain activity, growing ‘mini brains’ in the lab from stem cells to replace unhealthy brain tissue, the negative impact of social media engagement on brain functioning and mental health and what happens to the brain at death. The students were blown away by Dr Sutton’s prediction that within their lifetime telepathy could be possible and they were introduced to the potential uses of this as well as the moral and ethical dilemmas faced by the scientific community.
Students were treated to a hands-on sheep brain dissection where they were able to see and handle some of the brain regions previously only seen in pictures.
Dr Sutton also gave a really interesting and engaging talk to our younger students who attend our weekly psychology fun club. They were surprised to learn that a lot of the advice given to them by parents and staff about diet, sleep and social media use has a strong grounding in neuroscience! They learned about the importance of having 8 hours of sleep to enable the brain to ‘de-clutter’ and organise the day’s learning, discovered the best ‘brain foods’ to eat and were shocked at recent research showing that even moderate social media consumption can change the pathways in the teen brain.
I found the session incredibly inspiring and the entire experience was captivating throughout – it really gave me a good insight into neuroscience and how the brain works, I really enjoyed it! Katie Rhodes
I really enjoyed the session, and I found it particularly interesting to learn about what future technology could look like, for example a device that could connect to our brain and transcribe our thoughts into messages. Laura Wilkinson
I really enjoyed how passionate Dr Sutton was about the brain and all the new technology that is being advanced to support future research, such as the use of brain organoids grown in labs that are now being developed with eyes! The brain dissection was also enjoyable, particularly because we were able to hold the different structures we have learned about, like the hippocampus. Saoirse Slater
On January 20th, 32 Year 13 Psychology students flew to Poland for a short but feature-packed trip to the beautiful city of Krakow. However, this was not a sightseeing trip; we were there to visit the Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, which was the scene of horrific atrocities during WW2, witnessing the systematic execution of over 1 million people: a dark time in recent human history, known as the holocaust.
Friday in Poland began with a traditional Polish street food style lunch of Zapiekanka; a delicious open sandwich with a vast array of fillings to choose from. Our tour guide Monica, took us on a walking tour round the Jewish Quarter, Kaziemierz, who gave us an insight into what it would have been like as a Jewish person living in Nazi occupied Poland, having to hide in fear of being caught or being sent away from your home and family.
She revealed that 65,000 Jews from Kraków alone were killed in the Holocaust. The figures were damning, but the reality of the situation really hit the following day, when we stood in the grounds of the work and death camp, Auschwitz.
The tour of Auschwitz-Birkenau was insightful as much as it was harrowing. It was an experience we were grateful to have had as it’s important to try and understand why these sorts of events happen and how we can try to prevent them from occurring again. Piles of children’s shoes, locks of women’s hair and rows of black-and-white photographed faces, identified by numbers on striped pyjamas, stared back at us as we followed a tour guide. The three-dimensions of the memories of who stood there before brought home the shocking reality of just how many families were unjustly torn apart. We learnt of one man in particular who volunteered to take the place of another prisoner who had been sentenced to death, a selfless act of many in a camp that was so unforgiving. We looked into the links to social psychology, with theories of obedience and prejudice explaining how and why such a terrible thing may have occurred. In particular, we can look at agency theory, which explains that the Nazi soldiers became ‘agents’ to their superiors, and therefore did not feel responsibility for their actions. Another psychological factor is the identification of in-groups and out-groups, which leads to prejudice. As the Jewish population was so segregated and isolated from society, it was hard to view them as anything other than ‘the enemy’, despite no real motive.
As some light relief following on from the day’s events, we ventured into Kraków Old Town for some free time to explore the large market square, taking in the beautiful architecture and local stalls. The snow and cold weather added a magical edge to the city. Finally, a dinner of soup, chicken and potatoes and apple pie was served at a traditional Polish restaurant, and we retired to bed in good spirits.
Our final day was going to be harrowing – meeting a holocaust survivor. The lady we met talked about her experience of having lost her parents and been sent to a convent, before finally being adopted and given a new identity. Her parents had shown courage and self-sacrifice, risking everything to keep their 8 month old daughter safe. They had trusted their instincts to give their baby girl to a neighbour and bravely wrapped up a doll to take on their final journey to the death camps, as the German soldiers saw them as nothing more than numbers. She ended her piece by telling us all that she hopes we never feel sad, and related the wartime experiences to the current affairs of war and persecution in Ukraine. It was a very emotional experience, but also uplifting, as she had such a positive mindset which helped her cope with the sadness she had experienced and make peace with her past.
On the journey home on Sunday evening, we all reflected on just how much we had gained from this experience, and I think we can conclude that it was a trip that none of us will easily forget.
Róisín Hurley, Lizzie Green, Erin Leigh and Emily Sanders
In February, 28 Year 12 Psychology students flew to Poland for a short but feature-packed trip. We were there to visit the beautiful city of Krakow. However, this was not a sightseeing trip; we were there to visit the Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, which was the scene of unspeakable atrocities during WW2, witnessing the systematic execution of over 1 million people: a dark time in recent human history, known as the holocaust.
Our weekend began with a VERY early flight. Once we had arrived in Krakow, we had the opportunity to try some traditional Polish street food – Zapiekanka, a toasted, open-faced sandwich – as well some other snacks such as waffles and ice-cream, despite the cold weather. This was followed by a walking tour of the Jewish quarter, Kaziemierz, with our tour guide, Monika. We really enjoyed the tour as it gave us an in-depth insight into what it would have been like as a Jewish person living in Nazi occupied Poland, having to hide in fear of being caught or being sent away from your home and family.
The following morning, we ensured we had lots of layers to wear as it was -5 degrees and we set off on our journey to Auschwitz-Birkenau. On the coach we watched a DVD in preparation for what we were going to see on the tour, highlighting some of the horrible things that happened at Auschwitz-Birkenau. One thing that was quite surreal was the videos of the children who suffered and how they couldn’t really comprehend what was happening to them. The tour of Auschwitz-Birkenau was insightful as much as it was harrowing. It was an experience we were grateful to have had as it’s important to try and understand why these sorts of events happen and how we can try to prevent them from occurring again. As part of our A-level Psychology course, we look at the concept of obedience and what factors may influence a person to obey. We have to relate this to the Holocaust to try and explain the behaviour of the Nazi soldiers and why they obeyed the orders to harm and kill millions of innocent people.
In the afternoon, we had a walking tour of Krakow Old Town, including Wawel Castle and St Mary’s Basilica. This was followed by some free time to explore the large market square, taking in the beautiful architecture and local stalls. The evening was spent having dinner at a Polish restaurant before heading back to our hotel.
This was one of the best trips we’ve ever been on and we want to thank Mrs Simmonds, Mrs Sykes and Mrs Miller for giving us an experience we won’t forget.
By Jasmine Cooper and Rosie Hough
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