Talks for post-16
These talks have been specifically designed with post-16 students in mind.
Some videos were recorded in previous academic years so may contain course content and entry requirements that aren't relevant for your year of interest. Use our A-Z course search for up-to-date admissions guidance.
We'll continue to add to these resources over time.
Discovering talks
Why study presentations
PhD student Helen Grant talks about her own educational journey to Astrophysics, and how studying an unconventional course allowed her to really explore her varied interests and work out exactly what she wanted to do with her future. She explores the skills that you can learn on a Physics degree, along with the huge variety of job opportunities afterwards, along with all the additional opportunities available to students who study at university.
This video was recorded for the academic year 2020/21.
Liam Johnson
PhD student Liam Johnson talks about his love for Biosciences, and why he believes students should consider this subject at higher education level. He explores the skills you’ll learn, the jobs you could go onto after a Biosciences degree, and all of the extra-curricular activities available to students at university.
This video was recorded for the academic year 2020/21.
Matt Jones
Matt Jones talks about the benefits of studying a Biology degree (with specific reference to molecular and cell biology) and key things to consider.
Jason Chu
Katie Sadler
This video is aimed at KS3/4 and was recorded for the academic year 2019/20.
PhD students James Bird, Emma Norgate and Olwen Stagg talk about their own experiences of studying Chemistry, and why other students should consider it as an option. They go into detail of the benefits of studying at university, the different types of Chemistry courses, and the careers available for Chemistry graduates.
This video is aimed at KS4/5 and was recorded for the academic year 2020/21.
Widening participation Fellow Christina Vlachou-Potari talks about why she chose to study Chemistry and the benefits of studying abroad for KS3/4.
Workshops
During this workshop, created by PhD student Diana Osmolska, students are given a site in the city centre of Manchester ready for development. They are asked to propose a building on the site. They are provided with three tasks to help with their proposals, those involve deciding what building they would like to propose and why, how will the building look and what happens in the building.
Teachers can access a lesson plan, and teachers and pupils can view the worksheet:
- Download supporting lesson plan (PDF, 480KB)
- Download worksheet (PDF 436KB)
This video is aimed at KS3/4 and was recorded for the academic year 2020/21.
Infectious diseases are caused by pathogenic (disease-causing) microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi; the diseases can be spread, directly or indirectly, from one person to another. Infectious diseases are estimated to kill more than 17 million people worldwide each year.
How can we diagnose these infections and ensure the right medication is given to patients? What are the problems with giving the wrong antibiotics to treat an infection? And what are the possible ways in which diagnosing these diseases caused by bacteria could be performed quicker?
The workshop, created by PhD Student Elisabeth Trinh, will introduce students to bacteria and infection, discussing different types of common infections such as Urinary Tract Infections and Wound infections, and the symptoms which will come with those infections. Teachers can access a lesson, and teachers and pupils can access a workbook:
- Download supporting lesson plan (PDF, 488KB)
- Download workbook (Word, 812KB)
This video is aimed at KS5 and was recorded for the academic year 2020/21.
Charlotte Mellor presents a fascinating and challenging workshop for KS5 pupils on Chemotherapy and Cancer. Pupils can complete a supporting worksheet. Teachers can download the worksheet and a lesson plan:
- Download supporting lesson plan (PDF, 476KB).
- Download worksheet (Word, 496KB).
This video is aimed at KS5 and was recorded for the academic year 2020/21.
Have you ever felt the sensation of butterflies in your stomach before doing something scary, or told someone you have a “gut feeling” about something? There’s a good reason for these sayings, and the explanation may surprise you.
The gut-brain axis is a term we use to describe how the brain communicates with the gut, and vice versa. In this workshop, PhD student, Maddie Hurry will help you explore the microbes that live in our guts and the surprising effects they can have on mental health and brain function.
Teachers can access a lesson plan below, and teachers and pupils can view the quiz as well as the answer sheet:
- Download lesson plan (PDF, 488KB)
- Download the quiz (Word, 39KB)
- Download the quiz answers (PDF, 420KB)
This video is aimed at KS4/5 and was recorded for the academic year 2020/21.
When thinking about mucus, you probably imagine a snotty cold or a slimy snail right? Mucus is everywhere, but what actually is it and why do we have it?
This workshop, created by PhD student Jack Sharpen, answers this question by introducing you to how biology and chemistry work together in discovering the unique properties of mucus (including how to make your own artificial mucus). We’ll then look at mucus in your body and its importance in normal health and different diseases.
Teachers can access a lesson plan, and teachers and pupils can access the worksheet:
- Download the biochemistry lesson plan (PDF, 488KB)
- Download the biochemistry worksheet (Word, 292KB)
This video is aimed at KS5 and was recorded for the academic year 2020/21.
This interactive workshop, created by PhD student Jessica Williamson, aims to introduce the next generation of environmentalists to green criminology and the concept of environmental harm.
After defining ‘environmental crime’ and introducing a range of criminal and legal environmentally harmful activities, this workshop explores the main industries contributing to environmental harm. With an optimistic twist, this workshop ends by outlining various ways in which individuals can reduce environmental harm, inspiring young people to start thinking about sustainable lifestyle choices.
Teachers can access a lesson plan and everyone can view the worksheets:
- Download lesson plan (PDF, 488KB)
- Download worksheet (Word, 40KB)
This video is aimed at KS5 and was recorded for the academic year 2020/21.
Alina McLellan delivers a workshop exploring forensic linguistics and how this process can help solve criminal cases.
- Download supporting lesson plan (PDF, 469KB).
This video is aimed at KS3 and was recorded for the academic year 2020/21.
This workshop, created by PhD student Robert Kanter, is designed to introduce students to an engaging and relevant debate from period of World War II and The Holocaust.
The session will start by asking students to recall prior knowledge about the Holocaust. Background information will be provided to equip students with context. The main activities will explore arguments for and against the Allies (Britain/USA) bombing Auschwitz in 1944. Students will have an opportunity to debate key points and to reach their own conclusions, using information from historians. The session will close by considering the relevance of this debate in modern society.
Teachers can access a lesson plan and session support notes. Teachers and pupils can access a historian interpretations document and further historical information document:
- Download the lesson plan (PDF, 481KB)
- Download the session support notes for teachers (PDF, 559KB)
- Download the historian’s interpretations document (PDF, 306KB)
- Download the further historical information document (PDF, 268KB)
This video is aimed at KS4/5 and was recorded for the academic year 2020/21.
Over the last century, physics has revealed the world is not quite as it seems. Our daily experiences, atoms and molecules as we know them, compose less than 5% of the universe.
In this workshop, we explore how that can be possible and take a look at how we’ve come to these astounding conclusions. It’s a journey that will take you through our galaxy and to those beyond it, using Einstein’s ground-breaking theory of General Relativity as our torch to illuminate the reality of dark matter. Teachers can access a lesson plan, and teachers and pupils can access a true or false worksheet:
- Download lesson plan (PDF, 482KB)
- Download the worksheet (Word, 34KB)
This video is aimed at KS4/5 and was recorded for the academic year 2020/21.
When solid materials are needed to build nuclear reactors, a simple way to assess their suitability is by inspecting the arrangement of atoms within them.
In this workshop, created by PhD student James Bird, we’ll discuss the holy grail of electricity production, nuclear fusion, the need to develop suitable materials for fusion reactors, and some tricks for testing their viability. In the main activity, we’ll simulate neutron irradiation of different crystal systems (solid materials) by bowling neutrons (balls) at atoms (skittles).
Teachers can access a lesson plan, and teachers and pupils can access the A3 crystal resource sheet:
- Download lesson plan (PDF, 491KB)
- Download A3 crystal resource (PDF, 705KB)
This video is aimed at KS4/5 and was recorded for the academic year 2020/21.
Medical student Lior Saad delivers a workshop exploring heart disease and the link to emotional trauma. Pupils can do these quizzes while watching the workshop video:
Teachers can download the supporting lesson plan, worksheets, quiz sheets and answer sheets:
- Download the lesson plan (PDF, 496KB)
- Download quiz one (PDF, 494KB)
- Download quiz one answers (PDF, 638KB)
- Download quiz two (PDF, 296KB)
- Download quiz two answers (PDF, 426KB)
This video is aimed at KS5 and was recorded for the academic year 2020/21.
This workshop, created by PhD student Annie Baldwin, explores the topic of medical ethics and law. We will work through the case of Charlie Gard and his parent’s legal battle. It explores the themes of quality of life, best interest and child consent. The purpose of the workshop is to ignite discussion and get young people thinking. It explores keys ethical concepts in medicine and creates a platform for thought and debate. Teachers can access a lesson plan:
- Lesson plan – Ethics and law (PDF, 484KB)
This video is aimed at KS3 and was recorded for the academic year 2020/21.
Join Matthew Wray Perry for this interesting and challenging workshop exploring the concept and application of human rights; and whether similar rights should be extended to animals and the consequences of such actions. Pupils can complete a workshop during the workshop:
- Download worksheet (Word, 45KB)
Teachers can download the supporting lesson plan and worksheet:
- Download lesson plan (PDF, 692KB)
- Download worksheet (Word, 45KB)
This video is aimed at KS4/5 and was recorded for the academic year 2020/21.
NHS England has recently opened their first high-energy proton therapy centre at the Christie hospital in Manchester. In this workshop, Bethany Rothwell helps pupils find out how we can use radiation to treat cancer, and how the physics behind protons could have the potential to improve outcomes for patients. Pupils can complete a proton activity sheet and x-ray activity sheet. They can also keep score if they're playing with other pupils:
- Download proton activity sheet (PDF, 64KB)
- Download x-ray activity sheet (PDF, 76KB)
- Download scorecard (PDF, 65KB)
Teachers can download the same supporting worksheets, plus workshop instructions and a lesson plan:
- Download workshop instructions (PDF, 695KB)
- Download lesson plan (PDF, 695KB)
This video is aimed at KS5 and was recorded for the academic year 2020/21.
Understanding talks
Ioana Mosneag, a PhD Student in Neuroscience usually researches drugs for stroke (brain attacks) and the blood vessels in the brain. But, she also has a passion for space medicine and has created a workshop to share some of the amazing facts about space and research.
This is aimed at KS3/4 and was created for the academic year 2019/20.