HISTORY
OVERVIEW:
Our courses follow a 'Scottish', 'British' and 'European & World' context from S1 upwards. We encourage active learning across a range of activities which aims to foster skills in literacy, numeracy and IT as well as research, discussion, investigation, making judgements and forming conclusions, creativity and role play, decision making, analysis and evaluation, source-handling skills.
History is highly valued as a career path in a wide variety of fields, many involving research skills; typically, History graduates enter professions such as law, teaching, journalism, broadcasting and media, business, advertising and marketing, politics, librarianship, museum work and archaeology.
Each year group has the opportunity to participate in a local field trip, we also organise a Belfast & Dublin Trip for Higher History students in S5/6.
We are involved in leading whole-school events such as ‘Conflict Day’ and annual Remembrance Day Assemblies. An S2 elective is run in conjunction with the Modern Studies Department where pupils have the opportunity to explore additional themes not covered in the syllabus.
WHAT WE TEACH:
S1: Learners develop their skills, knowledge and understanding of Scottish, British and global historical themes by studying the following issues as part of the ‘Early and Medieval’ context: ‘The Making of Scotland’; ‘The Medieval Kingdom’; ‘The Crusades’. Assessment is based on ‘Levels’ relating to the experiences and outcomes. As part of the course, all S1 learners will have the opportunity to participate in a local field trip to Duffus Castle.
S2: Building on the S1 course, learners continue to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding of Scottish, British and global historical themes by studying the following issues as part of the ‘Early Modern’ context: ‘Mary Queen of Scots and the Reformation’; ‘Britain, Africa and the Slave Trade’; ‘the USA’. Assessment is based on ‘Levels’ relating to the experiences and outcomes. As part of the course, all S2 learners will have the opportunity to participate in a local field trip to Spynie Palace.
S3: Learners continue to develop and refine their skills, knowledge and understanding of Scottish, British and global historical themes by studying the following issues as part of the ‘Late Modern’ context: ‘The Jacobite Rebellions’; ‘Empire and Sea-Power’; ‘The Cold War’. Assessment is based on ‘Levels’ relating to the experiences and outcomes. As part of the course, all S3 learners will have the opportunity to participate in a local field trip to Culloden Battlefield.
S4: In S4, most students will follow the National 4 or National 5 History courses with a view to attaining a final course award. Again, we explore Scottish, British and global themes in a ‘Late Modern’ context: ‘the Era of the Great War’; ‘Britain 1760 – 1900’; ‘Civil Rights in the USA’. Assessment is based on a demonstration of the skills required to show knowledge and understanding of the issues (including an historical Assignment) and the ability to evaluate, compare and contextualise relevant sources. As part of the course, all National 4 and 5 students will have the opportunity to participate in a local field trip to the Highlander Museum, Fort George.
S5: In S5, most students will follow the Higher History course with a view to attaining a final course award. Once again, we explore Scottish, British and global themes in a ‘Late Modern’ context: ‘Migration and Empire’; ‘Britain and Ireland’; ‘Germany 1815 - 1939’. Assessment is based on a demonstration of the skills required to show knowledge and understanding of the issues (including an historical Assignment) and the ability to evaluate, compare and contextualise relevant sources. As part of the course, all Higher students will have the opportunity to participate in a field trip to Belfast and Dublin.
S6: In S6, most students will follow the Advanced Higher History course with a view to attaining a final course award. This time, we explore a single theme – ‘Russia: from Tsarism to Stalinism 1914 – 1945’. Assessment is based on a demonstration of the skills required to show knowledge and understanding of the issues (including a 4,000 word dissertation) and the ability to evaluate, compare and contextualise relevant sources. As part of the course, all Advanced Higher students will have the opportunity to participate in a field trip to Aberdeen University.