We can't wait to welcome you to Andover College! 

We have created this interactive page to give you a sense of what studying History, both Modern and Early Modern pathways, at Andover College is like. Scroll down to learn about 'Pandemics of the Past', including the Black Death and Influenza, and watch the accompanying videos.   

If you have any questions about the course please get in touch, email -AskHumanities@sparsholt.ac.uk

Be sure to look into the additional help and support we can provide through our experienced Careers and Health & Wellbeing teams. 

Meet your lecturer!

Welcome to the Course!

Whether you are interested in Early Modern or Modern History A level, our lecturer Caroline has produced a list of resources to get you thinking in a critical and analytical manner.

The skills you need in History are those of analysis, comparing events with one another and looking for trends, patterns and anomalies between events, societal reactions and individuals. 

The most famous pandemic of the past that may spring straight to your mind is that of the Black Death or Plague. Take a look at the video and podcast below to develop your knowledge of this event and then try your hand at creating a timeline. 

This is a fascinating podcast about the Black Death and its impact. There is a lot of debate as to how much social change happened pre the plague and how much was a direct result of it. Link here.

This article tells you about how the medieval people tried to halt the spread of the plague - link here. There is also an interactive quiz to test your knowledge - make sure you also look into how the plague doctor masks came to be!

While the Black Death may be the most famous pandemic in the past the Spanish Influenza pandemic of 1918, that arose shortly after World War One, also resulted in catastrophic damage - learn more here. 

When studying History timelines can be an extremely useful resource to simplify events and establish continuity. Use this link to create your own timeline focusing on the topic of 'Pandemics of the Past'. Link here. 

Once you have completed your research have a go at these questions below.

Questions to consider: 

• Summarise the argument from one of the key articles above, or find your own, in 10 key bullet points
• Write a paragraph of 250 words explaining the arguments presented in the above articles
• Create a quiz based on one or multiple articles provided, or find your own!
• Summarise one or more of the articles on flashcards, quizlet is a good site to use for this
• Make a crossword full of interesting facts and questions!
• Use a stop motion app to create a piece of animation based on your timeline of events
• Keep a corona lock down diary - it will become a historical document in the future! 
• Have a go at cooking some recipes from the past and make sure you share them with us! Some examples available - here. 

New Activities: Black Lives Matter and Historical Perspectives

In light of the ongoing situation with the Black Lives Matter movement our lecturer Caroline has suggested a variety of articles and videos below to highlight the different perspectives from a historical point of view. Take a look below. 

Reggie Yates Life and Death in Chicago | BBC Iplayer 

'He was a slave trader and a murderer' - David Olusoga speaks out after Colston statue toppled | Bristol Post

Revere or Remove? The Battle Over Statues, Heritage and History

Please note, some of the documentaries and articles above include imagery and language which may cause offence. Please use your discretion when accessing this material. 

Student wellbeing and support 

At Andover College we understand that starting college in these uncertain times can be daunting and we aim to make this process as simple as possible. 

We have a dedicated team that provide our students with any additional support they need including; 

• Counselling 
• Carer support 
• Childcare support 
• Confidential one-to-one services 

We also have at the college Romeo our therapy dog! Romeo is part of the continued effort from Andover College to consistently improve on and add to wellbeing provision for students. Romeo is based on campus with his owner throughout term.

Research has shown that students are significantly less stressed and anxious, and even have increased happiness and energy, immediately following spending time in a drop-in session with a dog present.