History
Learning Outside the Classroom
The War Walk
Introduction
All societies have wished to know of their past whether from priests, poets, minstrels or historians. The Old Testament, the Iliad, the Aeneiad, the Norse Sagas, the Welsh Bruts, the Chanson de Roland testify to this deep concern for the past as surely as Thucydides, Livy, Bede, Clarendon or Macaulay. It is a social necessity. History has an important part to play in establishing a social identity - who we are and where we have come from. "History", it has been said, "is to the community what memory is to the individual". Through a study of history the student gains some notion of his/her relation to, and dependence on, others in a range of communities locally, nationally and globally.
History is a subject which has evolved over the years from a dry and musty study of the past to a vibrant and varied examination of our heritage using a wide range of sophisticated study and research skills from source recovery and evaluation, the use of libraries and computer archives (including the internet) for research through to the clear and analytical explanation of findings. It is truly "a study of the past using the skills of the future".
We as a History team aim to challenge students, to build upon their enjoyment and enthusiasm for History and, most of all, expand their understanding and appreciation about the importance of events, issues and individuals in shaping the world of today. As well as extending historical knowledge, the course aims to develop the skills of thinking, analysing, evaluating and debate.
The GCSE, Entry Level Certificate, AS and A2 courses we offer, provide an excellent preparation for a very wide range of Further and Higher Education courses and careers beyond the obvious.
KEY STAGE 3
Course Structure
During the Autumn and Spring Terms students complete the KS3 Curriculum, which for Year 9 is the 20th Century World. During the Summer Term all Year 9 students embark upon our GCSE course – The American West, 1840-1895 – by studying the first unit within this topic. In this way, students gain a thorough understanding of the demands of the GCSE before opting to continue with the course in Year 10. This allows continuity of learning from Year 9 into Year 10.
| Focus Question | Indicative Content | |
| Autumn Term 1 | Unit 1: Why did World War One happen? |
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| Autumn Term 2 | Unit 2: What was the fighting like on the Western Front? |
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| Spring Term 1 | Unit 3: How effective was the Treaty of Versailles in achieving lasting peace? |
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| Spring Term 2 | Unit 4: Why did the Holocaust happen and what was its significance? |
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| Summer Term | GCSE - The American West, 1840-1895. Unit 1: What was life like for the Native American Indians who lived on the Great Plains? |
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Assessment
Each unit of work is assessed continuously using the College marking policy, whilst an exam style test is sat at the end of each unit. These are designed to assess a students overall knowledge, understanding, source analysis and evaluation skills. The tests are marked using GCSE grade boundaries as the tests have been taken and adapted from previous GCSE exam papers. We have decided to assess the students in this way as a method of preparing students for the requirements of the GCSE course proper, which all Year 9 commence during the Summer Term of Year 9. At the start of each unit students are given target grades to which they should strive to achieve in the end of unit tests. These are recorded on individual Student Self-Assessment/Target Sheets which can be found in each student’s exercise book. These sheets also outline the course content and the priorities for improvement for each unit, which were identified from the previous unit test result. Each student’s target grades will vary according to ability and will change throughout the year according to their attainment.
Additional/Preparation Reading List
The College Library has numerous books about WW1, the Inter-War Years and WW2 which the students are encouraged to take out, read and conduct research from. We also have a number of textbooks and books within the team, which the students have access to throughout the course. There are a number of excellent websites that students can also use to conduct additional research e.g. firstworldwar.com, BBC History website.
KEY STAGE 4
We offer both History GCSE and Entry Level Certificate at Key Stage 4.
History GCSE:
History develops the skills of:
- Locating and extracting information
- Evaluating information
- Communicating relevant information in a concise and appropriate format.
These skills are widely sought after by employers making this a popular and widely accepted GCSE.
New Specification from 2009 onwards – taught to our current Year 10
The course is the new specification for the Schools History Project syllabus and comprises three distinct units, or modules, assessed by a combination of a controlled assignment and formal examination. There is one internal controlled assignment (Module 3) which takes the form of a research exercise and will be written up under exam conditions at the end of Year 10. This controlled assignment comprises 25% of the total marks available. Modules 1 and 2 are assessed by two examinations taken at the end of the course. Module 2 – The American West – is studied at the end of Year 9 and the beginning of Year 10 and comprises 40% of the total marks available. Module 1 – Medicine Through Time – is studied in Year 11 and comprises 35% of the total marks available.
All students sit the same examinations at the end of the course which offers the full range of grades A* to G.
The Modules are:-
| What this module entails: | |
| Module 1: A Developmental Study: Medicine Through Time | This is a developmental study to show how a single idea - medicine - has developed from early stone-age spiritual medicine to modern open-heart surgery, considering how and why such factors as war, politics, religion, social attitudes, advance or hinder its development. This module is assessed by examination. |
| Module 2: An Enquiry in Depth: The American West, 1840-1895 | This study aims to dispel the myths of the 'Wild West' and replace them with a factual account of the development and settlement of the Great Plains between the years 1840 and 1895. This is done through an in-depth study of a wide range of primary and secondary source material, for example letters, photographs, objects. This module is assessed by examination. |
| Module 3: History Around Us: The Local Study | This module represents a chance for students to use a wide variety of skills and historical sources in order to examine an historical/archaeological site in detail. The object is to assess how the site has changed through time and why. This module is based on student research and fieldwork and is written up under controlled examination conditions. Our Local Study assignment focuses on Dunster Castle. |
Old Specification to be sat for the final time in Summer 2010 – our current Year 11 are following this specification
The course is the Schools History Project syllabus and comprises four distinct units, or modules, assessed by a combination of coursework and formal examination. There are two pieces of coursework which take the form of research exercises. Coursework comprises 25% of the total marks available. Modules 2 and 3 are assessed entirely by coursework and comprise 75% of the total marks available (this is split equally between the two modules). Modules 1 and 4 are assessed by two examinations taken at the end of the course, one which includes a section testing the student's ability to interpret and evaluate sources. Our current Year 11’s will be the final year to sit this specification.
All students sit the same examinations at the end of the course which offers the full range of grades A* to G.
The Modules are:-
| What this module entails: | |
| Module 1: An Enquiry in Depth: The American West, 1840-1895 | This study aims to dispel the myths of the 'Wild West' and replace them with a factual account of the development and settlement of the Great Plains between the years 1840 and 1895. This is done through an in-depth study of a wide range of primary and secondary source material, for example letters, photographs, objects. This module is assessed by examination. |
| Module 2: A Modern World Study: The Conflict in Ireland | This is a consideration of the conflict in Northern Ireland studying the issues and groups involved from an impartial viewpoint. The background to these troubles is also studied in order to show how tensions have developed over the last 450 years. This module has two pieces of coursework; the first piece requires students to evaluate a number of sources explaining why the troubles broke out in Northern Ireland in 1969, whilst the second piece focuses on the events of Bloody Sunday. |
| Module 3: History Around Us: The Local Study | This module represents a chance for students to use a wide variety of skills and historical sources in order to examine an historical/archaeological site in detail. The object is to assess how the site has changed through time and why. This module has one piece of coursework based on the fieldwork. Our Local Study coursework focuses on Dunster Castle. |
| Module 4: A Developmental Study: Medicine Through Time | This is a developmental study to show how a single idea - medicine - has developed from early stone-age spiritual medicine to modern open-heart surgery, considering how and why such factors as war, politics, religion, social attitudes, advance or hinder its development. This module is assessed by examination. |
Indicative Course Content for each of the Units (only the work for our current Year 10 course (new specification) and our current Year 11 course (old specification) is outlined here)
Current Year 10 – An Enquiry in Depth: The American West, 1840-1895 and Controlled Assignment on Dunster Castle.
(The indicative course content for Module 3: Medicine Through Time, which will be studied in Year 11, can be found in the course content for the old specification under Module 4 below – this will be updated in due course)
| Topic | Indicative Content | |
| Autumn Term 1 | Unit 1 - Completion and re-cap the work started in the summer term of Year 9: What was life like for the Native American Indians who lived on the Great Plains? Unit 2: The Early Pioneers – Why did they cross the Plains? |
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| Autumn Term 2 | Unit 3: Homesteaders Unit 4: Cowboys and Cattlemen |
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| Spring Term 1 | Unit 5: Law and Order Unit 6: Fate of the Plains Indians |
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| Spring Term 2 – end of Summer Term | The Local Study: Dunster Castle |
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Current Year 11 – Completion of Coursework (Conflict in Ireland and Dunster Castle) and Medicine Through Time.
Module 1: The American West, 1840-1895 was studied in Year 10 and will be formally examined at the end of this year. Indicative content can be found in Module 1 of the new specification outlined above.
| Topic | Indicative Content | |
| Autumn Term 1 |
Completion of Conflict in Ireland Coursework – Question 1 and 2
The Local Study: Dunster Castle |
Previous content covered in Year 10 =
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| Autumn Term 2 – end of Spring Term | Medicine Through Time |
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| Summer Term up to Exams | Exam Revision |
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History Entry Level Certificate
The Entry Level certificate is designed to build upon the work undertaken at Key Stage 3 in History and is specifically intended for those students who would struggle with the demands of the full GCSE course. Students may either opt for this course or transfer to it from the full GCSE.
The course follows the GCSE Schools History Project syllabus and comprises of three modules:
Module 1 - The American West, 1840-1895
Module 2 - Local Study: Dunster Castle
Module 3 - Medicine Through Time
Assessment is based entirely on a portfolio of evidence that the students gather throughout the course. They will be assessed on their knowledge and their use of sources, interpretations and representations of the past presented in their portfolio of evidence.
| What topics will the students study? | >>> | Students will study up to 8 Units taken from within the 3 main modules. Their best 4 Units go forward for final assessment). For example… | >>> | UNIT 1: Medicine: Surgery from 1880 to the Present Day |
| >>> | UNIT 2: American West: Lifestyle of the Plains Indians | |||
| >>> | UNIT 3: American West: The Homesteaders | |||
| >>> | UNIT 4: A Site Study: Dunster Castle |
The aim of the Entry Level Certificate course is to encourage students to enhance their historical knowledge, use historical sources critically, whilst organizing and communicating orally and in a written format their knowledge and understanding of History.
Successful candidates will be rewarded with the AQA Entry Level Certificate Level 1-3.
KEY STAGE 5
We offer History AS and A2 and Archaeology AS at Key Stage 5.
Archaeology: AS
Aims of the Course:
Interest in archaeology has never been greater with wide coverage in the media and regular programmes such as Time Team and Meet the Ancestors. This course attempts to explain some of the techniques used by archaeologists to interpret the past and includes an in-depth study of ritual and religion in Prehistoric Britain and Ireland.
Entry Qualifications:
No previous knowledge of history or archaeology is expected and interested candidates can approach the subject through any combination of A Levels (including Science). Archaeology is unique in that it embraces almost every discipline from the most rigorous sciences, to mathematics and the arts. Archaeology is a subject, which can be approached from any direction. All that is required is interest and commitment.
Course Details:
- Unit 1 – ARCH1: The Archaeology of Religion and Ritual (40% of AS)
In ARCH1, students are introduced to the subject through the study of one of the key themes in world archaeology. The Archaeology of Religion and Ritual provides students with interesting and stimulating cognitive demands. ‘Religion’ and ‘ritual’ focus respectively on belief systems and on actual activities related to such beliefs.
- Unit 2 – ARCH2: Archaeological Skills and Methods (60% of AS)
In ARCH2, students are introduced to the basic skills and methods of practical archaeology. They are taken through the various stages of site investigation, from the formation of sites, though discovery, recording, excavation and dating, to interpretation. The unit is based on the study of, and familiarity with, a range of archaeological excavation site reports.
Fieldwork: The department makes an extensive use of fieldwork, which includes visits to relevant archaeological sites, field-work and survey experience, visits to museums and excavation units and residential opportunities. We have in the past worked with two established archaeological projects – excavation experience at Vindolanda on Hadrian’s Wall and work with the South Quantocks Archaeological Survey. Students will have the opportunity to be involved in similar projects when studying the course.
Next Steps: A2 Archaeology may be studied as an extra-curricular activity within the College and support subjects such as science, geography and history.
History: AS and A2
Aims of the Course:
The course aims to challenge students, to build upon their enjoyment and enthusiasm for History and, most of all, expand their understanding and appreciation about the importance of events, issues and individuals in shaping the world of today. As well as extending historical knowledge, the course aims to develop the skills of thinking, analysing, evaluating and debate.
Entry Qualifications:
It is not necessary to have studied History at GCSE to take the AS/A2 Course. It is however important that you can demonstrate that you have the skills needed. Therefore, you will need to have 5 GCSE’s at Grades A*-C, including GCSE Grade C or above in HISTORY or a comparable subject (such as English or Geography).
Course Details:
- AS – Year 12
The AS course is the first half of the full Advanced GCE course and consists of Units 1 and 2, which will be studied over one year. The AS course can be studied as a discrete qualification, which will be awarded at the end of the year of study, or it can contribute to 50% of the total Advanced GCE qualification (full A’ Level)
The AS course comprises of two Units:
o Unit 1: Comprises of two topics. Topic 1 - Russia in Revolution 1881-1924: From Autocracy to Dictatorship and Topic 2 - Stalin’s Russia 1924-1953
o Unit 2: Experience of Warfare in Britain: Crimea, Boer and The First World War 1854-1929 Each of these Units counts for 50% of the total AS marks and 25% of the total GCE marks available. Both of these Units are assessed through separate written examinations of 1hr 20mins in the summer of the year of study. - A2 – Year 13
The A2 course follows on from the AS course and consists of a further 2 Units (Units 3 and 4), which will be studied over an additional year. This makes up the other 50% of the full Advanced GCE qualification. Students wishing to take the full Advanced GCE must, therefore, complete all four units. The full Advanced GCE qualification will be awarded at the end of the second year of study.
The A2 course aims to build upon the AS course and comprises of a further two units:
o Unit 3: The Challenge of Fascism - From Kaiser to Fuhrer: Germany, 1900-1945
o Unit 4: Historical Enquiry - Defending Great Power Status: British Foreign Policy, 1814-1914
Unit 3 counts for 60% of the total A2 marks and 30% of the total GCE marks, whilst Unit 4 counts for 40% of the total A2 marks and 20% of the total GCE marks. Unit 3 is assessed through a written examination of 2 hours and is sat in the summer of the year of study. Unit 4 is an internally assessed coursework assignment which will be completed by the April of the year of study.
Overall balance of both AS/A2:
Exam: 80%
Coursework: 20%
Next Steps:
History develops the skills of thinking, analysing, evaluating and debate. It is therefore an excellent preparation for a very wide range of courses and careers beyond the obvious. Students in recent years have progressed into: Law, Psychology, Banking, Business and Industrial Management and even Medicine.