History

To help you transition seamlessly into the rigours of the IB Diploma or Career-related Programme, this subject page houses your essential preparatory resources. Beyond the required Summer Task, designed to prime your analytical and subject-specific skills, you will find curated Recommended Reading and Recommended Viewing lists. These selections are handpicked by your future teachers to broaden your perspective, ignite your curiosity, and provide the cultural and academic context necessary for high-level inquiry. Engaging with these materials now will not only ease the step up from Grade 10 but will also give you a distinct advantage as you begin your two-year journey.

Summer Task/Project

Why Do a Summer Review?

DP History rewards students who are curious, analytical, and well-informed about the world. The summer before the course is a great opportunity to:

Strengthen reading and note-taking skills
Build historical awareness and global context
Improve critical thinking and source analysis
Develop habits of independent inquiry
Become comfortable discussing different interpretations of events

This is not about memorising facts. It is about learning to think like a historian.

Recommended Summer Activities.

1. Build a Historical Timeline

Choose one broad period and create a visual timeline.

2. Histry Through Headlines

Every week:

Read one international news article
Connect it to a historical event or theme

Example:

Modern conflicts → nationalism, imperialism, Cold War legacies
Elections → democracy vs authoritarianism
Climate migration → historical migration patterns

Create a journal with:

Summary of the article
Historical connection
Your reflection

3. Watch a Historical Film Critically

Suggested films:

1917
Schindler’s List
Dunkirk
Selma
Hotel Rwanda
Goodbye Lenin!

While watching:

Identify bias
Notice emotional manipulation
Compare with historical facts
Evaluate accuracy

Write:

What was accurate?
What was exaggerated?
Why might filmmakers change history?