On the first of December, children all around the world will be opening the first door of their Christmas Advent Calendars, eager to see what picture, chocolate, or mini gift is hiding inside. The word “Advent” comes from the Latin phrase “coming toward.” For Christians, the period of Advent marks “coming toward” the most important […]
Dr Kathryn Bates is a graduate of archaeology and history. She has excavated across the world as an archaeologist, and tutored medieval history at Leicester University. She joined the administrative team at Oxford Open Learning twelve years ago. Alongside her distance learning work, Dr Bates is a bestselling novelist, and an itinerant creative writing tutor for primary school children.
The History of Thanksgiving
The roots of the Thanksgiving celebration can be found in the arrival of members of the Protestant English Separatist Church and a group of travellers from a London stock company (all of whom had been living in Holland before they set out), in the ‘New World’ of America in 1620. It took these settlers, who […]
So you think you’ve finished that essay?
Finishing an essay, closing the page of your project book on an assessment, and placing the final full stop against the final sentence on the very last paragraph of your homework is a wonderful feeling… but hang on a minute. Have you really finished? Have you done those few final checks that turn an okay […]
The Horrible History of Guy Fawkes
In 1605 a man called Guido (Guy) Fawkes, along with Robert Catesby, John Wright, Thomas Percy and Thomas Winter, plotted to blow up the Houses of Parliament. In 1603 Elizabeth I died and the English Crown had gone to the Scottish King James VI. He had been the King of Scotland for 36 years when […]
Halloween – An Ancient Tradition
Every 31st October we celebrate the night of Halloween. Pumpkins are carved into jack-o-lanterns, white sheets are ripped in half and turned into ghost costumes, and children go trick-or-treating. These activities are a very modern take on a festival steeped in history. Halloween has its earliest originals in Celtic times, and began life as a […]
Finding A Place for Independent Study
Finding a suitable location from which to work when you are taking a home study GCSE or A Level course is essential. Whether you shut yourself in your bedroom, sit up at the dining room table, perch on the sofa with the laptop, head to the local library, settle down in the corner of a […]
Finding Time for Independent Study
Studying GCSE’s or A Levels alongside regular employment can be almost as demanding as completing the work itself. Add to this the requirements of family life, and it can become a real challenge. To make the most of any home study course it is essential to find a system of studying outside of work hours […]