A’ Level Sociology students in Year 12, have been playing the Game of Life in class with their Teacher, Mr Shearer.

Sociology is a fascinating subject, which allows students to analyse society and the socio-economic structures within it. Students look at social behaviour from different perspectives, and consider how people interact with each other in groups according to characteristics such as status, gender and race.

Mr Shearer designed the game as an engaging way for students to reinforce their learning, whilst developing their skills in the use of sociological terms. The game takes students through the stages of life from ages 0-100, charting activities that could happen, relating to topics such as families and education. The aim of the game is to live a long, healthy and successful life, with gameplay based around students devising real life situations.

The class was split into different groups, with each working to make materials. Cards were created to reflect both positive and negative situations that can happen in life, and these were used to determine whether a player would move forwards on the board or back.

Overall, the game raised confidence and strengthened the students’ knowledge of sociological terminology because it allowed them to show initiative and communicate with their peers. Mr Shearer also joined in on the activity, but despite his years of experience, he sadly lost out to Francis!

This is just one of the many innovative learning activities that our teachers include in lessons to ensure that students are fully engaged and able to reach their full potential in all subjects.

Written by Lilly R, Year 12