Units:

At National level, whether you are doing National 5, National 4 or National 3, we study the below three units. If you want more specifications on each level, please click/tap on the respective one above. The first three units are typically assessed through a final SQA exam and are together worth 80% of the pupil's final grade).

1. Politics: Democracy in the UK

2. World Powers: The USA

3. Social Issues: Crime and the Law

4. The Assignment (20% of final grade)

Unit 1: Democracy in the UK

Topics covered in this unit:

• Power and decision-making  (features of a democratic political society, devolved and reserved matters, the role and powers of Prime Minister)

• Participation  (rights and responsibilities of individuals, opportunities for individuals, elections and campaigning (role of individuals, political parties and the media) 

• Influence  (the media and pressure groups)

• Representation  (role of the Members of Parliament (MPs, representation of women and minority groups, purpose, function and composition of the House of Lords)

• Voting systems  (key features and outcomes of the system used to elect MPs to the UK Parliament, including the strengths and weaknesses of this system)

Unit 2: World Powers - the USA

Topics covered in this unit:

• Political system  of the USA (political system, participation, representation)

• The USA's influence on other countries (political, economic and military influence)

• Social & Economic Issues and Effectiveness in tackling these (issues we would look at would be at least 3 of the following: employment, poverty/inequality, population movement, health, education, crime and the law 

Unit 3: Social Issues - Crime and the Law

Topics covered in this unit:

• Nature of crime  (nature and extent of crime in Scotland and the UK, evidence of crime in Scotland and the UK)

• Causes of crime  (social, economic and biological causes and explanations of crime) 

• Consequences of crime (on perpetrators, victims, families, communities and wider society)

• Criminal justice system  (role and structure of the criminal courts ,including the children’s hearing system)  

• Powers of the criminal courts (effectiveness of criminal courts in tackling crime)

• Responses to crime  (government, police and prison responses, as well as the effectiveness of each part in tackling crime)

Unit 4: The Assignment 

In this unit, pupils independently research an economic, political or social issue that interests them. The idea is that throughout the year, they will have had some idea of which area interests them the most, and can thus pick a topic or issue to research that they feel passionate about! In this unit, pupils practice and develop skills such as researching, writing, analysing, ICT skills, gathering data, comparing sources/arguments and making conclusions. The assignment is worth 20% of their final grade.

Course Assessment

Usually, National 5 pupils would do a Question Paper as an exam (worth 80% of final grade) and an Assignment (worth 20% of final grade); National 4 and 3 pupils are assessed in the classroom through continuous assessment. This year (2021) exams have been cancelled, so we are focused on gathering evidence of all pupil work through continuous summative assessment. Depending on the circumstances in the next academic year (2021-2022), we will assess accordingly. Nevertheless, regardless of what happens, we prepare the pupils for any type of assessment throughout the year through continuous formative (e.g. quizzes, peer assessment, active learning) and summative (e.g. end of unit tests and a prelim) assessments with detailed feedback, support and help to improve and progress throughout the course. 

Depending on how the pupil does in their various assessments/exam, they can progress into doing Higher Modern Studies the following year. 

Career Pathways and Skills

Modern Studies is a very versatile subject which helps pupils develop knowledge and understanding of the processes that determine political, social and economic life, both from national and international perspectives. It helps pupils  important skills that are required in many workplaces, such as being able to critically evaluate information, analyse complex sources and communicating important issues through writing and discussion. Together, the knowledge pupils acquire and the skills they develop will allow them to become a more informed individual and prepare them to participate more effectively in society in a more tolerant and responsible manner. Below are just some of the career paths pupils can take after studying Modern Studies! 

• advocate

• civil servant

• charity and community work

• editor

• government work

• journalist

• judge or sheriff

• librarian

• local government

• member of parliament

• reporter

• researcher

• police officer

• parliament staff

• social work

• teaching - primary and secondary

• trade unions

Thank you for reading our page, we hope to see you in the next academic session!