History used to be compulsory in this country because it was good for you to learn about what put the Great into Britain. In many countries it’s still compulsory at your age to study your country’s history, partly at least to encourage a sense of loyalty and belonging. Nowadays, living in a liberal democracy, we like to give choice and History is one of the subjects that we would like you to choose.
Those who don’t know better might say to you: “Don’t waste your time on the past: look to the future!” These are mistaken people who think that the past is full of mistakes to be ignored, rather than lessons to be learned. Your life will hopefully be a long one - until you are 80 years old or more. If you think you will gain some wisdom and experience in those 80 years, why not learn a little about those who created the world during the last 80 years in which you now live?
Think:
How else can you make sense of the present unless you have a good understanding of the past?
How are you going to change the world if you haven’t checked to see how it got into its present state?
How can you take part in a system if you don’t know how it works?
A person without a past is a shadow without a body. History helps give you a mind, body and soul - three for the price of one!
Course Content
Our course covers the Modern World and deals with some of the main events of the 20th century. Paper 1 looks at Conflict in the World, up until the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. Paper 2 looks at two important countries in detail – the United States of America during the 1920s and Germany during the 1930s.
The Coursework topics are quite prescriptive and involve looking at Britain during the First and Second World Wars. The questions set are intended to change each year. It is our practice, and intention to maintain a biennial field trip to the Battlefields of Flanders and France at the end of September 2011.
Assessment
75% by examination in 2 papers of 1 hour and 45 minutes each.
25% coursework, assessed from two assignments.
The same exam papers are taken by all. It is currently expected that some candidates will take Paper 1 in January of their Year 11, with the knowledge that it can be retaken at the end of the year in the normal way should this be preferred.
Specification: AQA History B 4047
Click here to download the current specification for this GCSE course.
And the Future?
Employers who see that you have a qualification in history know that you possess certain useful and relevant skills such as:
You can understand how people tick, what they think and feel.
You are able to gather and read different kinds of information.
You are able to look carefully at this information and can check it for bias.
You can read maps, graphs and other diagrams.
You are able to communicate clearly on paper.
You are able to see both sides of a question and still answer it.
History is a good choice in preparing for lots of careers - every lawyer, solicitor or barrister practises the ideas and techniques endlessly. It is a good qualification for journalists, secretaries, accountants, TV researchers, policemen and women. It’s obviously relevant for scientists who have to be able to communicate with others and to explain their researches to society. Any area of life involving administration and decision-making values the skills taught within a history qualification. Employers and Universities like to see that you followed a balanced course at school and History has a good reputation going for it. It’s also really useful in quizzes and you can impress your friends by knowing more about what’s going on in the world than they may do.
‘You only live once. See what other real people did with their lives. Then do better.’
