History Transition Activities To Prepare For A Level

History Transition Activities To Prepare For A Level

Why Study History? v Just as history has made our world what it is, history can also be a key part of your future. Learn how studying history informs the present and gives you the skills you need to prepare for the future. v Apart from being very interesting, history is useful for a host of different careers, and life too! In fact, history is very practical and teaches you vital skills that employers want, because it involves: v Learning about people – how they interact, differing perspectives and interpretations, the motives and emotions that can tear people apart into rival factions or help them to work together for a common cause (useful knowledge for team-building at work!) v Learning to locate and sift facts – In today’s internet-based, information overloaded world, employers really appreciate someone who v can sift through the evidence to find the vital information – a skill that history is better placed than any other subject to help you develop. v Handling evidence to make informed decisions – to identify truth and recognise myth, propaganda and downright lies (useful in every aspect of life!) v Communicating your ideas and thoughts in a way that makes sense to others – whether that be verbally or in essays, graphs or illustrated reports – and having the confidence to defend your findings. These skills are vital for arguments and presentations in a range of careers. v Learning about countries, societies and cultures – so many of today’s conflicts and alliances have their roots in the past; how can you understand, trade successfully with, or report on a country if you know nothing of its culture or history?

How Can History Help My Career? With a subject like history, it may be harder for you to identify a clear career path. However, history is a useful and often necessary subject for a wide range careers – not just the obvious ones. We already know that history is a highly desirable qualification for: v Teaching in Schools v Museums and Galleries v Heritage Sites and Organisations v Archives, Record Offices, Libraries and Universities v Archaeology and Architecture, Conservation and Horticulture v National and Local Government, Civil Service and Diplomatic Service v Media and Journalism v Charity Work v Law v The Police and Armed Forces However, there a wide range of other careers that history can support. Have you ever thought about some of the other doors that a qualification in history can open?

What will I study and how will I be assessed? Unit 1 – The British Empire 1857 - 1967 Unit 2 – The Transformation of China 1936 -1997 NEA: The Birth of the USA 1760 - 1870 How will I be examined? 2. 5 hour exam 3, 500 – 4, 500 word essay – centre marked What will I be examined on? Interpretations (AO 3) x 1 30 mark question Sources (AO 2) X 1 30 mark question Historical Knowledge/Concepts (AO 1) x 2 25 mark essays Historical Knowledge/Concepts (AO 1) X 2 25 mark essays Students choose a question and select three primary sources (AO 2 – 10 marks) and two contrasting interpretations (AO 3 – 10 marks). Historical knowledge and concepts are also assessed (AO 1 – 20 marks)

This Historical Association is an amazing organisation that support the study of History at all levels. As a student at Central you have access to its student area of the website. Please log in using the following: Username: 13336 Password: historyrocks 123 You will need to log into the site to access many of the activities.

Key Study Skills At A Level Use this link to access the following articles: https: //www. history. org. uk/student/categories/how-to-16 -18 v Essay writing v Note taking v Using sources v Reading at A-level Please read over each of these and think about how what the main differences are between GCSE and A-level – when we are in school we will discuss these.

Unit 1 – The British Empire This is a breadth study so we will be looking at a 110 year period over Y 12 -13. Some concepts maybe familiar to you from KS 3 and 4 but much of what we learn will be new to you. The unit is broken down into 6 key themes v Expansion and contraction v Colonial policy v Trade and commerce v Role of individuals v Attitudes in Britain v Relations with indigenous peoples

Task – Complete The Glossary Your first task is to help you understand some of the key language used when talking about empires. Use the BBC, Youtube, Historical Association to research and understand what these key terms mean. Make sure you are putting them into your own words and can provide an example of how it relates to the British Empire. Term Empire Imperialism Trade Commerce Indigenous Colonial Administrator Protectorate Annexation Your definition Group of countries controlled by one main, ‘mother’, country. Example The British Empire was known as the ‘empire on which the sun never set’ due to the vast amount of land people it controlled.

Interpretations – A 03 Part of this unit requires you to engage with historical interpretations of the British Empire. You will have used this skill before if you took the Edexcel history GCSE (Paper 3). You will need to use your own knowledge to assess how convincing the arguments in the extracts are.

Interpretations – AO 3 Task 2 - Read through the extract from Niall Ferguson’s book ‘Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World’ and answer the questions: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. What is Niall Ferguson’s interpretation of the British Empire? Choose 3 -4 phrases from the text to support your summary of his interpretation. What does Ferguson say is the current ‘conventional’ interpretation of Empire? What do you think has shaped Ferguson’s interpretation of the British empire? Challenge Summarise 1 other person’s interpretation mentioned by Ferguson in the extract. Please refer to the attached extract for your reading.

Knowledge and Wider Reading – AO 1 In addition to reading the course textbook, you will also need to engage in wider reading around the topic. The British Empire remains a popular topic for historians to write about and debate and there is a huge wealth of documentaries and articles on the subject. You should make use of the Historical Association, BBC History Extra articles and podcasts. Task – Watch Ep 1 of Jeremy Paxman’s Empire series and summarise.

Unit 2 – The Transformation of China 1936 -1997 This paper is a depth study about the making of modern China. You will be required to evaluate primary sources and write essays that require you to analyse key factors and make judgements. The course is divided up into six sections: v The origins of the Civil War, 1936 -1946 v Communist victory and the consolidation of Mao’s rule, 1946 -1952 v The transition to socialism 1952 -1962 v Reform and control 1962 -1966 v The Cultural Revolution 1966 -1976 v The PRC under Deng Xiaoping 1976 -1997

Knowledge and Wider Reading – AO 1 Use the link below to gain an overview of China in the twentieth century. Complete the activities comparing the photographs of China and Britain. Write a PEE paragraph to explain the differences between the two countries. https: //www. bbc. co. uk/bitesize/guides/zgtg 87 h/revision/1 Read the chapter called Introductions, Frame work and Definitions and be prepared to discuss these questions in the first lesson; v What events are considered revolutions in Twentieth Century China? v Why did Nationalism grow in China? v How is modernisation defined and where was China in this process by the 18 th Century? v How did foreign intervention impact China?

Key Information What if you don’t know a term/phrase in the work? If you don’t understand a term you can use the internet to search and help you understand it. Is there a deadline? Yes – all work needs to be completed and emailed to the departmental email account by July 2 nd as your teachers will review your work. If you change subjects on enrolment day you will need to do the Transition Unit set for the new subject. What do I do the work on? How do I present it? You will need to complete the work on a Power. Point/ Word Document and save it as If you are a CFGS Year 11 student you need save your file as your name/ form/ subject (e. g. Ruby Jones 11 U Geography) If you are an external (new to CFGS) you need to save your file as your name/ school/ subject (e. g. Ruby Jones/ Azhar/ Geography) Who do you email it to? You need to email it to History@central. towerhamlets. sch. uk Why do I need to do this? i. The work will give you an introduction to what Key Stage 5 is like and will help bridge the gap between GCSE and A Level/BTEC but most importantly it gives you a taste for the subject. ii. It will also be the first impression your teachers get of you – so make it a good one! iii. There will be an assessment in the first few weeks of Sixth Form to assess your knowledge and understanding from the tasks set in this unit along with the content of the first few lessons.