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Posted on March 6th 2018
The Whole Shebang - Student Periodical - Download Your Copy Here
Issue 13 of The Whole Shebang is about science and technology, with articles on everything from Bitcoin to farming, printing to medicine.
The Whole Shebang gives students the chance to research and write in-depth articles in their own time about topics that really interest them.
Issue 13 is produced by students from Harris Boys' Academy East Dulwich and Harris Garrard Academy in Bexley.
Produced each half term, The Whole Shebang covers a single topic from many different perspectives including science, history, economics and art – hence the title.
Independent learning
"We have used the Whole Shebang as an on-going project to encourage particular pupils to challenge their independent learning outside of the classroom," said Mr Metcalfe, who co-ordinates the after-school meetings. "There is a core group of boys who produce the articles for each topic, although other students can get involved in a particular issue, based on their passion for the theme we're covering in that particular issue." Themes covered so far include: protest, conflict, violence; literature; world affairs; chocolate, cinema, Brazil and the world cup, and World War I.
"The Whole Shebang is an excellent tool to provide 'Stretch and Challenge' tasks outside of the classroom and encouraging pupils to write about a topic that interests then," added Mr Metcalfe. "The independent learning skills of research, article writing, pitching to different audiences and editing their own work has really developed over the past two years. This has been demonstrated in not only the students' academic progress but also within the articles themselves. From having to work hard with the students to edit the pieces, the students now do this prior to completion and submission, often handing in work that does not need any adaptations."
Getting students' voices heard
The Whole Shebang enables students' voices and viewpoints to be read by a wider audience and demonstrates young people’s potential to understand current issues. "Writing for the periodical is also setting up students for higher education and the learning styles that are essential for success."
Next term the current team of writers/journalists will be mentoring and editing younger students, enabling them to take over The Whole Shebang next year.
All previous issues can be downloaded from our newsletters page.
