YEAR 11 HISTORY COURSE SYLLABUS

Course Outline

Overview

The Humanities Department Syllabi at GEMS Wesgreen International Secondary School strive to enable students to acquire knowledge, skills and attitudes so as to develop an informed and critical understanding of social, environmental, historical and political issues so as to reinforce and stimulate curiosity and imagination about local and wider environments. The Curriculum provides a strong foundation to enable students to foster an understanding of, and concern for, the interdependence of all humans, all living things and the earth on which they live. To foster in students a sense of responsibility for the long-term care of the environment and a commitment to promote the sustainable use of the earth’s resources through his/her personal life-style and participation in collective environmental decision-making. 

Learning Outcomes

History aims to offer a balance program which will help to develop thorough knowledge, understanding and the requisite skills of the subject learners need for their next steps in education or employment. The aims of the History Syllabus are to: 

• Know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world
• Know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations; the expansion and dissolution of empires; characteristic features of past non-European societies; achievements and follies of mankind
• Gain and deploy a historically grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’, ‘civilisation’, ‘parliament’ and ‘peasantry’
• Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses
• Understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed
• Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales.

Unit Overviews

Term 1

Unit 8 – The Nazi regime

(a) How effectively did the Nazis control Germany, 1933–45?

Approximate length: 3 weeks.

In this unit, students will – examine: How much opposition was thereto the Nazi regime? How effectively did the Nazis deal with their political opponents? How did the Nazis use culture and mass media to control the people? Why did the Nazis persecute many groups in German society? Was Nazi Germany a totalitarian state?

Specific National Curriculum Objectives Covered:

• Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyze trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses.
• Understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed.
• Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales.

Unit 9 – The Nazi regime

(b) What was it like to live in Nazi Germany?

Approximate length: 4 weeks.

In this unit, students will – examine: How did young people react to the Nazi regime? How successful were Nazi policies towards women and the family? Did most people in Germany benefit from Nazi rule? How did the coming of war change life in Nazi Germany?

Specific National Curriculum Objectives Covered:

• Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses.
• Understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed.
• Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales.

Unit 10 - Who was to blame for the Cold War?           

Approximate length: 4 weeks.

In this unit, students will – examine: Why did the USA– USSR alliance begin to break down in 1945? How had the USSR gained control of Eastern Europe by 1948? How did the USA react to Soviet expansionism? What were the consequences of the Berlin Blockade? Who was the more to blame for starting the Cold War: the USA or the USSR?

Specific National Curriculum Objectives Covered:

• Know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world.

• Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses.
• Understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed.
• Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales.

Term 2

Unit 11 – How effectively did the USA contain the spread of Communism?

Approximate length: 6 weeks

In this unit, students will examine: America and events in Korea, 1950–53. America and events in Cuba, 1959–62. American involvement in Vietnam.

Specific National Curriculum Objectives Covered:

• Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses.
• Understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed.
• Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales.

Unit 12 – How secure was the USSR's control over Eastern Europe, 1948 - c.1989?

Approximate length: 5 weeks

In this unit, students will examine: Why was there opposition to Soviet control in Hungary in 1956 and Czechoslovakia in 1968, and how did the USSR react to this opposition? How similar were events in Hungary in 1956 and in Czechoslovakia in 1968? Why was the Berlin Wall built in 1961? What was the significance of ‘Solidarity’ in Poland for the decline of Soviet influence in Eastern Europe? How far was Gorbachev personally responsible for the collapse of Soviet control over Eastern Europe?

Specific National Curriculum Objectives Covered:

• Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses.
• Understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed.
• Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales.

Term 3

Unit 13 - Revision, Exam Paper preparation & focus on Paper 2 (Historical Analytical and Source paper skills) 

Approximate length: 4-6 weeks

In this unit, students will have time to – Revise over course content covered to date – Practice Paper 2 testing ability to interpret, analyse and evaluate historical sources.

Specific National Curriculum Objectives Covered:

• Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses
• Understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed
• Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales.

Assessment

You will: Take three examinations at the end of the course:

• Paper 1 (Written paper)

• Paper 2 (Written paper)

• Paper 4 (Alternative to Coursework)

Component	How long and how many marks	Skills assessed	Details	Percentage of the qualification
Paper 1 (Written paper)	2 hours 60 marks	Knowledge and understanding	You answer three questions: Two questions from Section A (Core Content) One question from Section B (Depth Study	40%
Paper 2 (Written paper)	2 hours 50 marks	Ability to interpret, analyze and evaluate historical sources	You answer six questions on one topic taken from the Core Content	33%
Paper 4 (Alternative to Coursework)	1 hour 40 marks	Knowledge and understanding, and the ability to explain and justify arguments and conclusions	You answer one question on a chosen Depth Study	27%

Remote / Blended Learning Pathways and Assessment:

Small groups, (up to 15 students) will meet F2F. Where there are more than (15) Blended Learning will take place. According to the timetabling of classes also, there will be RL sessions where specified. All subject Units can be taught using any of these pathways. Students will collaborate and engage more with each other on set tasks in the break out rooms and collaboration spaces online. Lessons will be taught live as opposed to asynchronously. If a teacher is ill to point of being unable to deliver a lesson online, this lesson will be done asynchronously. During live lessons students will be requested to demonstrate a skill or understanding in short audio/ video recordings of themselves analysing, evaluating, explaining, showing (restricted time period). They will create Sway and other MS document presentations as instructed. Discussions will ensue among students and their peers and they will engage, respond and feedback using the chat feature. Students will be asked to watch video clip(s) and read a print/ broadcast/ another medium link and do a review, summary, explanation, give their opinion regarding the topic. They will be asked to design storyboards using a MS document for presentation. Rubrics will be attached as additional guide to support students’ progress and attainment. These are only a few of the techniques and methods that will be engaged during lessons.

Assessments:

Option 1: We will have a designated assessment week. All classes scheduled to complete online assessments that day will remain at home. On this day they can complete maximum 2 assessments for the day (grades 6 –8), 3 assessments for (grades 9 and above).

Option 2: During blended learning sessions the students who are at school will bring their laptop/device and complete the assessment online while the others who are at home (RL) will complete it on their device at home. Each assessment lesson will request an additional supervisor/invigilator to monitor those in the class while the teacher monitors the screen. Students in the class can even have their desk/back facing the teacher to create an extra precaution/ awareness to students that the teacher along with the supporting invigilator is also supervising. If a student forgets their device the school will have other provisions in place accordingly. Teachers could also have the printed copies to distribute. The school devices will then be recollected and sanitised at the end. This option will also take place during a designated assessment week.

Option 3: We will continue to conduct continuous assessment as was done during RL/Term 3 in the AY 2019/2020.