Welcome to the National Modern Studies Course!
As you will know by now from your BGE courses, in Modern Studies we study a range of different political, social and economic issues from a local, national and international level. This means that we will be looking at issues ranging from everything on how our UK Government is handling the COVID-19 crisis and other political issues, to crime rates and statistics across the country, to the race between Trump and Biden in the USA, to how people protest when they want change (and everything in between!).
Topics we will cover from January 2021
So far this academic year, we have covered the first two units (Democracy in the United Kingdom and World Powers: USA) and started on the third and final unit - Crime and the Law. Starting the week commencing 11/1/21, we will continue this unit, covering the following topics: Arming the Police, Courts, Children's Hearing and Sentencing. Finally, we will cover the last skill of the National course, the Options Evaluation Skill. Of course, we hope to be back in school as soon as possible when it is safe so that we can continue learning and teaching in the classroom.
Classes and Relevant Teachers
National 3/4/5 Modern Studies Column D - Mrs K. McHugh
National 3/4/5 Modern Studies Column A - Miss S. Stevenson
Teams: our Online Learning platform
All the work can be found on the appropriate National Modern Studies Teams page. The pupils are already members since last lockdown, however should you need them, the codes for our Teams pages are:
Column D (Mrs McHugh's class): yap0s0c
Column A (Miss Stevenson's class): h45gs8t
Pupils can access Teams via most devices, e.g.: computer/laptop by logging into the Glow website, or by downloading the Glow app to an apple/android device.
Submitting Work
Work will typically be given weekly and thus pupils will have a week to submit it. Most tasks will be up in the 'Assignment' tab in Teams - this will give the pupils a clear indication about their deadline. Preferably, pupils should submit work through one of the following options:
Emailing it to their relevant teacher:
Mrs McHugh (Column D): karen.mchugh@aberdeenshire.gov.uk
Miss Stevenson (Column A): gw18stevensonsarahlo@glow.sch.uk
Submitting it as an Assignment.
Every week, we will specify details on which option to submit via, so just keep an eye on the Teams page! Pupils can choose themselves whether they want to complete the work by hand on paper, and then take a picture, or if they want to type on an ICT device.
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. However, as exams have been cancelled, we are focused on gathering evidence of pupil work through continuous assessment. This means it is of essential importance that pupils submit all the work set, as it will be used as evidence for them to help them achieve their qualification this year. We will mark the pupils' work on a weekly basis and give feedback through Teams/email. We will also offer live Q&A sessions through Teams in accordance with the pupils' timetables from before Christmas break - more information on this will be given through the individual Teams pages.
Contacting Teachers
Feel free to contact us whenever you need to, either via Teams or email (see addresses above), and we will reply as soon as we can.
Course Specifications
Normally, we would go over the below National Modern Studies course information in class, however due to current circumstances we hope you find them accessible via the below links.
National 5: https://www.sqa.org.uk/files_ccc/ModernStudiesCourseSpecN5.pdf
Understanding Standards for National 5: The SQA Understanding Standards shows examples of work and how they are marked: https://www.understandingstandards.org.uk/Subjects/Modern_Studies/national5
National 4:
https://www.sqa.org.uk/files/nq/CfE_CourseSpecification_N4_SocialSubjects_ModernStudies.pdf
National 3:
https://www.sqa.org.uk/files/nq/CfE_CourseSpec_N3_SocialStudies_ModernStudies.pdf
Modern Studies Links and Websites
Below are some relevant links and websites that are useful for pupils to learn more content for the course:
BBC Bitesize National 5 Modern Studies https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/subjects/zxsnb9q - go on to the website and find the topic you are looking for! We will be starting with Democracy in the UK.
UK Parliament Education Service https://learning.parliament.uk/resources/ - great for interactive learning about UK Politics.
Newsround - https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround - a very easy for staying up-to-date with news!
BBC Fake News https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4fRwvHcfr5hYMMltFqvP6qF/help-your-students-spot-false-news - a great source for pupils to learn more about what constitutes as fake news!
Other recommended content and news sources!
If you are looking for something to watch to develop Modern Studies knowledge on current political topics, we recommend some of the following!
News programs and channels - this might be Sky News, BBC News or Good Morning Britain. They often have debates, too!
Panorama* - These are available online through the BBC website or YouTube. Sometimes they are also shown on TV.
Dispatches - a Channel 4 based program with different topics available depending on interest
BBC Parliament - a channel available on most TVs - often shows debates and other on-goings in the UK Parliament
Netflix* - lots of Political documentaries available!
Audible - look for factual books - currently offering free books for school children
Spotify* - look for political podcasts
*Pupils received a document in their initial National Teams page with more tips and details regarding interesting shows and programs to watch/listen to!
Thank you for reading! We look forward to hopefully being back in school and seeing all our pupils as soon as possible. Any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch!