S3 History:
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S3 Social Subjects – Course overview

Through social studies, learners develop their understanding of the world by learning about other people and their values, in different times, places and circumstances; they also develop their understanding of their environment and how it has been shaped. Learner experiences will be broadened using Scottish, British, European and world contexts for learning, while maintaining a focus on the historical, social, geographic, economic, and political changes that have shaped Scotland and the world.

Our BGE Social Subjects courses have been designed to give pupils the opportunity to learn and experience a broad range of outcomes both within curricular areas and through interdisciplinary learning. The principles of breadth, challenge and application underpin course design and ensure pupils are motivated, stimulated and engaged in their learner journey.

All BGE courses contain a range of different resources and activities that are designed to stimulate and motivate pupils. Pupils are encouraged to work to the best of their abilities and staff will support pupil needs through differentiation and extension. Courses have been designed to challenge learners to push themselves and produce high quality work. There will also be opportunities for learners to express their views through discussion and debate. Learners will also be given the chance to experience National 4/5 level questions, and this will prepare them for the challenges presented in S4.

S3 History – Atlantic Slave Trade/Mafia/World War One

Studying the Atlantic Slave Trade teaches learners the lessons we need to learn from this event and why showing respect and tolerance is important in society today. Within the Mafia topic pupils will learn about the growth and impact of the mafia on both Italy and the US. Finally, the S3 History course will study the causes and impact of World War One. History is crucial as it teaches pupils about the importance of respect and remembering key individuals and events from the past. History also has the important role of teaching pupils’ life skills such as analysis, extended writing and listening to and respecting different views and opinions. Through the study of History learners will gain key skills such as source analysis and report writing.

S3 History – key study areas

• Reasons for the Atlantic slave trade

• Impact of the slave trade on countries

• Conditions faced by slaves

• The legacy left by the Atlantic Slave Trade

• Growth and rise of the Mafia

• Impact of the Mafia on life in Italy and the US

• Study of key individuals within the Mafia

• Causes of World War One

• Impact of World War one on countries and soldiers

The majority of work covered in S3 History is based around CfE Level 4 outcomes. The majority of pupils at this stage of S3 are working at Fourth C or above. This does not mean that pupils performing below this level are not making progress - all pupils are making progress, but some require more support with CfE Level 4 content than others.

 For pupils working at Third A or below we would recommend the National 4 People and Society course in S4.

Working Level and Working Grade descriptions for S3 History:

Fourth+: Pupils working beyond fourth level at this stage of their school journey are performing at a higher level than the majority of their peers. The grading from A to D reflects how well they are performing within this advanced level. Please note that a grade D at this level is a higher grade than an A at Fourth level.

Fourth A: A pupil achieving this will be making excellent progress across all their assessments and class work. They will be consistently demonstrating that they understand and can recall the content of the course and are able to apply that understanding to class work and assessments. They will also have performed exceptionally well in a range of assessments including written tests, reports, and presentations.

Fourth B: A pupil achieving this will be making good progress across all their assessments and class work. They will be demonstrating that they understand and can recall much of the content of the course and are able to apply that understanding to class work and assessments. They will also have performed well in a range of assessments including written tests, reports, and presentations.

Fourth C: A pupil achieving this will be making reasonable progress across all their assessments and classwork. They will be demonstrating that they understand and can recall some of the content of the course and may be able to apply some of that understanding towards class work and assessments. They will also have performed reasonably well in a range of assessments including written tests, reports, and presentations.

Fourth D: A pupil achieving this will be making some progress across all their assessments and classwork. They will be demonstrating that they understand and can recall some of the content of the course but may find it challenging to apply this understanding to class work and assessments. They may also have difficulty in completing a range of assessments including written tests, reports, and presentations.

Third A to D: A pupil achieving this will be making limited progress across all their assessments and classwork. They may be demonstrating that they understand and can recall small portions of the content of the course but will likely find applying this content to class work and assessments a great challenge. They will also, likely find it very challenging to complete a range of assessments including written tests, reports, and presentations.